business -grade NAS.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Back on the topic of NASes, I just found out that Sage Simply Accounting
cannot work with network drives. It needs some "Connection Manager"
software on the server that is of course Windows only. Something to keep
in mind for accounting clients. Apparently QuickBooks has similar limitations
but I haven't looked into it. Ridiculous limitation, even Adobe Reader and
Notepad can open files on a NAS.

Accounting software is a database. You have database engines on the server to help "serve" the database on the network. Quickbooks has its own Server Database manager..runs as a service. Similar to Sage. Similar to PeachTree. Similar to Great Plains Dynamics. It's not just a plain file so you can't compare it to some .txt file that Notepad can open, or a PDF that Adobe Reader can open, or some .docx file like Winword can open.

 

[pc-quebec]

Qnap and Synology are great, but be sure to show your customer how to reboot them, they froze time to time and need to be reboot.

 

[lsi]

what size customer is this?

They might be happiest with a real server. I would go with Dell, just not a 12K Dell. For 10 users you could easily be under 5K for a 4TB beefy server running SBS 2011 and then when the customer starts growing and wanting to do things like have an Exchange server or run an FTP server or maybe just run a network install of an application like QuickBooks they will be happy because they have a real server and some options. I just priced a PowerEdge T410 with 6TB in a RAID5 for under 5K. For backup drives, I would use external USB hard drives for backups and have the customer switch them out.

-Den

 

[ProTech-MN]

If it's just for file storage, then a NAS should work fine for them, but if there are any applications involved, then a server would likely be a better solution.

I have a number of small businesses in peer-to-peer environments where we have a NAS serving as their central file store. Personally, I prefer Netgear ReadyNAS Pro devices, but I don't think you can go wrong with QNAP or Synology either. The ReadyNAS Pro line comes with enterprise drives and a 5-year warranty.

The nice thing about the ReadyNAS, is their integration with Egnyte which can serve as not only an online backup solution for the NAS, but also gives them anytime/anywhere access to their files (along with many other features). Not sure if your client needs/wants this, but I have several clients using Egnyte and they love it.

ReadyNAS also has an integrated online backup solution (as I'm sure QNAP & Synology do too). I'm not sure of the pricing, but it may be an option as well. Of course you could always use some other third-party online backup that can backup network shares as well.

-Randy

 

[drjones]

1) 12k for a single Dell server is rape. I don't know who you talked to, but late 2011 I installed TWO Dell servers for a client, and those cost the client barely $10K - after my markup, for BOTH. They aren't the most insane boxes in the world, but extremely adequate for the task and lots of room for expandability; a T410 and T610, each with 2TB of storage in RAID 5 - 3x drives each, 16GB RAM each.

Whoever tried to sell you a single server for $12K is lying somehow. Either that, or they configured it with every single option maxed out, which is total overkill for a 10-user environment.

2) As others here have said, be certain that the client doesn't need to run any sort of database-driven program, such as Quickbooks, as it won't work well with a NAS, as others have already explained.

'3) I did my research and found Negears' ReadyNAS to be among the best. I've installed quite a few of them and they are great. Very fast, reliable, and more features than you could ever use.

As it pertains to you specifically, ReadyNAS has a couple great features:

- Built-in offsite backup via ReadyNAS Vault service. It's pretty reasonably priced.

- Depending how much data the client has, it may be more cost-effective to purchase a second ReadyNAS along with Netgear's Replicate software. This allows you to replicate one NAS to another, no matter where it is located, as long as both have internet access. This allows you to create your own off-site backup with virtually unlimited storage.

4) YES you are correct - RAID IS NOT A BACKUP. If the NAS is going to be their primary working drive, get a USB hard drive - you can plug it into one of the ports on the ReadyNAS and have a backup that way, and then decide if you want to go with ReadyNAS Vault or Replicate. I believe there are some third-party services that will backup a NAS, but Netgear has so many options already.

 

[16k_zx81]

1) 12k for a single Dell server is rape.

Yep. It was, specifically, a server with raid HDDs and a server with tape backup.
Two separate machines.
Even so, I do feel slightly violated....

 

[16k_zx81]

If it's just for file storage, then a NAS should work fine for them, but if there are any applications involved, then a server would likely be a better solution.

I have a number of small businesses in peer-to-peer environments where we have a NAS serving as their central file store. Personally, I prefer Netgear ReadyNAS Pro devices, but I don't think you can go wrong with QNAP or Synology either. The ReadyNAS Pro line comes with enterprise drives and a 5-year warranty.

The nice thing about the ReadyNAS, is their integration with Egnyte which can serve as not only an online backup solution for the NAS, but also gives them anytime/anywhere access to their files (along with many other features). Not sure if your client needs/wants this, but I have several clients using Egnyte and they love it.

ReadyNAS also has an integrated online backup solution (as I'm sure QNAP & Synology do too). I'm not sure of the pricing, but it may be an option as well. Of course you could always use some other third-party online backup that can backup network shares as well.

-Randy

Nice. I have had a look. The enterprise-grade drives, plus the online file access, all wrapped up in a 5y warranty for $2K makes for a pretty appealing package.

Will put the quote in and see how I get on.

Thanks to everyone for their contribution. Much appreciated

Jim

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

1) 12k for a single Dell server is rape. I don't know who you talked to, but late 2011 I installed TWO Dell servers for a client, and those cost the client barely $10K - after my markup, for BOTH. They aren't the most insane boxes in the world, but extremely adequate for the task and lots of room for expandability; a T410 and T610, each with 2TB of storage in RAID 5 - 3x drives each, 16GB RAM each..

12 grand for a server isn't necessarily rape. You don't know the specs of the server. Now...for a server to fit the topic of this thread...yeah, probably overkill. But making some wide blanket statement that a 12 grand server is rape...lol, we've done plenty of servers beyond that in cost. Depends on the client, needs, intended purpose, etc

I saw you mention SBS above, if you're doing a single RAID 5 trying to run SBS..ugh, holy slow. Always do a pair of drives RAID 1 for the operating system, and more drives doing RAID 1 (small client) or RAID 5 (mid client) or RAID 10 (mid-upper client) for the data/infostore/SQL/other share stuff. Trying to do both partitions on the same spindle...not with SBS.

 

[krtechsolutions]

Little off topic...

Anyone trying single ssd as the OS drive on a server with a raid 1 for data on sata drives?

 

[16k_zx81]

Little off topic...

Anyone trying single ssd as the OS drive on a server with a raid 1 for data on sata drives?

That would really be a whole new thread, wouldnt it?

 

[drickyd]

I also prefer and recommend the Netgear READY NAS range, I think I have installed 4 so far this year (orders out for another 2 installations even as I write) and I put in 10 last year - mainly into small office environments, anything between 6 and 15 workstations. In most cases I was asked to 'get rid of the old server' because of a lack of expertise within the office to administer the system. NAS's seem to be gaining in popularity and word of mouth plays a big part in my customer area such that customers are recommending the NAS to each other rather than updating old server configurations as they grow old and tired (the systems, not the customers!)
I also agree that they are well featured and relatively easy to set up and explain to customers; I am not sure recent changes in the NETGEAR control panel layout has improved the setting up process, but that may just be down to personal taste.
However, my experience with PASTEL accounting suite is that when you use the NAS as a data store you must be mindful that if you set up the NAS by creating 'USERS' & 'GROUPS', and password protect the shares, you need to perform the initial transfer of the data to the NAS using ROBOCOPY or FASTCOPY (or a similar utility) that will preserve the ACL settings. Failure to do this leads to all sorts of 'permission' related errors. I dont know about other accounting suites, but I would think they are probably just as fussy over file access control?