Hi,
Until a couple months ago I stored all my files on internal and USB hard drives in/connected to my Mac Pro. I would then access files from my other Macs (MBP, Mini) around the house.
I may be wrong, but as I understand it, the indexing data for the files was stored on the Mac Pro, and then when I needed to find a file say from my Macbook Pro, it would use the index data stored on the Mac Pro to find the files.
I have since moved over to a QNAP NAS (TS-451) and so there is no Mac managing the indexing of the files, and hence I am having issues finding specific files using Spotlight/Finder. I really didn't think of this when buying the NAS and have only realised since that without a Mac directly connected to these files, there is nothing managing the indexing and therefore, no way to find files on request.
Windows appears to handle file search requests better, which is of no surprise. I understand that OS X indexes files in its own way.
I have Googled the issue and there is a method of creating a 'master' index using a Mac: One Mac indexes the files on the network NAS volumes. This Mac then re-shares the volumes across the network and handles all the file sharing and file search queries.
While this may work, it creates network overheads and also requires a Mac to be always on. I bought the Mac so that I could start putting the Mac Pro to sleep rather than having to be on all the time to share files across the network; the idea was to save energy and the lifetime of the components in the Mac.
I find it hard to believe that in an age where OS X is more popular than ever that there is no way to create an indexing system on the NAS itself for OS X clients to use and find files does not exist.
Am I missing something?
P.S. If none of what I have written makes sense, I apologise. It's 6am an I should be in bed
Any help appreciated.
Until a couple months ago I stored all my files on internal and USB hard drives in/connected to my Mac Pro. I would then access files from my other Macs (MBP, Mini) around the house.
I may be wrong, but as I understand it, the indexing data for the files was stored on the Mac Pro, and then when I needed to find a file say from my Macbook Pro, it would use the index data stored on the Mac Pro to find the files.
I have since moved over to a QNAP NAS (TS-451) and so there is no Mac managing the indexing of the files, and hence I am having issues finding specific files using Spotlight/Finder. I really didn't think of this when buying the NAS and have only realised since that without a Mac directly connected to these files, there is nothing managing the indexing and therefore, no way to find files on request.
Windows appears to handle file search requests better, which is of no surprise. I understand that OS X indexes files in its own way.
I have Googled the issue and there is a method of creating a 'master' index using a Mac: One Mac indexes the files on the network NAS volumes. This Mac then re-shares the volumes across the network and handles all the file sharing and file search queries.
While this may work, it creates network overheads and also requires a Mac to be always on. I bought the Mac so that I could start putting the Mac Pro to sleep rather than having to be on all the time to share files across the network; the idea was to save energy and the lifetime of the components in the Mac.
I find it hard to believe that in an age where OS X is more popular than ever that there is no way to create an indexing system on the NAS itself for OS X clients to use and find files does not exist.
Am I missing something?
P.S. If none of what I have written makes sense, I apologise. It's 6am an I should be in bed
Any help appreciated.