Frequently Asked Questions

General
Q: What is the NAS thin server?

A: The Kintronics' NAS systems utilizes high performance thin servers. The thin servers use Intel type processors and are specifically designed to allow plug-&-play connections of hard disk storage to virtually any network. Various storage capacities become instantly available to users on the network, like a file server, but without the complexity and hassle that comes with a traditional file server.

Q: Are these devices true file servers?

A: Not exactly. The thin server does not "compute" or run applications. It is a way to add basic storage to a network. It is really an network appliance.

Q: Why can’t a PC be used for the same purpose?

A: A networked PC can be used to store end-user or workgroup data, but at a higher cost. Keep in mind that a PC consists of many parts such as motherboard, network adapter, adapter cards, hard disk, monitor, mouse and keyboard, thus lowering the overall reliability. 

Additionally a PC solution requires an operating system license and it requires on-going maintenance. 

Q: What are key applications for NAS? 

A: NAS is excellent for video storage ued in surveillance systems. It is also used for workgroup backup and shared data storage. It can also be used as a storage appliance for individual back-up and data repository. 

Another common application is to use NAS in remote offices. Typical file servers represent a lot of overhead (cost), particularly in terms of technical resources. With the NAS you don't need a storage administrator, so you can implement shared storage with confidence, at a lower cost. Additional cost savings are achieved because you no longer have to use expensive WAN connections to a file server at the central corporate site in order to back up or share data. It can all be local. 

Q: Is it possible to use removable media such as CD-R/RW or DVD-R/RW with the NAS?

A: Yes CD/DVD RW-Recorders can be installed in the NAS systems. 
 

Technical

Q: How many hard disks can be attached to the NAS thin server?

A: The NAS systems can support up to 8 EIDE hard disks and two optical drives such as CD/DVD-ROM drives or recorders. 

Q: How many users can share a NAS solution?

A: Theoretically up to 1000 Windows users and 1000 NetWare users can be connected to a single NAS solution. The important thing though is the average number of simultaneous users (reading or writing files at the same time). The larger the number of simultaneous users, the lower the data access time would appear to each user. 

The NAS8200 system will support the most concurrent users without degrading performance. 

Q: What happens if there is a power loss or another sever problem while writing a file to a hard disk? Will the disk be corrupted?

A: The file structure will be corrupted on the disk. However, at the next power on, the NAS system will automatically detect that there was a problem and it will inform the administarter (through the event tog and e-mail) and recommend that a disk repair be performed. The end result is that only the file written during the failure will be lost. This is similar to what happens with traditional file servers.

Q: How can the NAS hard disks be backed up?

A: The NAS systems support tape backup drives, and provide a built-in backup control program. NAS systems also support network backup software. The disks can to be backed up over the network to a tape drive attached to the server running the backup software. Alternatively the NAS 8100 and 8200 systems have built-in data synchronization that can mirror data to a second NAS system.

Q: Is there any possibility to have disk redundancy with the NAS solution?

A: Yes, all the NAS systems support RAID 0, 1 and RAID 5. The Web interface of the NAS thin server, allows you to automatically configure and start using RAID. The NAS system supports hot-swap drives.

Q: I would like to use the NAS solution with my Windows clients, but also need a UNIX application server to get to it with the NFS protocol to load application data, how can that be done?

A: Since the NAS units support simultaneous multiple protocols, it can be used right away from both Windows and UNIX (NFS) stations.

If access rights have been set on a folder, those will automatically be inherited by any sub-folder created, regardless of the protocol used when creating the sub-folder.

Q: Can I get both CD and hard disk NAS in the same box?

A: Yes, the NAS 8100 server supports CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW as well as EIDE hard drives. It's the most flexible system available.