Network storage

[Tool Man]

I'm thinking of getting a network attached storage drive.
I've had a look, but I can't find one with all the features I need.
I've found one pretty close though, and need some expert advive, if anyones knows a lot about HDD formatting.

The one i've picked has 2 HDD slots and can be run in RAID1, which I want for safety, but it can only fromat in FAT32, EXT2 or EXT3. It apparently can't do NTFS.

Now I know nothing about EXT2/3 but I know FAT32 has a file limit of 4Gb, which is no use to me because I need to store DVD ISO's on it, which are bigger then 4Gb.

I've heard that windows can't read the Linux EXT partitions, but not sure if thats relavent, because this device has it's own CPU (ARM9) and maybe it handle that part?)

So, if I format in EXT2 or EXT3, will my PC's be able to access it?
(Desktop running Vista Ultimate, 2 laptops each running XP Home).

If you can advise, i'd be very gratefull.

Thanks.

[Tool Man]

Though a link to the product might help:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GIGABIT-DUAL-NAS-RAID-SYSTEM-HDD-JBOD-BITTORRENT-FTP_W0QQitemZ35...QQcmdZViewItem

[redwudz]

It's hard to tell even from reading the info whether it can be formatted as NTFS. It would seem strange if not. It's not uncommon for external drive specs to mention FAT32, mostly for compatibility with some file systems that can only use it.

[Soopafresh]

There's a FAT32 formatting utility I saw posted here that let's you format to partition sizes much larger than 4GB. Can't recall the link off the top of my head. I'll post it if I find it.

Edit: Found it - http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?fat32format.htm

[Tool Man]

I think I've got it soreted, so for anyone else with the same question:

Apparently if I use the Linux EXT2 file system, it will be fine.
My Windows PC's don't have to access the file system directly, because the box does that with it's own built in OS, a cut down Linux I presume. So it dosn't matter that Windows can't read EXT2.

And I'm pretty sure that EXT2 isn't limited to 4Gb files like FAT32 is, although if someone could confirm this for me I'd be gratefull??

[kenmo]

I use Linux files systems on my Linux server. Windows XP clients are able to read and write files to the Linux box with no problems.

[kenmo]

You could also build your own NAS using one of the many NAS projects available on SourceForge...

For example...

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=122786

Just build a very light computer and use the NAS (Linux based OS)...

[kenmo]

Or maybe a SAN drive would be a better fit than a NAS?

[Tool Man]

Thanks for the advice, i'm pretty sure the NAS on eBay will be OK.
I was talking with one the IT guys where I work, and tells me our common drive is run on Linix, and uses EXT2, and the XP machine at my desk can access it OK.
I guess the NAS handles the file system, and simply passes the data to and from the client.

BTW, never heard of a SAN drive. Whats the difference?

[kenmo]

Check this out...
http://compnetworking.about.com/od/networkstorage/f/san-vs-nas.htm