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The Network-Attached Storage (NAS) server that I use in my own home was surprisingly simple to put together thanks to EasyNAS, a wonderful open-source Linux distribution that I used. This robust system is based on the dependable openSUSE operating system, and it was crafted with the help of the SUSE Studio Linux image building tool, which features a friendly user interface. Its support for RAID is one of the most notable features, and it’s one that I’ve found to be really helpful.
Because of this, my data will always be secure and accessible; hence, it is an excellent option for storing significant papers and files. EasyNAS additionally has a filesystem compression feature, which has enabled me to conserve valuable storage space without impacting the integrity of my data. In addition to this, EasyNAS is equipped with practical features such as online filesystem inspections, copy-on-write capabilities, and snapshots as standard.
Because of these characteristics, it is simple for me to manage and safeguard my data, which guarantees that everything will continue to function normally without any interruptions. The capability to do online balancing of data between several disk drives is one of the aspects that really stands out. This comes in especially handy because it helps keep my storage devices running at their peak speed and ensures an even distribution of data across all of them. In addition, the capability of adjusting the size of the filesystem online has made it very simple for me to scale up or down according to my storage requirements.
EasyNAS Specifications
Users who are seeking for a network-attached storage (NAS) device that is simple to use and simple to administer will find that EasyNAS is a fantastic option to consider. File sharing, data backup, streaming video, and an integrated web server are just some of the capabilities that are available to users of this software.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| File sharing | EasyNAS can be used to share files between computers on a network. It supports a variety of file protocols, including SMB/CIFS, NFS, and AFP. |
| Data backup | EasyNAS can be used to back up data from computers on a network. It supports a variety of backup options, such as scheduled backups, incremental backups, and full backups. |
| Streaming media | EasyNAS can be used to stream media files to computers, TVs, and other devices on a network. It supports a variety of media formats, such as MP3, MP4, and MKV. |
| Built-in web server | EasyNAS has a built-in web server that can be used to host websites or web applications. |
| DHCP server | EasyNAS can be used as a DHCP server to assign IP addresses to devices on a network. |
| VPN server | EasyNAS can be used as a VPN server to allow users to connect to the network securely from remote locations. |
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What is EasyNAS?
If the data storage media did not have a file system, all of the information that was saved to it would be combined into a single massive body of data, and there would be no way to tell which parts of the data were missing or incomplete. The information can be segmented simply, and one can give a label to each component of the whole. The term “file” is used to refer to each collection of data in an effort to mimic the naming conventions used for information systems that are based on paper.
A “file system” refers to the framework and set of logic rules that are used to govern the information groups and the names they are given. The term “network-attached storage” refers to a file-level storage server that is connected to a computer network in order to make data accessible to a variety of different types of clients. The hardware, software, or configuration of a NAS makes it particularly effective at serving files. It is frequently manufactured as a computer appliance, which is a type of custom-built computer designed for a certain use.
EasyNAS review: Installation
EasyNAS is built on openSUSE, but the way it is installed is a lot like FreeNAS’s: there aren’t many options and there aren’t many steps. In openSUSE, the process takes a long time and lets the user set up the whole soon-to-be operating system. EasyNAS gives you two pictures right now:
- ISO (about 550M): To burn on a start disc and use as a way to install.
- RAW (1.8G): To load in one go on a disk or USB drive.”
I only tried the first way, but the second one shouldn’t be that different. After the installation is done, you will see a CLI screen that looks a lot like FreeNAS.
EasyNAS review: Interface and features
The user interface is the second thing to have a look at. The extension of the page, which is displayed in the address bar as.pl, was the first thing that caught my attention when I saw it. That’s it? Don’t get me wrong—Perl is a wonderful language—but for the past many decades, Python has been the language of choice for system administrators to use for automating tasks. This is no longer the case, and there are now languages that are better suited for use as web interfaces.
The icons are the second thing that really makes an impression on people. These icons are quite large, and by using up valuable real estate that could be put to better use elsewhere, they are a waste. However, in my opinion, the most disappointing aspect is the total absence of selectable options and menus. There are a lot of tabs that only have one or two options, and there are even more that don’t have any at all. Let me give you a few of examples: under the power management area, where you would normally find options to spin down the drives, you will instead discover the ability to shut down and restart the computer.
Additional tabs, such as general settings or firmware, display settings in a sub-tabbed method, despite the fact that they might be given in a unified format. These additional tabs are rather counter-intuitive. The features are not yet complete; nevertheless, there is support for the essentials such as rsync, snapshots, and scheduling. In comparison to the capabilities of the underlying software, the file-sharing and directory services only provide a limited number of configuration options.
The third thing that I looked into was the process of exporting a volume using SAMBA, which came after the process of generating a volume, which came after the process of creating a storage pool, and lastly came after the process of creating a volume. The process, on the other hand, is not easy to follow, and there is no user-friendly manual available to direct you through it.
You will have a lot of responsibilities that need to be fulfilled. After you have finished the process of creating the filesystem and the volume, you will need to enable SAMBA and share the disk. After you have done this, you may move on to the next step. This step appears to have been completed successfully and with no apparent difficulty.
Final Words
EasyNAS is still in its preliminary phases of development, in my opinion, based on the limited amount of personal experience I’ve had with the product. My experiences have shown that the user interface may benefit from some modifications as it has a clumsy and awkward appearance and is not very user-friendly. I noticed that some of the procedures were not particularly intuitive, and certain features were hidden in surprising locations, which made navigating the system a bit unpleasant at times.
In addition, I found that several functions were concealed in unexpected places. EasyNAS is missing a number of crucial capabilities, such as mail notifications, data cleaning, and LDAP integration, all of which are potentially needed for use in a commercial setting. This is a significant drawback. My own experience leads me to believe that the absence of these elements may reduce its applicability for use in corporate settings.
EasyNAS review: The Good and Bad
The storage management system known as EasyNAS is made to be utilized in an environment similar to that of a home or a small workplace. It utilizes the open-source operating system openSUSE Leap as its base, and it leverages the complex file management technology Btrfs.
The Good
- Simple and intuitive user interface.
- Scalable storage solutions to meet evolving needs.
- Robust data protection with RAID options.
- Convenient remote access for file retrieval.
- Built-in backup and restore capabilities for data safety.
The Bad
- May require some technical knowledge for initial setup.
- Limited customization options for advanced users.
- Hardware costs may vary depending on storage needs.
Questions and Answers
FreeNAS is supported by the community, while TrueNAS is supported by the commercial sector. TrueNAS has performance and usability enhancements that are tailored to the hardware that we employ and, as a result, are not included in FreeNAS. These enhancements are available in TrueNAS. High-Availability, also known as failover, is dependent on the hardware and is only offered by TrueNAS.
Now that we have 16 terabytes (TB) of usable storage, the documentation recommends 5 GB per TB; therefore, we already need 80 GB of RAM only for ZFS. But in addition to that, it suggests using 40 GB of RAM for 2 TB of L2ARC. Therefore, the recommended amount of RAM would be 120 gigabytes merely to handle 16 terabytes of accessible storage.