Windows server 2012 R2

[Thermite]

I have recently been looking into running a nas for personal use and was wondering if Windows server 2012 was a good os to try and run one on? How hard is it to setup what are its capabilities? Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Dautin]

What kind of network are you trying to integrate this network into?  Home?  How many users would be using this NAS?

 

If you feel that setting up a Windows Server would be too complicated, you can just install plain Windows on this machine and then share the drive across the network via network sharing.  Then you can map a Network Drive on each client that you want to be connected. (You would have to be connected locally to your network in order to access the network drive) 

 

There are also other free options out there that allows one to setup a NAS, such as FreeNAS.  I would give one of those a try.

 

You might be able to create a NAS on Linux and map the drive on Windows PC's as well.

 

Best of Luck

[TheKDub]

You'd probably be better off using something like freenas instead.

[d3sl91]

I have recently been looking into running a nas for personal use and was wondering if Windows server 2012 was a good os to try and run one on? How hard is it to setup what are its capabilities? Any help is greatly appreciated.

I have not needed the capabilities of a Windows Server OS. However, I have been using Windows 8.1 and previously Windows 7 for my NAS.

 

1. Backups for half-dozen machines. 

2. Plex local and remote Video streaming Server

3. Local and remote fileshares.

4. VPN servers

5. Teamspeak/Gaming servers

6. Virtual machines running more servers. 

7. Webservers/Database servers. 

 

have all been run on this machine simply and easily. 

[Dautin]

I have not needed the capabilities of a Windows Server OS. However, I have been using Windows 8.1 and previously Windows 7 for my NAS.

 

1. Backups for half-dozen machines. 

2. Plex local and remote Video streaming Server

3. Local and remote fileshares.

4. VPN servers

5. Teamspeak/Gaming servers

6. Virtual machines running more servers. 

7. Webservers/Database servers. 

 

have all been run on this machine simply and easily. 

 

I think only professional versions of Windows are capable of backing up over NAS.

[d3sl91]

I think only Professional versions of Windows are capable of backing up over NAS.

Not sure I understand. Do you mean using a NAS-based backup program? I think that is more of a Windows HOME server deal anyway. 

 

Windows has built-in backup software on all their recent OS. You can use that to point to a fileshare on the NAS. I have always disliked the features of OS backup software anyway, so i always use third-party apps to control this. Bvackup is my current favorite. 

[Dautin]

Not sure I understand. Do you mean using a NAS-based backup program? I think that is more of a Windows HOME server deal anyway. 

 

Windows has built-in backup software on all their recent OS. You can use that to point to a fileshare on the NAS. I have always disliked the features of OS backup software anyway, so i always use third-party apps to control this. Bvackup is my current favorite. 

 

I don't think that a Windows 8.1 PC can backup to a Windows fileshare unless it is a professional version.  Third-party programs are a great option around this.

 

I don't know if this clears up the confusion or not?

[Blake]

I have recently been looking into running a nas for personal use and was wondering if Windows server 2012 was a good os to try and run one on? How hard is it to setup what are its capabilities? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Windows Server 2012 is great for a NAS, if you can get it for free, I got my copy through MSDNAA a few years back (actually had graduated university a few years before 2012 came out but my uni never cancelled my MSDNAA subscription, or revoked my email/login credentials , missed out on R2 however.)

 

Windows Storage Server 2012 comes with a few enterprise NAS systems, so you might get lucky if you are getting a pre-built one, but this looks to be unlikely in your case.

 

Everyone on this forum will say FreeNAS, which is good for personal use... and that's about it, but it is free.

[Blake]

I don't think that a Windows 8.1 PC can backup to a Windows fileshare unless it is a professional version.  Third-party programs are a great option around this.

 

I don't know if this clears up the confusion or not?

No it can. Windows 8.1 doesn't have a VSS front-end however. this might be what you are thinking of. so it is either Powershell or installing an app to backup. It does have file history, which is like a watered down version of apple's time machine backup, which can go to a netowkr share/nas. There is also system restore disks, but that is a terrible solution, and you cannot do incremental backups -> full backup each time.

 

Window 8 does have the old backup feature you are referring to (all versions). I know this as it was called windows 7 backup, and there where a few questions on the MSCA for it.

[alpenwasser]

- snip -

Everyone on this forum will say FreeNAS, which is good for personal use... and that's about it, but it is free.

Honestly, FreeNAS has been going rather heavily towards the enterprise market

in the past few years (and from the looks of it they've have quite a bit of

success) and is also marketed as such by the company behind it; for many home

users it's quite possibly overkill these days.

