File Server for SOHO?

[Amichai Rotman]

I beg to differ...

A friend of mine (not the same - one that installs and developes Linux based
solutions for businesses) implemented such a solution for his CPA - a file
server where all the office files are located (all 'My Documents' folders
point to the share) and the CPA says he had not one problem since it was
installed.

This was about two years ago and my IT friend can't remember what exactly he
used. I wanted to get some input from you guys (and gals) for a more recent
solution.

I am looking for an 'Install and forget' kind of solution. A black box -
from the user's point of view...

Thanks!

Amichai.

On Fri, May 20, 2011 at 14:10, Jonathan Ben Avraham <yba at tkos.co.il> wrote:

> Hi Amichai,
> I think that you would be best to tell your friend to use genuine Microsoft
> Windows for the server for the following reasons:
>
> a) He will remain your friend and will not curse you for setting up
> something that he can't understand and is not motivated to understand
>
> b) He will not be exposing the core of his business operations to the risks
> of an unfamiliar technology and the risks of multiple technologies
>
> c) He will be able to fix it himself or easily find someone who can
>
> Instead, you should set him up an additional client workstation with Ubuntu
> and show him how to use it.
>
> Sorry for deviating from the party line, but I have gained the above wisdom
> over many years of experience with small businesses.
> Shabbat Shalom,
>
>  - yba
>
>
>
> On Fri, 20 May 2011, Amichai Rotman wrote:
>
>  Date: Fri, 20 May 2011 13:37:50 +0300
>> From: Amichai Rotman <amichai at iglu.org.il>
>> To: Linux-IL <linux-il at cs.huji.ac.il>
>> Subject: File Server for SOHO?
>>
>>
>> Hi All,
>> A friend of mine has a small biz with 6 PC running Windows XP Home set up
>> as a Workgroup. He
>> has a dedicated app that saves files to a shared folder on one of them,
>> and all other PC
>> access these files as clients...
>>
>> This specific PC that acts as a server is dying (the hard disk is failing
>> and caused the PC to
>> crash a few times).
>>
>> I am trying to "sell" him the idea of a Linux based File Server. The
>> dedicated app doesn't
>> care where the share is, as long as it seems as a Windows Share. I was
>> thinking this is a
>> classic SAMBA Server scenario.
>>
>> I need help with the following:
>>
>> 1. A few "selling" points for the Linux based solution.
>> 2. Which solution to implement?
>> 2a. Ubuntu Server with SAMBA?
>> 2b. A dedicated distro (FreeNAS or some such)
>> 3. A way for him to see what's going on with the server, some basic admin
>> tasks (like
>> rebooting the server if it is not accessible) - some way to make them feel
>> they have some
>> control over it and it's not just a black box they cannot see.... or some
>> way to make them
>> drop that specific demand from their list....
>> 5. This server should also handle backups to an external USB drive and
>> send reports by e-mail
>> in case of a failure.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Amichai.
>>
>>
>>
> --
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> Systems
> =}------------------------------------------------ooO--U--Ooo------------{=
>     - yba at tkos.co.il - tel: +972.2.679.5364, http://www.tkos.co.il -
>
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