Newbie guide to Servers/NAS

guypb

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OK this is all BRAND new to me. My "home office" is expanding. My wife and I both use laptops for our company, and our old deskptop has been downgraded for kids usage. My laptop is nearly full, and my wife's laptop seems to contain the map to the lost treasure of the Sierra Madre given the rumpus she causes over 'security'.

Anyway, I need 2 things:

1) to back up all 3 devices to one central device quickly and easily (with as few cables as possible - wirelessly then I guess) - the 2 laptops operate from an office, the kids operate from a room that used to be a playroom but looks more like a landfill site.

2) the ability to set my Windows Outlook to tell everyone not to disturb me during the Rugby World Cup - ie activate Out Of Office which I believe needs some sort of server software to manage it.

I have VERY briefly looked at NAS's which look ideal, but I get very confused about the difference between NAS & traditional servers and what I need to do the e-mail bit.

This looks cool but pricey:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=608188&source=hx1

What is RAID???
I thought it was some sort of spray or a cheap porn mag?

cheers
 
You might want to look at Windfows Home Server, it might suit your needs more than a NAS imo. Not that I'm saying NAS's wouldn't work, just that WHS might be more suitable for you and your family.
 
Looking into it I think you are right. Looks like my timing to enter the world of servers is impeccable.

So - where do I start - what hardware does anyone recommend - does anyone sell dedicated and pre-set up equipment yet?
 
To share data an NAS will be the cheapest solution as well as easy to set up yourself. To share your Outlook appointments, etc, you need to be running an Exchange Server. These are expensive and require expert configuration and maintenance.

Personally I would recommend you look at the Google Calander for shared organisation with friends. It can be accessed by anyone you share with, anywhere with an internet connection, for free.

There is an arguement that when released Windows Home Sever will be better for your data storage and backup as this is what it is designed for. It does mean a full PC running for that task though.

The NAS you have suggested would be a sensible option. RAID lets you configure multiple hard disks to act as one drive for a variety of performance and backup purposes. It is also a type of insect repelant though I have never heard of a specialist magazine by that name (clearly an area on which your knowledge out does mine ;) )

The best RAID option for your situation would be to use two hard drives in a RAID 0 configuration. This means that the two hard drives store exactly the same information so if one fails nothing is lost. Whilst this clearly halves the capacity, it is a very simple and reliable form of backup. If you then keep a copy of any really important documents on the PC's themselves you have three copies to cover pretty much any eventuality.
 
You mean RAID 1, RAID 0 being the non-redundant form of RAID used to improve disc transfer rates by striping data across two discs (less error resistant than using 1 disc!)
 
:oops:

mixing my RAID's :suicide:
 

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