The Processor website has published (19/10/2007) an article “Low-Cost Storage Tools – Open-Source Projects Provide Increasing Choices” that gives a short description of the following open source storage tools:
Demands for storage continue to increase, even as the technological complexities of running a data center multiply, leaving IT departments and data center managers in businesses of all sizes looking for assistance in improving efficiencies and reducing management headaches. A growing number of mostly open-source-based storage tools are available for free or for a minimal subscription fee that can help bridge that gap and provide businesses with storage alternatives.
FreeNAS
Designed around a FreeBSD base and backed by an active community, FreeNAS (www.freenas.org) is a mature open-source network-attached storage server. It includes a wide range of protocol support, including CIFS (Samba), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), NFS (Network File System), AFP (Apple Filing Protocol), S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology), local user authentication, and software RAID.
FreeNAS takes less than 32MB to install on CompactFlash, a hard drive, or a USB flash drive. Users can also run FreeNAS from a Live CD, which is an OS distribution executed upon boot without installation on a hard drive. A VMware disk image is also available. It has a full Web configuration interface, and users can download the software at SourceForge.net.
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