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What is FreeNAS?
FreeNAS is a free NAS (Network-Attached Storage) server, supporting: CIFS (samba), FTP, NFS, RSYNC protocols, local user authentication, Software RAID (0,1,5) with a Full WEB configuration interface. FreeNAS takes less than 16MB once installed on Compact Flash, hard drive or USB key.
The minimal FreeBSD distribution, Web interface, PHP scripts and documentation are based on m0n0wall.
What is NAS?
NAS here mean Network-Attached Storage (it's not the same than a Network Access Server).
From the Wikipedia, here is the NAS definition:
Network-attached storage (NAS) systems are generally computing-storage devices that can be accessed over a computer network, rather than directly being connected to the computer (via a computer bus). This enables multiple system to share the same storage space at once, and often minimizes overhead by centrally managing hard disks. NAS systems usually contain one or more hard disks, often arranged into logical, redundant storage containers or RAID arrays.
Because NAS devices enabled utilised logical file system storage in local area network, the performance of NAS devices heavily dependent on NAS devices cache memory and network interface overhead.
The protocol used with NAS is a file based protocol such as Network File System (NFS) or Microsoft's Common Internet File System (CIFS).
NAS was developed to address problems with direct attached storage, which included the effort required to administer and maintain "server farms", and the lack of scalability, reliability, availability, and performance. They can deliver significant ease of use, provide heterogeneous data sharing and enable organizations to automate and simplify their data management.
Features currently supported by FreeNAS
FreeNAS support in the current release:
Filesystem: UFS, FAT32, EXT2/EXT3, NTFS (limited read-only)
Protocol: CIFS (samba) , FTP and NFS
Hard dirve: ATA/SATA, SCSI, USB and Firewire (not tested)
Networks cards: All supported by FreeBSD 6 (including wireless card!)
Boot from USB key
Hardware RAID cards: All supported by FreeBSD 6
Software RAID 0, 1 and 5
Management of the groups and the users (Local User authentication and Microsoft Domain)
Features planned to be supported by FreeNAS
FreeNAS will support:
User/group: LDAP, NIS, Radius (working on)
Protocol: uPNP (no time for that... perhaps later)
Download Setup and User Guide
http://www.freenas.org/downloads/docs/u ... AS-SUG.pdf
Download FreeNAS (x86) ISO file
http://sourceforge.net/projects/freenas ... o/download
or
http://switch.dl.sourceforge.net/projec ... E-i386.iso
Download FreeNAS (x86) image file for embedded system
http://sourceforge.net/projects/freenas ... z/download
or
http://switch.dl.sourceforge.net/projec ... Install.xz
Download FreeNAS (amd64) ISO file
http://sourceforge.net/projects/freenas ... o/download
or
http://switch.dl.sourceforge.net/projec ... -amd64.iso
Download FreeNAS (amd64) image file for embedded system
http://sourceforge.net/projects/freenas ... z/download
or
http://switch.dl.sourceforge.net/projec ... Install.xz
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| 04-05-2011 08:22:20 |
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