Installing These New Servers Should Be a Snap
If several people in your organization are sharing files, printers and Internet access, chances are you already have a local area network, or LAN, that connects all your machines. If so, you may have a “peer-to-peer” network, or perhaps all your machines are connected to a file server.
With peer-to-peer networks, which are typically used in small offices or departments, any computer on the network can store and access files on any other computer. That means, for example, that Henry can store his spreadsheet files on Sally’s computer and that Sally can access word processing files on Henry’s computer, assuming that Henry gives her authorization to do so.
Another type of network uses a file server, which is usually a dedicated computer whose primary purpose is to store files that anyone in the office can access. A server also can be used to connect you to the Internet, to distribute e-mail around the office and a number of other tasks. They are commonly used in larger organizations and in offices where people share access to the same files such as a travel agency’s reservation system.
Installing a server is not trivial and, because it is a separate computer, they are general fairly expensive to buy. What’s more, they’re a bit tricky to upgrade. If, for example, you need additional hard-drive space on your server, you generally have to take it apart, install a new drive and, sometimes, reconfigure the server software.
Quantum (https://www.quantum.com or [888] 343-7627), a leading disk drive manufacturer, has a simpler idea. The company’s new line of Snap servers can be installed and configured in a matter of minutes and you don’t even have to take a computer apart or turn off any machines on the network. Once installed, it can store files that can be accessed from any machine on your network, regardless of operating system.
It doesn’t matter if you have Windows 98, Windows NT, Linux or Macintosh machines. In fact, you can have all of the above and every machine on the network can access files saved by any other machine, even if they use different operating systems. The server itself has its own built-in operating system that you don’t need to worry about. It just works.
Installing a Snap server is, literally, a snap. You plug it into a power outlet and plug it into your Ethernet hub. That’s it. You can then immediately access it from any machine using standard network protocols and software. I tested it on a network with both Windows and Mac machines and, in both types of computers, I was able to save files to the server and access them from the other type of machine without even having to install special software. Of course, the Snap server does come with software that you can use for network management if you want to, but I didn’t even bother except to check out its features. The server showed up as a device on my network even before I loaded any software.
The device itself is an attractive stand-alone unit that can be anywhere on the network. If you do install software, it can be managed from any machine via a Web browser.
The server is designed to support up to 100 users but, at a starting price of $499 (for a 10 gigabyte model), it’s suitable for much smaller organizations.
Because it’s portable, it can be moved in a matter of seconds. If you have highly sensitive data, for example, and need extra security, you could unplug it and store it in a safe or take it home at night. If there is an emergency such as a flood, fire or earthquake, you could disconnect it, take it out of the building and save your data.
The server can be used as the central depository for data shared by multiple people in the office and it also can be used as an on-premise backup device for any or all machines. It can not be used in lieu of a computer-based server as a Web server or e-mail server, although its hard drive can be used to store Web pages or e-mail.
In addition to the 10-gigabyte model, Quantum offers a 20 GB version for $999 and a 40 GB model for $1,799.
Although it has a somewhat different function, the Orb Drive from Castlewood (https://www.castlewood.com) is also worth considering for both networks and stand-alone PCs and Macs.
The Orb Drive is similar to the Iomega Jaz drive and other removable storage systems except that both the drive and removable media are quite cheap. The drive itself costs about $200 and 2.2 gigabyte removable discs are $30 each.
Unlike the Quantum Snap, the Orb drive doesn’t plug into the network but into any PC or Mac in your office. You can choose between models that connect via USB, SCSI, parallel port or to the PC’s hard-drive controller.
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Technology reports by Lawrence J. Magid can be heard at 1:48 p.m. weekdays on KNX (1070). He can be reached at larry.magid@latimes.com. His Web site is at https://www.larrys
world.com.
