FreeNAS - An Open Source Powerfull NAS Server Software

 Network-Attached Storage (NAS) is a computer attached to a network that is dedicated solely to providing data storage for other devices on the network. This is often done either to save space, increase storage space cheaply, or provide convenient file-sharing. NAS systems were traditionally only high-powered servers, but as the power of commodity hardware has increased, it has become much easier to install a fast, efficient NAS server in home and small office environments, or just build one yourself!

FreeNAS™ is an Open Source Storage Platform based on FreeBSD and supports sharing across Windows, Apple, and UNIX-like systems. FreeNAS™ 8 includes ZFS, which supports high storage capacities and integrates file systems and volume management into a single piece of software.

FreeNAS has a really large feature set. This list has most of the user-facing ones, along with a brief description.FreeBSD® is a free, open source Unix-like operating system. It is noted for being one of the most reliable Unix-like systems. FreeBSD® has long been a popular choice for server systems and embedded applications requiring a high level of security and stability. With a light footprint and a solid reputation, FreeBSD® was the perfect base for FreeNAS™.

FreeNAS™ uses a custom version of FreeBSD and a web-based interface to provide a fully-featured NAS environment. FreeNAS™ offers software-based storage and backup solutions for a variety of applications, from home to enterprise.

FreeNAS Feature:

• Thin Provisioning - Thin Provisioning allows the administrator to allocate users more space than physically exists in the system.
• Backup and Restore - Remote Replication allows you to copy a snapshot to an offsite server, for maximum data security.
• Command Line Interface - FreeNAS™ 8 is based on FreeBSD 8.x, and will update and keep current with the FreeBSD project. So if you're a savvy user, and prefer to use the command line, no problem! ssh in, and control your FreeNAS™ device from the FreeNAS™ custom CLI.
• Driver Support - FreeNAS is based on FreeBSD 8.2 and features much of the same driver support. This gives anyone building their own FreeNAS device or re-purposing old hardware a wide selection of hardware choices.
• Snapshots - If your data is somehow lost, FreeNAS™ makes it easy to restore from a previously generated snapshot. With the periodic snapshots feature, you can worry less about data loss, and use your system stress free.
• Zettabyte File System (ZFS) - One of FreeNAS™ 8's most important features is full support for the ZFS filesystem. ZFS includes data integrity protection, practically unlimited size caps, cloneable snapshots, automatic repair, RAID-Z, and more.
• Web User Interface - FreeNAS™ 8 features a ground up redesign of the web user interface. No mess, no fuss – your server is easily controlled from any web-enabled device.
• File Sharing - FreeNAS™ supports many popular networking protocols, and is easy to set up in most home and enterprise environments.It supports SMB/CIFS (WIndows file shares), NFS (Unix file shares) and AFP (Apple File Shares) as well as FTP, iSCSI, and other methods of sharing data over the network.
  
  
  

Suitable Full Featured Motherboards (Sample or Similar or Low Cost)

• Abit AB9 Pro
• Asus P5G41C-M LX

Build Custom FreeNAS Boxes

• My FreeNAS box: Lian-LI PC-A17B Setup
• FreeNas Adventure
• How to Build a NAS Box 1
• How to Build a NAS Box 2

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Posted in: FreeNAS,FSD Portal,Open Source NAS Server,System Tools