There are simpler alternatives though (@Vitalius has been recommending Amahi

lately, as an example: https://www.amahi.org/)

There are also other choices of course. This is the list of the Operating

Systems used on the servers and NAS machines from our storage topic:

see here: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/21948-ltt-10tb-storage-show-off-topic/

If you wish to stay on the Windows side of things, as you can easily see from

the main list there are quite a few people who run rather large systems on

various Versions of Windows; server and non-server editions.

[Eniqmatic]

Honestly, FreeNAS has been going rather heavily towards the enterprise market

in the past few years (and from the looks of it they've have quite a bit of

success) and is also marketed as such by the company behind it; for many home

users it's quite possibly overkill these days.

 

But then, FreeNAS is so easy to setup and works so well, why not? True many of the features are overkill for home, but if the core functionality works well, why not use it?

 

I do understand where you're coming from, just thought I'd throw it in there

[Eniqmatic]

Everyone on this forum will say FreeNAS, which is good for personal use... and that's about it, but it is free.

 

Just.. No

[scottyseng]

Windows Server 2012 is great for a NAS, if you can get it for free, I got my copy through MSDNAA a few years back (actually had graduated university a few years before 2012 came out but my uni never cancelled my MSDNAA subscription, or revoked my email/login credentials , missed out on R2 however.)

 

Windows Storage Server 2012 comes with a few enterprise NAS systems, so you might get lucky if you are getting a pre-built one, but this looks to be unlikely in your case.

 

Everyone on this forum will say FreeNAS, which is good for personal use... and that's about it, but it is free.

 

Thanks for mentioning this. I'm a university student and I just realized I qualify for free Windows Server 2012 R2. I guess I'll use that for my own NAS (Still saving up to build it).

[Dautin]

No it can. Windows 8.1 doesn't have a VSS front-end however. this might be what you are thinking of. so it is either Powershell or installing an app to backup. It does have file history, which is like a watered down version of apple's time machine backup, which can go to a netowkr share/nas. There is also system restore disks, but that is a terrible solution, and you cannot do incremental backups -> full backup each time.

 

Window 8 does have the old backup feature you are referring to (all versions). I know this as it was called windows 7 backup, and there where a few questions on the MSCA for it.

Interesting. I guess I was thinking of the Windows 7 backup feature.

Hey, I learned something!

[alpenwasser]

But then, FreeNAS is so easy to setup and works so well, why not? True many of the features are overkill for home, but if the core functionality works well, why not use it?

 

I do understand where you're coming from, just thought I'd throw it in there

Oh, I wouldn't advise against it, sorry about being a bit ambiguous in my

phrasing. I've never personally used it, so I can't really say too much on it

beyond what I read in the docs and from people who have used it. From what

I've heard people are usually very happy with it, but the RAM requirements for

ZFS (both the amount you need and the hardware you need to support ECC RAM,

which in the end I'd say is adviseable to use unless you're going for UFS, in

which case I think you lose some functionality) sometimes push it beyond the

possibilities for some people, whether they just don't want to go that far or

can't.

I'm confident it's a very good product, but there are alternatives which are

more frugal when it comes to hardware (mdadm + LVM on linux for example uses

significantly less resources than ZFS) is my main point. Plus, for some

people, all the functionality you have in FreeNAS might be a bit overwhelming

and they might appreciate something a bit simpler.

[Thermite]

Thanks guys I appreciate all your help. @alenwasser @Dautin @scottyseng @Eniqmatic @Blake @TheKDub

[Eniqmatic]

Oh, I wouldn't advise against it, sorry about being a bit ambiguous in my

phrasing. I've never personally used it, so I can't really say too much on it

beyond what I read in the docs and from people who have used it. From what

I've heard people are usually very happy with it, but the RAM requirements for

ZFS (both the amount you need and the hardware you need to support ECC RAM,

which in the end I'd say is adviseable to use unless you're going for UFS, in

which case I think you lose some functionality) sometimes push it beyond the

possibilities for some people, whether they just don't want to go that far or

can't.

I'm confident it's a very good product, but there are alternatives which are

more frugal when it comes to hardware (mdadm + LVM on linux for example uses

significantly less resources than ZFS) is my main point. Plus, for some

people, all the functionality you have in FreeNAS might be a bit overwhelming

and they might appreciate something a bit simpler.

Ah OK, my mistake for misinterpreting that.

 

That's true whilst ECC RAM is barely any more expensive than their non ECC counterparts these days, I still wouldn't run it with less than 8GB. For me the protection you get is worth the extra struggle to get decent compatible hardware. The new version of FreeNAS dropped UFS in favour of pure ZFS now.

 

I can appreciate both sides of the coin, it's a trade off against which you would rather go for! Good luck