Large Network Storage Advice

[tro11]

Hi guys. Was wondering if any of you had some advice with a network storage setup. Right now we have 2 old G4s we're running as servers for file sharing. Each packed with 3x500gb drives. As you can imagine, these machines are waaay end of life and I'm worried they'll croak at any second. Along with this setup, we have no backup procedures which also worries me.

I initially thought about getting a couple mac pros and loading them up with a bunch storage and raiding them for at least one set of protection, but I feel this may not be too productive in terms of future expansion.

Do you guys have any suggestions in relation to mac compatible nas/san hardware I can look at? It needs to support around 15 users at any given time doing dtp work off the server. Many thanks in advance!

 

[Eddyisgreat]

3 Tb and no backup schema? tisk tisk.

Any reason why one of the vTrak Storage thingies endorsed by Apple won't work? Cost may be high but it might be worth it.

 

[alphaod]

3 Tb and no backup schema? tisk tisk.

Any reason why one of the vTrak Storage thingies endorsed by Apple won't work? Cost may be high but it might be worth it.

The vTrak needs a fibre channel card, something you're not going to get on the G4; even the cheap that Apple sells is $600-$1000; for that kind of money a new computer would be better and then run an internal RAID 10.

 

[tro11]

3 Tb and no backup schema? tisk tisk.

Any reason why one of the vTrak Storage thingies endorsed by Apple won't work? Cost may be high but it might be worth it.

I plead innocence and blame the previous people in charge. They just never experienced a crash so they don't realize just how bad things would be if they lost their data.

I think the vTrak is out of our price range. I'd like to be able to get something at around the price range of what we would be doing otherwise, replacing the G4s with Mac Pros loaded with storage, but raided drives at least.

I tried going the cheap route with a workstation and freeNAS but during testing I kept running into intermittent disconnections which won't cut it when you're working off a server. I'm trying to feel out other alternatives in the similar price range.