Netherlands
you can use any old computer to build a file-server preferably whit on-board lan and min 512MB better 1GB memory ore more.
You can go 2 main ways if you go RAID5, and it all depends how mouths money you wane spend and how you wane maintain/do whit your array
Software
Software is cheapest and works well only you cant re-size your array, so the amount of space you have is decided when your build the array, also software Raid5 is whit bigger array's is slower (+6 disks CPU/PCI bus depended)
the trick on how to do it is explained here but there are also details explanations out there.
Hardware
There are tree ways to do it the cheap, the middle and the right way.
The cheap way
Just get cheap promise ore Highpoint ore what ever controller
These are software/hardware controllers that uses the CPU to do the RAID5 calculations these are cheap 8x sata you can get for a bout 100 euro.
It works and that is it.
The middle way
Full hardware RAID5 controller these are fast controllers.
These are good controllers but unless i would find a cheap one on eBay i would spend the extra buck for the next step!
The right way
Use a controller from Tecram/Areca (same controllers) these are the Rolls Royce under the SATA raid controllers.
On these controllers you ad disk when you need them so in the beginning they cost more but get cheaper on the long run because you don't have to buy all your disks at one's and because then you save money when HD prizes drop
I high lighted the reasons why under need here
(1*) PCI-X is the server version of a standard PCI slot and is fully backwards compatible whit standard PCI
(2*) These controllers support controller teaming, this means if on one controller all SATA connectors are used you can install a extra controller and it will look like you still have one controller.
(3*) RAID 6 is the most safe way to store your file's like raid 5 if one drive fails the aray is still safe but under raid 6 you can have 2 drives failing and you still have all your data
(4*) This and (5*) is what makes these controllers so special
You can start buying 1 controller and start whit only one disk and ad disk when you need the space and change also change the RAID level as you need
Example
So you begin whit 1 disk then you ad a extra one when you need and re-size and you have 2 disks that looks like one if that's full you can ad more and do the same but on a certain point you don't feel safe whit RAID0/stripe you can change to RAID5 true RAID level migration
But of course you can start strait whit 3 disks in RAID 5 and after the array is getting big and you want to ad extra secureti you can change to RAID 6 if you want.
(5*) Greater than 2TB per volume set: this means you can build a array that's bigger then 2TB, most controllers cant do ore only whit big pain and tricks to get it working
My self i got a 7 X 750GB 5.4TB array running and the nice thing if i am running out of space again i just ad a disk.
Tip 1: start your array whit the biggest disk you can get, YES they cost more but they will drop in price fast
My 750GB disk's are now more then 50% cheaper then when i got my first one 1~1.5 year ago and pretty soon will have cheapest price per GB
Tip 2: WebConneXXion is one of the best shops around when it comes to RAID controllers and they give great support 95% of email questions are answered whit in 24 oure's most of the time even on the same day.
Also read on the left side little lower the TECHN INFO section all about raid it will answer all questions you still have its only in Dutch's (rest of the site is in english) for others there is a good explanation here
Tip 3: chain band(*) is really great to hang up HD's if you run out of space in your case, they have the perfect spacing
(*) is used for example for hanging up big PVC pipe's and air ducts, you can get it at any do it your self shop.
It looks like this only whit round holes
My little server
Got a old server case i modified to fit a standard ATX board
You can go 2 main ways if you go RAID5, and it all depends how mouths money you wane spend and how you wane maintain/do whit your array
Software
Software is cheapest and works well only you cant re-size your array, so the amount of space you have is decided when your build the array, also software Raid5 is whit bigger array's is slower (+6 disks CPU/PCI bus depended)
the trick on how to do it is explained here but there are also details explanations out there.
But if you do it right it will work here is a screendump from my old software raid 5 array
Hardware
There are tree ways to do it the cheap, the middle and the right way.
The cheap way
Just get cheap promise ore Highpoint ore what ever controller
These are software/hardware controllers that uses the CPU to do the RAID5 calculations these are cheap 8x sata you can get for a bout 100 euro.
It works and that is it.
The middle way
Full hardware RAID5 controller these are fast controllers.
These are good controllers but unless i would find a cheap one on eBay i would spend the extra buck for the next step!
The right way
Use a controller from Tecram/Areca (same controllers) these are the Rolls Royce under the SATA raid controllers.
On these controllers you ad disk when you need them so in the beginning they cost more but get cheaper on the long run because you don't have to buy all your disks at one's and because then you save money when HD prizes drop
I high lighted the reasons why under need here
(1*) PCI-X is the server version of a standard PCI slot and is fully backwards compatible whit standard PCI
(2*) These controllers support controller teaming, this means if on one controller all SATA connectors are used you can install a extra controller and it will look like you still have one controller.
(3*) RAID 6 is the most safe way to store your file's like raid 5 if one drive fails the aray is still safe but under raid 6 you can have 2 drives failing and you still have all your data
(4*) This and (5*) is what makes these controllers so special
You can start buying 1 controller and start whit only one disk and ad disk when you need the space and change also change the RAID level as you need
Example
So you begin whit 1 disk then you ad a extra one when you need and re-size and you have 2 disks that looks like one if that's full you can ad more and do the same but on a certain point you don't feel safe whit RAID0/stripe you can change to RAID5 true RAID level migration
But of course you can start strait whit 3 disks in RAID 5 and after the array is getting big and you want to ad extra secureti you can change to RAID 6 if you want.
(5*) Greater than 2TB per volume set: this means you can build a array that's bigger then 2TB, most controllers cant do ore only whit big pain and tricks to get it working
My self i got a 7 X 750GB 5.4TB array running and the nice thing if i am running out of space again i just ad a disk.
Tip 1: start your array whit the biggest disk you can get, YES they cost more but they will drop in price fast
My 750GB disk's are now more then 50% cheaper then when i got my first one 1~1.5 year ago and pretty soon will have cheapest price per GB
Tip 2: WebConneXXion is one of the best shops around when it comes to RAID controllers and they give great support 95% of email questions are answered whit in 24 oure's most of the time even on the same day.
Also read on the left side little lower the TECHN INFO section all about raid it will answer all questions you still have its only in Dutch's (rest of the site is in english) for others there is a good explanation here
Tip 3: chain band(*) is really great to hang up HD's if you run out of space in your case, they have the perfect spacing
(*) is used for example for hanging up big PVC pipe's and air ducts, you can get it at any do it your self shop.
It looks like this only whit round holes
My little server
Got a old server case i modified to fit a standard ATX board
