Setting up File Server / Shared RAID 5 space in Linux - Help Needed!

CBHedricks · April 8, 2013, 7:18am

I am putting together a File / Web server using SuSE Linux 12.1 My goal is to provide a redundant and secure storage space for our expanding home network. Many photos and documents are currently spread among several windows machines, of which one has recently died due to failing power supply issue.

I have secured and assembled the following:

Intel Desktop Board HD55HC
Intel i3 540 CPU
4gb DDR3 Memory
500gb OS drive
4ea 2tb WD Black HDD’s
Syba PEX40016 Hardware RAID 5 Controller
12 bay Server Case w/ 5 bay removable drive cage

I have the server assembled and running with SuSE installed w/KDE environment. GUI was chosen to make life a bit easier with selecting packages and manipulating resources for a newbie. The RAID shows up with a useable disk space of 5.47tb, unallocated (free) space. OS disk is partitioned normally under Linux with expected naming, and is bootable.

What I am needing some help with is how to best set up the RAID drive for windows shares, two 2TB partitions with read / write and the remaining free space secured for document / photo stores. It will need to have permissions restricted, administrator rights only to secure important files. It will also be backed up monthly to DVD, or to a cloud service.

I have questions on what the best partition format would be for this application, also how to set up user accounts for windows 7 and 8 log in. I am not a complete noob with Linux, just not what I would consider to be an “IT” person or server admin.

My thanks in advance for all helpful suggestions.

DenverD · April 8, 2013, 8:42am

On 04/08/2013 07:26 AM, CBHedricks wrote:
> SuSE Linux 12.1

i can’t answer your questions…but, i can inform that there is no
thing named “SuSE Linux 12.1”…

there is a “SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11” (aka: SLES 11) but
there is no SLES 12…when there is a SLES 12 you may fetch it from
http://www.suse.com, and their forums are http://forums.suse.com/

there is an openSUSE 12.1, and you are in the correct forum to
discuss hardware issues, but be informed that all support, security
updates and etc for openSUSE 12.1 end in just 38 days.
cite: http://en.opensuse.org/Lifetime

i’d advise you to not use that distribution after its end-of-life,
and recommend you move to a supported version (openSUSE 12.2 expires
Jan 2014; openSUSE 12.3 expired Sep 2014; SLES 11 supported for
years but i do not know how many) before you settle all your
included questions…

but, there may be other opinions here…
ymmv…
so listen to others also…

–
dd
http://tinyurl.com/DD-Caveat

CBHedricks · April 8, 2013, 9:17pm

I slipped up on the version information, and I do apologize, it would seem that I still am thinking it is SuSE from years back before Novell entered the picture… I am using OpenSuSE version 12.1 at the moment, was what I had on disk at the time, will upgrade later this afternoon if I can get the network up and running or download and burn the latest to disk. This is still in the “proof of concept” stage, using a slightly dated release is fine with me, as long as I can learn to use it correctly then migrate to more stable version as needed.

robin_listas · April 8, 2013, 10:43pm

On 2013-04-08 07:26, CBHedricks wrote:
>
> I am putting together a File / Web server using SuSE Linux 12.1 My goal
> is to provide a redundant and secure storage space for our expanding
> home network. Many photos and documents are currently spread among
> several windows machines, of which one has recently died due to failing
> power supply issue.

…

> I have the server assembled and running with SuSE installed w/KDE
> environment. GUI was chosen to make life a bit easier with selecting
> packages and manipulating resources for a newbie. The RAID shows up
> with a useable disk space of 5.47tb, unallocated (free) space. OS disk
> is partitioned normally under Linux with expected naming, and is
> bootable.

Ok…

Personally, I would use the redundant disks as backup, not as RAID. Not
at home, certainly.

Or in other words, when you setup a system with RAID, you need also
extra storage space somewhere to keep the backup. Do not for an instant
think that RAID covers your a**s.

> What I am needing some help with is how to best set up the RAID drive
> for windows shares, two 2TB partitions with read / write and the
> remaining free space secured for document / photo stores. It will need
> to have permissions restricted, administrator rights only to secure
> important files. It will also be backed up monthly to DVD, or to a
> cloud service.
>
> I have questions on what the best partition format would be for this
> application, also how to set up user accounts for windows 7 and 8 log
> in. I am not a complete noob with Linux, just not what I would consider
> to be an “IT” person or server admin.

I don’t understand this part at all.

Are you intending to boot the server machine sometimes in Linux,
sometimes in Windows?

If you are not, I don’t understand why it matters how you format them.
The disk is for Linux, only Linux handles it, and the partitions have to
be in a Linux format. Period.

Or are you asking how you configure the Linux server so that it is
accessible from Windows?

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)

CBHedricks · April 9, 2013, 1:13am

You are correct… I am not putting the back up on the RAID drive, thinking as three stage back up system…

Photos, documents etc… Created on the host (windows) computer, to be stored on Linux box, in the RAID.
Once finished, placed in “secure” read only space by administrator.
“secure” space will be backed up periodically to DVD and double blind to a “cloud” service, once we have decided which to use.

