(Guest Editorial for the SysAdmin/ITPro Newsletter)

It’s been many years since I had to set up and maintain the network servers for a large office LAN; for it is an activity that requires youthful optimism and a high tolerance towards frustration. Whatever the reason, network maintenance is a task I’ve been keen to avoid ever since, even for my own office. Recently, however, a smell of burning recently alerted me to the possible demise of my hoary Windows-based office domain server. I dreaded the pain of replacing it, but it croaked its last soon afterwards and I was left with no choice.

After a couple of frustrating false starts with a new Windows server and a NAS device, I got one of the new generation of ‘Smart Storage’ servers that masquerade as a rather plump external hard drive. I was amazed. Experience had led me to expect nothing much more than a file server, but as soon as I was in the management interface, I had file sharing via an ADS domain, an LDAP, FTP, WebDAV, and NFS. There was automated backup to a USB device, a Webserver (with MySQL and PHP5), VPN server, Firewall, Mail server with Webmail, and a Print server with AirPrint. I could even set up SNMP and event notifications.

It took far longer to test all this than to set it up, but two hours later, I realised with a start of surprise that it all worked fine. I could access all my PDF documentation and manuals from a central resource and read them on the iPad directly just by using WebDav and a cute iPad app. Linux machines were able to access all the files perfectly. I could print from Linux and iOS too, as well as Windows. Of course, to get all this plus a good RAID10 array, in a rack system, costs four figures, but it is a great solution for the average SME to put alongside a Windows Domain server installation

Then, I noticed the toys which are more appropriate for home use. Because the particular brand I chose had a whole range going from home fileserver up to enterprise-level NAS, it is stuffed with recreational stuff one wouldn’t want on a work-based LAN.  I could, of course, play my MP3s all from the network drive on my iPad. There was also streaming of music. One can set up a DLNA media server for all sorts of media devices. I could even access everything from Android devices. There was iTunes Service so that an iPhone/iPad could browse and play songs or Videos. A’Smart Storage’ server box to support all this costs less than an iPhone.

It strikes me that these smart storage devices are at least as radical as the iPad was. When I think of the many hours I’ve spent just setting up an LDAP, or fiddling with a PHP installation, I weep. Now, any home network can be tooled up to a level that I never aspired to in my geeky past. Sure, the Turnkey Linux packages are great, and I admire the WebMatrix Windows application, but for those of us who just want the functionality and integration without the hassle, surely the new generation of NAS ‘Smart Storage’ boxes from Synology, Cisco, Qnap or Iomega is the way to go. I’m now looking at a pile of components, and building up the mental energy, to rebuild my local SQL Server test installation.  Let’s hope it will be as simple!