Good For Small office?

WD Legacy Products Sentinel Products
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I am trying to decide if this is the right solution for me, and would appreciate any feedback from those using this machine-or similar machines. 

I have a small home office - with 3 desktops and 1 laptop - possibly expanding. I have been using Windows Home Server-mostly as a backup type system. I could never get much more functionality out of it-too buggy. It has been great for backup. As my business is growing, I realize I should probably have a dedicated server-so I (along with my employees) can have on central location to store all files. I would like to have the system set up so I have access to all the files on the server, but can then limit the access for different users.  I would also like to be able to access these files remotely. Remote access would not be too often-so it is not super critical.

I guess if I get one of these systems, I should also get a separate backup device, located elsewhere in my home office. I’m just trying to think if my place were every broken into-and the machines were taken…I’d like to have a hidden back up system.

I use Windows exclusively on all the machines if that makes a difference.

It would be nice if I could also use the server for some media files-I like to listen to music while working. Also I could possibly serve this music to my living space, and access my music files there as well.

From what I’ve read-this sounds like the right machine…but looking for feedback from folks using it in small office environments.

Thanks.

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Overall it is everything you want in one pre configured package.

Central place to store files.  The only “gotcha” for limiting who can see what is it has to be done by “shares”.  As in you can add a share called accounting and set what users can “see” the stuff in that folder/share.  You can add a share for each user and just let them see what is in there.

It is perfect for client desktop backups.

It does have remote access for files/media/ and remote access for supported desktops. 

It will stream music/videos.  This is not perfect.  NOT a WD  thing, a Microsoft thing.  For example not all pictures or videos that show on a local PC may not be “streamable”  But if you want more you can add something like servio to the box.

Backing up the server.  YEAAA, Windows Storage Server 2012 Essential (What the WD box is) is so much better than WHS V.1  as it has Windows Server Backup.  With WSB you can backup the entire server and do a Bare Metal Restore and get verything back.  With this one backup disc, you can recreate your entire organization, the server and all the desktops in case of disaster or theft.

Now the problem.  WSB is limited to 2tb.  Since it has these limits WD just removed the links in their Dashboard to these wizzards.  So if you get the 4tb unit which is actually 2tb useable, you can use the native Windows tools to configure and schedule the backups.  If you get a bigger unit, you are out of luck doing backups capeable of doing a full BMR.

There are many solutions for making copies of files/folders to remote shares on another box if you have larger than a 2tb unit.  I like an add-in from cloudberrylabs

If you get a 2tb unit and want to use WSB backup to a “hidden” target, I would ask could you maybe get a lil longer USB cable and hide the external 2tb usb drive somewhere close to the server?  A local usb drive is what it likes.  But if you really want slick (lol) you can learn about ISCSI.  Starwinds has a free target software than can be configured on a box in the closet that WSSE will see has a local attached drive for WSB backups

Back to muisc.  Locally what I do is simply open media player and select my songs/make a playlist from the storage server.  It shows up as a source.  SImpler than doing the web/remote/silverlight interface.  Since it is a DLNA?DNLA device it also shows up to extenders like xBox and the outher black boxes

There is also a “support” group on yahoo that is mainly business users if you need to “broaden” your feedback options

http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=wsse

Also there is a link at the top of this forum to the Microsoft Forum.

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Thanks for the in depth response…It sounds like it has a lot of the functions I am looking for.

Just to make sure I am understanding you correctly - I’ll try to paraphrase the stuff I’m understanding…along with some more questions…

The secondary backup is the only apparent issue. If I go with a 4TB system, effectively having 2TB of space, then I could use Windows Server Backup. which sounds great.

Unfortunately if I go with the 6TB system, I will need to find some alternative backup system? look into cloudberry?

I guess another question-if I have a RAID setup with this server, does that negate the need for another backup? or is the alternate backup just in case of fire or theft…

I am also wondering if I setup another drive remotely(as in at a different physical location, down the street or across town)that can connect to the server over the internet and just backup files stored on it. Is that a plausible scenario?

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WSB is the only option that allows you to restore the entire server.  Users, share settings, add-ins whatever. When you go over 2tb you will have to reinstall the box.  Recreate the users/shares and then copy the data that you safely tucked away.

Raid offers zero data protection.  No help for fire/theft/ someone deletes something, a database gets corrupt, a windows update blows up the box  Raid offers data “uptime”.  If one drive fails your data is still available.

