NAS recomendations

[Rob]

Hi Guys

We're a small but growing company. Started off with a single user (me) and now 2 licenses and 3 users (fortunately we don't spend all our time staring at a screen )

We used to work off Dropbox, then it switched to OneDrive, as you can imagine it's causing problems

I know virtually nothing about this stuff but have been told a NAS could be good for us.

So I have 2 questions

Is it going to work?

If so, any recommendations?

I have done some hasty research and the price range is enormous. Money is tight at the moment, so I don't want to over or under spec

TIA

[SPerman]

We started with OneDrive and that is an absolute disaster.

We don't have the network infrastructure to support a NAS, so we are still using cloud storage. It's called Gladinet by Centrestack if you want to check out a different cloud storage solution. We've been mostly happy with it.

[jcapriotti]

@Rob NAS should work fine, are you all in the same location? Any PDM?


@SPerman Are files cached locally with Gladinet, if not I would think latency would be an issue with SolidWorks files.

[Rob]

Cheers @jcapriotti

We got a quote for PDM but it way too much, maybe in the future.

We are both in the same office.

[jcapriotti]

Something like this and add some NAS HDDs would be easy and under $1000

https://www.newegg.com/synology-ds220/p/N82E16822108743

[AlexLachance]

We use a NAS and it works fine.

Recommandation is taking a deep look at how you work and then projecting how long it could take to fill up whatever size you're looking at, and then see if the time frame is appropriate for you.

[MJuric]

I could have sworn I posted this already but I don't see it.

When I had my business I always used a "Poor mans Server". I'd build a rather robust PC and use that as a server. I used it for everything including Vault (At the time I was using Inventor but it would be SW PDM), license server for CAD, CAM and accounting software and essentially it was the home for all of our files. Eventually I hooked that system up to a NAS and mirrored the entire system to it as a backup.

At one time we had five designers and two people CAM programing and two people using the accounting software. Never had any major issues.

I started out with a PC and a RAID card set up in RAID 5. That machine was only used for that purpose, no users used it and no unnecessary software installed on it.

To me the advantage doing it this way was that it allowed you to head any direction you wanted with it and in many cases for less than a NAS that could do similar functions.

As I upgraded over the years the system obviously changed but the idea was similar.

[Frederick_Law]

How's your workflow?
How often someone is working on same files together?
Do you need realtime sync across network?

Windows network and file system by default is slow and inefficient.
Do everything to reduce file transfer.

[matt]

I asked about NAS on the other place, and I got some great suggestions to just get some IDE/USB cables and hook up drives externally. Not as permanent, less expensive, more flexible.

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[Frederick_Law]

I carry this:
https://shop.westerndigital.com/product ... 10BBK-WESN

[Glenn Schroeder]

We started with OneDrive and that is an absolute disaster.

We don't have the network infrastructure to support a NAS, so we are still using cloud storage. It's called Gladinet by Centrestack if you want to check out a different cloud storage solution. We've been mostly happy with it.

You're scaring me. Our IT department is talking about switching from network drives to Onedrive. See https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/244724.

[Craig Makarowski]

For even one user I set up a second machine as a simple server (just Windows 10 Professional on it) then installed PDM standard on it with out paying any install help other than talking to my Var support. It comes with the SolidWorks Professional and Premium licenses. The advantage is you get to check in your designs in to s vault and have a Version history, you can have your templates, Library, Toolbox, Projects, macros all in it. You can set permissions, like User , admin. so that things like teh library parts are only Read only. the only down side is that you have a local cache on each work station that is used for your design work and this can get to be as big as the Vault! the result is way faster response when designing and you get a real vault the protects your designs. I would go back to a file based system any more because the version history have saved me from loosing work which happen in a straight file based system. Oh by the way you don't need a fancy PC for the server either!

[Tom G]

We had a NAS when we started up, before the server. Also were not running Solidworks at the time.