I am new to setting up “shares” in Linux, my experience level is definitely “user” not “admin” - so my experience with server setup is minimal, usually stops once the network connection has been figured out. I usually work with Linux on my notebook computer, as a office user to create documents, make presentations, bill customers for hardware work that I do on computer systems. Thus - hardware I know, and have 10+ years of experience with, just not in the server world.

Kind of funny, as I used to work at a local Intel site, and was immersed in 9000+ people that were at the core of the network environment. They actually turned me to Linux after about a 4 year hiatus.

Goals:

Get server built and up on the network, limited to LAN access, not exposed to outside world. (done)
Set up file access to RAID drive (samba?) for windows users that are on our home network. (in process)
Use Linux to automatically back up windows drives from our computers. (pending)

Related questions:

Does the RAID need to be NTFS for windows access? If not (what I hope) which of the various file systems should be used. Can windows users on the network use their windows credentials to log into and use the shared drive? If not, and I must create users on the Linux box, will they then be able to log into the server and pose a security risk? How would I prevent that option, or restrict log on access to the server itself and have the RAID remain open.

Thanks.

CBHedricks · April 9, 2013, 1:14am

UPDATE - Am currently downloading v12.3 from the web. Will have the OS upgraded tonight by 8pm PST. From reading on line it has some good updates to the 12.1 that I currently am working with.

robin_listas · April 9, 2013, 2:33am

On 2013-04-09 01:16, CBHedricks wrote:

> Does the RAID need to be NTFS for windows access?

Never.

It is Linux which has to read that space. If you use NTFS, it will see
the Linux translation of a windows filesystem. Any program in Linux will
see it as linux filesystem, with limited features. None of the windows
side permissions are accessible.

If Windows computers access that server via samba, they will see what
samba presents to them, which is translated from what it sees from
Linux, and what it is configured to do. The native features and
permissions of the NTFS system below disappear, can not even be accessed.

Worse, the ntfs linux driver runs under FUSE. Slow and cpu intensive.

> If not (what I hope)
> which of the various file systems should be used.

Any Linux filesystem you like. For large storage, I would use ext4 or xfs.

> Can windows users on
> the network use their windows credentials to log into and use the shared
> drive?

Yes… But you may have to setup a Windows Domain, using the Linux
server as controller.

Have a look here:

Samba and Suse:
HowTo Set up an openSUSE-Windows Home Office LAN/Network.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)

CBHedricks · April 9, 2013, 5:54am

>> Does the RAID need to be NTFS for windows access?

>Never.

GOOD! That is what I was hoping to hear back…

>> If not (what I hope)
>> which of the various file systems should be used.

>Any Linux filesystem you like. For large storage, I would use ext4 or xfs.

Good to know - will go for ext4, worked well enough on my notebook!

>> Can windows users on
>> the network use their windows credentials to log into and use the shared
>> drive?

>Yes… But you may have to setup a Windows Domain, using the Linux
>server as controller.

>Have a look here:

>Samba and Suse:
>HowTo Set up an openSUSE-Windows Home Office LAN/Network.](http://www.swerdna.net.au/suselanprimer.html)

*I will most certainly check out that reference and see if we can move forward on that stuff.

Thanks.
*

hcvv · April 9, 2013, 9:57am

SAMBA was designed to make a stable (that is Unix/Linux) file server for Windows desktop clients. These Unix/Linux systems of course use native file systems (on the Unix systems NTFS might not even be possible). That is part of the stability of taht Unix/Linux system. It is SAMBA that exports the data on the Unix/Linux system in a way that is understandable as what MicroSoft apparently calls: Windows shares (or some similar expression, I am not that fluent with these things).

You only use NTFS, etc. on a Linux system to directly exchange data (as complete file system) with a MS Windows system. Never as native fs on Linux…

CBHedricks · April 10, 2013, 3:35am

OK. I have the server upgraded to OpenSuSE 12.3 and I have to say WOW - looking good!

Have the raid drive successfully partitioned into 3 volumes:

Main disk: sdb
Part 1: sdb1 - Linux Native EXT4 2.0TB
Part 2: sdb2 - Linux Native EXT4 2.0TB
Part 3: sdb3 - Linux Native EXT4 1.46TB

None of the new partitions have been give mount points, only formatted. Letting RAID 5 catch up with partitioning now, watching it spin the drives up and map the new data in. I have questions on the tutorial information provided by link - it refers the user to OpenSuSE 11.xx not 12.x and I am wondering if it is still current. Additionally should these partitions be assigned mount points, and named /Photos /Music /BKUP respectively, matching intended use? If so, would SAMBA or Partitioner be the most useful way of doing so.

Also - I would think that setting up this server to manage DHCP information might be helpful with SAMBA, seems to be somewhat related. If not, I am assuming that all computers (Windows or Linux based) should use the same workgroup name, follow host naming protocols at a minimum. With SAMBA users set up to match Windows user log on credentials.