Across the street or across the globe is the same issue…bandwidth.  It is really not practical for most.  But you could use cloudberry for example and “seed” your  destination onsite, then take it offsite and connect to it with a VPN like Himach

I find that most folks do not have 2tb of data that changes daily.  So keep the WD box under 2tb.  Back it up daily to usb.  If you have two usb drives they can be rotated offsite.  Then add say a 2tb usb drive to store the “clunky” data.  The Videos whatever.  Use another drive to copy this to for offsite

You are wise to condsider all your options and ask questions.  What you have to determine is what you could live without if you lost it and what steps it would take you to recreate/get back going again.  Does it matter how long it takes to get back “up”

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Gramps:

BTW… in a previous firmware update (v. 01.03.10.13) , we did add support for additional media codecs, over and above what MS supports in the standard WSSe OS.

* Added support for additional CODECs for DLNA media server (ogg, flac, aac, divx, xvid, mkv, flv, m3u8, pls)

Check out the release notes here

Cheers,

VG

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So I’m reading all these responses…and want to clarify a few things, as I try to digest the options…When I look at the Amazon listing of this device, the specs say “Windows Storage Server 2008”, not “Windows Storage Server 2012 Essential”. Should I assume they are selling an older version, or will it upgrade the software as soon as I connect it to the internet?

I am leaning towards the 6TB unit. Sounds like it should be plenty big for me for a few years, although we are taking more and more photos of job sites. If I want to expand-I can still add two drives internally. Do the the two new drives need to match the original drives exactly?

It also sounds like I can get a 3rd party software package for doing backups larger than 2TB. (Cloudberry labs)

I guess I have the following concerns about my data -

  1. Fire/Theft/ Hardware blows up-I need offsite backup

  2. Hard drive fails - If a single drive fails, I should still be able to keep working right? with a RAID 1 (I believe that is how it is configured out of the box with two drives)

Based on the responses so far this is what I’m thinking-please point out my mistakes :wink:

  1. Get the 6TB system
  2. Get all my data on there (needs to be less than 3TB, which I’m pretty sure it is)
  3. Then hook up an external drive via USB 3.0.
  4. Back up data to that drive.
  5. Then bring external drive to remote location. (Probably a colleagues office in another town)
  6. Find 3rd party software that can do incremental backup to external drive over the internet.
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Am I missing something? I can’e seem to find the link you refer to here…

“Also there is a link at the top of this forum to the Microsoft Forum”

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I have not followed the 3gb drive “options”  But I assume a 6 tb is the smae as the 4 tb just using 3 tb drives.

Two 3tb in a raid 1 that give 3tb mirror data.

If it is a wd box sentinel 4000 whatever the only model don’t worry about bad descriptions.  The offical name is “windows storgae server 2012 Essentials”  There is no online upgrade changes.

The fault in your logic is Windows Server 2008 R2 (which WSSE is based on) is limited to 2tb for Windows Backup.  So a USB 30 drive will not backup a 6/3 TB box.

So with WSB you can buckup the entire box.  Users, settings everything.  Restore it like it was before it broke.  Over 2tb, you reinstall, recreate and copy your data back.  So if over 2tb of data you use something esles, cloudberry, robocopy, whatever to make an external copy

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Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials Forum

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ok, 3TB drive option is a 6TB machine with just 2 of the 3TB drives.

So if I want to use Windows Backup, I am limited to the 2TB drives, or the 4TB machine. That is unless I use a 3rd party backup software.

At this point I am probably a good bit away from having over 2TB of data, but with the idea of planning ahead…what do people do with the larger Sentinels for back up? Do they use one of those services you list - cloudberry, robocopy…?

I was thinking of using something like Crashplan.

Thanks for your continues support. I must say the fact that this forum even exists, and you all are answering my questions so quickly, leads me to want to get this machine. I’m just trying to decide which size.

Thanks…

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Again it is not a WD fault, but a fact that Windows server 2008 R2 cannot backup volumes over 2tb.  I would recomend you get a 4/2tb model and back it up with WSB.  Then in case of total failure you can do a BMR and get everything, users, permissions etc.

3rd party stuff only backs up the shares.  The box will be down at least a week recovering.

You can add a 2tb or even 3tb usb dive to the box to grow storage and share it.  Get 2 of the usb dives and put the photos that do not change on both of them, put one of em offsite, and you have your backup

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Sorry I didn’t mean to infer that it was WD’s fault.

Ok, I think I will get the 4TB version. Next questions, if I want to go bigger int he future, I think I read that you need to use specifc drives. Where is the list of these drives? How much are they?

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There is a list in the dashboard that lists drives that work.  Best bet is to get them from the WD store.  Actuall not too pricey for an Eneterprise class drive ~ 270.00 for 2 TB

http://store.westerndigital.com/store/wdus/en_US/DisplayAccesoryProductDetailsPage/productID.253980500

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FYI. There’s also a list of “Compatible Drives” for WD Sentinel published on our Knowledge Base:

http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9443/~/list-of-compatible-hard-drives-for-wd-sentinel-dx4000