I've watched tech news for a decade. If I were buying a NAS today, I would review which manufacturers got hacked and not buy those. Sorry that I did not do this for you. search terms: NAS breach, NAS vulnerability, & NAS zero-day

[mattpeneguy]

We had a NAS when we started up, before the server. Also were not running Solidworks at the time.

I've watched tech news for a decade. If I were buying a NAS today, I would review which manufacturers got hacked and not buy those. Sorry that I did not do this for you. search terms: NAS breach, NAS vulnerability, & NAS zero-day

@Tom G has a good point. I believe Synology is a good company, but I have no idea of their security record. Definitely set it up to auto update when security updates come out. These NAS devices are incredibly complicated these days, any one of them is capable of all kinds of things such as webserver, email server, music streaming, video surveillance, etc. So, with all of that comes all the security problems. It's probably best to enable only the minimum you need.

I had a Synology that got so old that the processor couldn't keep up with the updates they were pushing to it. I went with a QNAP to replace it because it was cheaper. I'm not sure which is better, but I believe Synology has been around longer and has a better track record.

[Tom G]

These NAS devices are incredibly complicated these days, any one of them is capable of all kinds of things such as webserver, email server, music streaming, video surveillance, etc. So, with all of that comes all the security problems. It's probably best to enable only the minimum you need.

Yes. You should be able to disable the features you aren't using. We did. Also you must alter its access password from the default.

One other thing about my NAS experience broadly as a primary data drive - it is an appliance, not a PC. DO NOT interrupt its power cycle. That is, turning it on and off. Let it do what it needs to. I killed ours once by interrupting this. I think its firmware was wiped. Extracting the drive for data recovery was only marginally useful. Good thing that I had good backups of it.

[sloworks]

Hi,
I have been running Synology for 11 years now. Second device in use. One broken HDD during that time...no data lost (raid). Really happy with it. Using it to backup 2 PC's etc.

[SPerman]

Our cloud storage solution can be set to sync files locally. Everything was working pretty well until about 2 months ago, when something changed and now every time a file opens, it syncs. This means opening an assembly that used to take 1 minute not takes 10. They are working on a solution, but for now my workaround is just to turn off the sync when I'm working in Solidworks.

The problems with Onedrive were numerous. (Some of these issues may have improved in the last 4 years.)

There is a limit to the number of files in a folder.
There is a limit to the total number of files.
Special characters aren't allowed in the file names.
Any hiccup causes the sync to halt. Nothing gets synced until that problem is resolved.

At the time, trying to get information was impossible. There was the new onedrive, the old onedrive, onedrive for business and sharepoint. Good luck searching for a solution when you can't even figure out which version they are talking about.

This guy does a good job of summing up how I feel.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/mso ... ee73179e38

[Frederick_Law]

LOL That shouldn't be a problem for SW users. They're used to that.

[Marshall Wilson]

Synology good and should work.

I’ve never used PDM, one-man shop.

I’ve used Dropbox for years; it’s version history is very good, I use it all the time to correct my mistakes. Obviously if more than 1 person using files at a time will be the big driver of available options. Also if you need to access files remotely from local server you’ll need to consider a VPN. Complicated.

(Aside: I listen to podcast “security now” - they have a web-page “shields up” that will test your open ports etc - ie will try to breach thru open ports and tell you what you need to fix from a security POV. My old router (apple) was wide open. Doing this made me get synology. )

I converted my old Dell workstation into a Linux server for my backups etc so I use that (for now) instead of synology for NAS.

[SPARK_Bill]

Can highly recommend Synology. Used to spend 30% or more of my time managing a windows server on a small 10 computer network. For the last 4 years our Synology NAS file server, network/Domain management, onsite backup, online real-time cloud syncing... takes me a few hours per month to manage. The Synology interface is great, documentation is good, forum is helpful. You can make the device security as open or as locked down as you like. Synology has a software store full of free add-on services and utilities. Best IT investment our small company ever made.

[mattpeneguy]

Can highly recommend Synology. Used to spend 30% or more of my time managing a windows server on a small 10 computer network. For the last 4 years our Synology NAS file server, network/Domain management, onsite backup, online real-time cloud syncing... takes me a few hours per month to manage. The Synology interface is great, documentation is good, forum is helpful. You can make the device security as open or as locked down as you like. Synology has a software store full of free add-on services and utilities. Best IT investment our small company ever made.

