Inexpensive NAS appliances: Worth it?

Iomega, Buffalo, SnapAppliance, etc. These are all manufacturers who make inexpensive 1-2 Terrabyte NAS appliances. Should you buy one?

As an IT professional, I have worked with some of these devices. Here's what to look for in them to determine if it will work in your environment:

1. Can you reboot it remotely? Some of these appliances do not let you restart them internally. Instead, you have to be physically at the device to power it off and on. This definitely makes for a problem in remotely supporting it.
2. Does it support CIFS, NFS, etc? Some of these appliances only support CIFS. Some also support NFS. You need to evaluate the protocols you intend to use in your environment to know if these devices will work for you.
3. Can you upgrade the Firmware? These appliances almost always have firmware updates. The issue is frequency and stability. Some of the manufacturers release seemingly untested firmware that simply doesn't perform or operate as expected.
4. Does it support RAID? Some of them support various levels of RAID. Check the device to find out if it supports what you need.
5. Does it have a Gigabit interface? Some of these devices only support 100Mbps or less networking. Check it closely to determine.
   

I have tried out both Buffalo and Iomega devices. These inexpensive devices, while the idea looks great on paper, are designed and built poorly. They have limitations and inherent firmware problems that make it a bad choice if you're trying to use it as a small office file server. Many of these devices are built using Linux under the hood. This means that to support CIFS, it has to use Samba. Samba is a tricky beast to configure. If the manufacturer doesn't configure it 100% correctly, it simply won't function properly. This means, your Windows shares may not work properly (or at all).

Of course, they do have lots of storage. What good is that if the devices don't perform well, are crash prone and have connectivity issues. So, be wary of choosing a NAS appliance solely on price. You might end up being sorry.

Vendors who produce quality appliances include SnapServer and Network Appliance. Both of these manufacturers have much higher prices, though. But the price you pay them is well worth the stability and features they offer. Shop around and compare, read the forums of the manufacturer before you buy. Look for reviews in places like PC Magazine or other trade and industry publications. It could save you a lot of headaches.

Windows Vista: Do or Don't?

Much has been discussed about Windows Vista including performances issues, hardware and software compatibility and device driver issues. As an IT professional, I obviously have interest in testing this operating system. However, due to the extensive amounts of problems users are encountering (without any resolution by Microsoft), it is doubtful I will roll this operating system out in the near future (either at personally at home or in the office). I will also continue to attempt to purchase new computers without it.

Unfortunately, it appears that Microsoft is still on the mark to stop shipping copies of XP by the end of 2007. So, this could become a real dilemma for IT professionals once XP stops shipping. Microsoft definitely needs to stabilize this release of Vista and fix the major issues before removing XP from the market. Otherwise, Microsoft could find itself in a very tough spot:

1. XP is, then, off the market so you can't buy new systems with it
   
2. Vista is unstable, lacks in performance and is incompatible with many applications, so you can't go forward

The only option left, at this point, is to jump ship and find a new operating system that is both stable and reliable. This may very well be the turning point that Linux has been hoping for. In fact, this may be the final straw that forces many IT shops away from Windows permanently (both on the desktop and in production).

Microsoft needs to realize that it is at a very tenuous crossroads. Without a stable operating system on the market, it has no fallback options. Microsoft could try to force people into Windows 2003 server, but that's overkill and extremely expensive for a desktop or notebook. So, this issue can easily lead IT professionals into making tough choices including completely jumping ship.

Up until now, Microsoft has been responsive to problems within its operating system. But, it appears that Microsoft has changed its attitude, once again. Now they are basically forcing Vista (an incompatible slug of an OS) onto consumers and IT professionals alike. It simply does not believe that there is any problem with Vista (completely ignoring what users are saying). They're living in their own corporate bubble.

You can't exactly release an application in a corporate environment unless you know the underlying operating system is stable. But, so far Vista has been far from that. So, without a stable OS, you can't expect many shops to roll out Vista. This is exactly what is happening.

Microsoft, wise up. Learn what your customers want and give it to them. Don't try to foist garbage onto people and expect them to embrace it with open arms. Over the years, you have forced your users to become more intelligent and critical. In so doing, you have sown the seeds of your own demise. The times of the ignorant user are now long past. Users won't install a new broken OS knowing their applications will fail. So, do or don't?