Thanks to all responders - your help has been right on target.

>>PS<< As an afterthought - we have 5 Windows 7 machines, 1 Windows 8 machine and an additional OpenSuSE 12.2 workstation running on our home LAN along with three networked printers. Would this be best left as a Peer to Peer workgroup or should we be thinking of a more structured approach such as mentioned in SOHO discussion, an Active Directory setup. Pros vs Cons on this are welcome!

hcvv · April 10, 2013, 9:55am

I have picked a bit random from your story above. IMHO you are missing some crucial background information about file systems and mouting. Else you would not have asked if you should mount file systems. Please read:
SDB:Basics of partitions, filesystems, mount points - openSUSE

And when trying to apply this to your situation do not forget that in this documentation a disk stands for everything that is handled as such by the system,regardless of it’s physical appearance: revolving disk, solid state, USB stck, SATA connected, USB connected.

And that a container (that can contain a file system) can also be several things: disk, disk partition, LVM logical volume, Linux software RAID MD device,… They all show up as block special files in /dev/…

And that mount points are at your (the system manager) discretion. And as long as a file system is not mounted somewhere in the directory tree (there is but one directory tree in Unix/Linux, starting at /, contrary to MS-DOS/Windows, which creates one for every file system starting at A; B:, etc.), it is not usable as files/directories. Thus of course you have to mount them when you want to put files on them.

CBHedricks · April 14, 2013, 3:58pm

Thank you, that is what I was needing to hear and I appreciate it! With all the help I have received the adjustments and corrections made to the server are working and I can see the mounted volumes (closest term that makes sense to me) over the network. I will continue to ask questions as I run into more options / issues that I am not familiar with.

I have several books on Linux / Unix that date back a few years, local bookstore is slim pickings. Is there a good reference for a fledgling server admin such as myself (LOL), a former windows / dos user?

TIA

CBHedricks · May 4, 2013, 11:55pm

Thanks to all that have posted, I now have a hard working file server up and running. SAMBA is working, have shares showing on windows platforms requiring user log in credentials to be present on host server.

I am reading into some of the more advanced features of SAMBA and see that it reccomends setting the server as the master browser in a mixed platform environment that contains Microsoft Windows XP, NT users. There is little mention of Windows 7 or 8 in the documentation that speaks of this subject and I wonder if that step remains helpful.

It also states that one should enable the WINS server platform also. Again - this seems to be all about working with Windows XP / NT machines and there is no mention of Windows Vista (yuk), 7 or 8 (bigger yuk)…

Questions:

When using OpenSUSE 12.3 with updated SAMBA on a mixed PC environment that has no XP / NT machines is it recommended to set up the WINS service?
NetBIOS Domain Master Browser - should the SAMBA server also take on this role?
Should the OpenSUSE server also be set up as Preferred Master, Local Master and Domain Master in this situation?

My thanks in advance.

robin_listas · May 5, 2013, 12:43am

On 2013-05-04 23:56, CBHedricks wrote:

> 1. When using OpenSUSE 12.3 with updated SAMBA on a mixed PC
> environment that has no XP / NT machines is it recommended to set up the
> WINS service?
> 2. NetBIOS Domain Master Browser - should the SAMBA server also take
> on this role?
> 3. Should the OpenSUSE server also be set up as Preferred Master,
> Local Master and Domain Master in this situation?

One machine should be in this role. Choose just one. It makes life
easier for the rest of machines using windows networking.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)

CBHedricks · May 5, 2013, 1:25am

OK. I think I follow you on this - Windows PC argue about who is best (go figure) and after a bit one comes up as winner. If one of the machines on the network is set as “Master” the others no longer fight. Which of the three (Preferred, Local or Domain) should I be using at this point, or should all three be set to top priority? Little confusing in the book.

robin_listas · May 5, 2013, 2:33am

On 2013-05-05 01:26, CBHedricks wrote:
>
> OK. I think I follow you on this - Windows PC argue about who is best
> (go figure) and after a bit one comes up as winner.

Yep.
In Linux you can see these fights in the log.

> If one of the
> machines on the network is set as “Master” the others no longer fight.

That’s the idea.

> Which of the three (Preferred, Local or Domain) should I be using at
> this point, or should all three be set to top priority? Little
> confusing in the book.

Domain is way different, that’s when you are going to set a Windows
Domain, and authenticate in machines against the domain.

Some docs.



> http://www.samba.org/samba/docs/man/Samba-HOWTO-Collection/NetworkBrowsing.html

> http://books.google.es/books?id=dqiV4l3Tn7YC&pg=PA108&lpg=PA108&dq=Preferred,+Local+or+Domain&source=bl&ots=gRQR4udhPl&sig=p8JcVWb8QYO2AqRvjsW5b_Gn2Vs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UqaFUfm9C4K2hAfT84GwDg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Preferred%2C%20Local%20or%20Domain&f=false

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)