That's the "feeling" I had. I switched to a QNAP at home, mainly because it was cheaper for the hardware you get. But, if it were for business, I'd pay the extra to get the equivalent Synology. That's my take on it. Synology has been around longer and seems more established...I'm not saying QNAP is bad, but if I lose support or something doesn't work right at home, it's an inconvenience. But for my livelihood, I'd spend the extra money so I'd sleep better at night.

[XHawkeye]

Cheers @jcapriotti

We got a quote for PDM but it way too much, maybe in the future.

We are both in the same office.

If you get to the point you need the full-bore paid version of PDM check out DDM, they're from your neck of the woods. Current job uses DDM with Pro/E & SW and as an end user it isn't hard to learn (know nothing about the admin side).

[zxys001]

Cheers @jcapriotti

We got a quote for PDM but it way too much, maybe in the future.

We are both in the same office.

If you get to the point you need the full-bore paid version of PDM check out DDM, they're from your neck of the woods. Current job uses DDM with Pro/E & SW and as an end user it isn't hard to learn (know nothing about the admin side).

Agree... DDM imho... would better than what I know about SW PDM.

[zxys001]

Can highly recommend Synology. Used to spend 30% or more of my time managing a windows server on a small 10 computer network. For the last 4 years our Synology NAS file server, network/Domain management, onsite backup, online real-time cloud syncing... takes me a few hours per month to manage. The Synology interface is great, documentation is good, forum is helpful. You can make the device security as open or as locked down as you like. Synology has a software store full of free add-on services and utilities. Best IT investment our small company ever made.

That's the "feeling" I had. I switched to a QNAP at home, mainly because it was cheaper for the hardware you get. But, if it were for business, I'd pay the extra to get the equivalent Synology. That's my take on it. Synology has been around longer and seems more established...I'm not saying QNAP is bad, but if I lose support or something doesn't work right at home, it's an inconvenience. But for my livelihood, I'd spend the extra money so I'd sleep better at night.

..yeah.. there are other options for sure..

[Frederick_Law]

QNAP users, update your NAS:
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/04 ... ansomware/

[mattpeneguy]

QNAP users, update your NAS:
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/04 ... ansomware/

Thanks @Frederick_Law,
Updating Now!

[AlexLachance]

QNAP users, update your NAS:
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/04 ... ansomware/

Sent to IT.
One of our QNAP is bugging out this morning, I hope this is not it...

[zxys001]

QNAP users, update your NAS:
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/04 ... ansomware/

geezus... that's whack!..
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/s ... p-utility/

[Frederick_Law]

We're in the wrong business .....

[DanPihlaja]

geezus... that's whack!..
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/s ... p-utility/

So....why isn't anyone doing anything about this? Tracking people down and arresting them?

Most of that article seemed to have the feel of: Look at the cool thing these criminals did!! Isn't it awesome!

[Frederick_Law]

Difficult to track. Bitcoin is not trackable. Too many way to hide their connection with VPN and encryption.
And they might in place where all you can do is drop a bomb or nuke.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/04 ... d-traffic/

[VTmechie]

Ok so I didn't read all these posts, but I have a question for the OP, what is the purpose of your NAS? Solidworks Files? I definitely recommend using SW PDM. If you have SW premium, it comes with basic PDM.

[Rob]

Ok so I didn't read all these posts, but I have a question for the OP, what is the purpose of your NAS? Solidworks Files? I definitely recommend using SW PDM. If you have SW premium, it comes with basic PDM.

Hi @VTmechie

We are a small shop. When we got our second license of SW 3 years ago I got pro so that we could start to use PDM standard.
The deal breaker was the additional costs:

They might not be big in the scheme of things but we were also employing our first dedicated CAD user, buying a new license and PC.

I know that if we continue to grow at some point in time we are going to have a real headache.