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"Turn-Key" Linux-Based Fileservers?

Posted by Cliff on from the keeping-it-simple dept.

idjitProof asks: "I work for a non-profit organization with about 70 satellite offices. We're trying to find a cheap way to get these offices out of the stone age and into an ethernet with centralized, secure file-storage. I was wondering if there is a Linux hardware solution that is fairly dummy resistant or, alternatively, remotely configurable (with decent security). I spent the better part of today searching the web, but all I could find was boxed software products, no hardware solutions. I'd appreciate links to any companies that might have this kind of product."

7 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Why not one of the commercial UNIXes? (Apple?) by sweetooth · · Score: 5, Informative

    Dell and IBM both sell Linux boxes with all the support your want (or are willing to pay for).

    Though apparently most people forget this.

  2. Netmax/Toshiba by martin · · Score: 4, Informative

    have teamed up to do this kind of thing.

    http://www.netmax.com/products/magnia_prods.html

    We use their software based distro in a couple of our remote office at work.

  3. Re:Why not one of the commercial UNIXes? (Apple?) by Ratso+Baggins · · Score: 3, Informative
    Since they're non-profit, I guess this means budget. Xserves are more than $7000!! what planet are you from?

    Redhat Advanced Server + 2 (or more) $200 Wallmart boxes (for redundancy) per remote.

    All the redundancy & clustering is handled out of the box.

    With $upport of varing level$, you're way ahead, <snagglepuss> an order of magnitude even...sheesh!</snagglepuss>

    --

    --
    "we live in a post-ideological world..." - Billy Bragg.

  4. EXACTLY what you want! by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 3, Informative

    This is the Aries from Celestix. The model linked has groupware apps, as well as file/web/Internet sharing. They make a few models. Some have embedded CheckPoint FW-1 (pricey). You can get a more basic config for about $700.00 USD.

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
    1. Re:EXACTLY what you want! by Directrix1 · · Score: 3, Informative

      I believe Snap! Servers would be more down this person's alley. They are rack mountable, easily configurable, and relatively cheap. Although, I can't imagine a plain old file server bringing a company out of the stone age. Time to bring in a middleware tier if you want to be considered "out of the stone age".

      --
      Occam's razor is the blind faith in the natural selection of least resistance and in universal oversimplification. -- EF
  5. eSmith by Kz · · Score: 3, Informative

    Now called SMS, but the same thing (look in www.e-smith.org for the free version and support).

    It's a cd you pop into a pc and turns it into a really dumb-proof server. very complete and cheap!

    --
    -Kz-
  6. My company does exactly this... by rindeee · · Score: 3, Informative

    Wow! Cool...someone looking for exactly what my company does. Give is a look at Premier Networks

    We set up many of our systems for secure remote administration as a lot of our customers simply want us to handle it. We are not a hardware shop, we are a professional services company and our prices reflect that fact (they are extremely competetive).