NASLite Network Attached Storage

Anyone using multiple Naslite servers with remote storage and mirroring for redundancy? If so can you share your experience and some details of your setup? I'm looking to set up a couple of machines that mirror each other and also share each-other's content. I have a pretty good idea of what needs to happen but some outside advice is always helpful.

dimension:

I have not tried "remote storage", but I am actively using the "mirror" (rsync) feature. Been very happy with it.

First (main) server runs continously and has three disks 0:200GB (IDE), 1:300GB (IDE), 2:500GB (SATA). Second (Mirror) server runs for 1 hour each 24 hours and has 2xSATA 400GB. Using my SysRC script (or components thereof) a normally up-and-running WinXP system wakes the MirrorServer at 11:30am and shuts it down at 12:30 using Windows TaskManager. The MirrorServer's Disk-0 (400GB) is configured to do a mirroring at 12:00 of the MainServer's Disk-1 (300GB). For several giga-bytes of daily changed data this is usually accomplished in a few minutes (due to rsync's efficiency and compression algorithms -- much less that the remaining 30 minutes of scheduled uptime) on a GigaBit network. Before automatic unattended shutdown of the MirrorServer I occassionally check the MirrorServer log file. Has worked for me for the past two months or so. If the WinXP system happens not to be running at 11:30 it's either because it's a weekend or I am out-of-town, and not much data has changed anyway, so no big deal; it catches up during the next day.

During the 30 minutes before the MirrorServer is started, the WinXP system performs some other backup and admin tasks which change the data on the MainServer's Disk-1.

There's no rhyme or reason to the disk sizes, other than that I made sure the 400GB is equal or larger than what it is mirroring. Both servers run NASLite v2.0x (Main: x=3, Mirror: x=4). Disk-1 in the Mirror is not yet used. The initial Mirror (about 240GB) was done "manually" (i.e. not part of the automated 1 hour daily cycle), but I don't remember how long that took ( I am guessing during 4-6 hours one night ). I ran several test during early phase to gain confidence in the rsync functionality (deleted files on MainServer, changed files, new files, added empty folders, etc) ... (you may call me paranoid).

BTW: You need to set Disk-0 in the MirrorServer to RW, but you can turn off most services (ftp, nfs, ...) and set SMB to "--" or "RO"; this helps prevent accidental deletion of files on the Mirror.

Hope that helps ... questions ?

Georg