Topic: Global Filesystem ?

[dmajwool]

Hi.
My SME 2TB RAID is nearly full and I need more storage.

I could build another server and leave it stand-alone, but I wonder is it possible to mount the storage of the new server in the file system of the old server.

This would allow the client machines to see the new storage as a new directory rather than a new drive letter.  This would greatly simplify things for me.

Any tips?
Thanks,  David.

[dmac]

Set up your new server as a NFS server and your Old Server as a NFS client.

http://nfs.sourceforge.net/nfs-howto/

HTH
Darin

[dmajwool]

Thanks Darin. Very helpful. Lots of reading in there !

Do you know if SME 6.01 has the NFS server packages installed  by default, or must I find some suitable rpms?

Compared with accessing served files at a workstation directly from the server via samba, what amount of performance hit can I expect when accessing the NFS-served files via the NFS-client machine?

Thanks, David

[dmac]

David,

Do you know if SME 6.01 has the NFS server packages installed by default, or must I find some suitable rpms?

I believe that it is installed, since it uses the fstab and other applications to work.  From a command prompt type man nfs and you should get some manual pages about nfs.  If you type rpcinfo -p and get a return, then nfs is running.  (See section  3.4 of the how to, http://nfs.sourceforge.net/nfs-howto/server.html#VERIFY)
The how to is the best place to start, it has a very good write up on how to set up the server and client.  The only thing to be aware of is the templating system that SME uses.  Don't directly modify the files, but follow the paths as indicated in the files.  If you directly modify the base files, when SME reboots you will loose your changes.

Compared with accessing served files at a workstation directly from the server via samba, what amount of performance hit can I expect when accessing the NFS-served files via the NFS-client machine?

I have found from experience, but don't have any hard evidence to back this up, but between linux and unix systems using NFS is faster that using the samba route.  Keep in mind that NFS is an extension of the existing file system, and samba sits on top as another module.  I have also found that samba is a little more difficult to setup.

By default on a SME server, the /home/e-smith/files/ibays folder is shared to the local network (type more /etc/exports to view what is shared).  So the most you will need to do on the client side would be to connect to this existing share.

THT

Darin

[martinhick]

I have a NFS folder for my mp3's on a redhat server. The folder is mapped to SMB and I can view it from my Linux clients and my Windows ons.

Martin

[dmajwool]

I have a NFS folder for my mp3's on a redhat server. The folder is mapped to SMB and I can view it from my Linux clients and my Windows ons.

Thanks, Martin.  I'm assuming a typo "SMB" should be "SME"
Do you feel that the speed of access and throughput of your .mp3 files at the workstation is Faster/Same/Slower when calling them directly from RedHat or via SME.
Thanks, David.