Hello everybody!
In this video, I’m going to show you how to connect and configure a network file storage
system for home or office use, with the example of D-link DSN-1100-10, and how to recover
lost data from such kind
of storage.
Regardless of how much storage space our computers have, we always need more.
The issue of storing data is always relevant, for example, if you do some video editing,
photography or other work that requires large volumes to store your data, or if you need
to create a network-attached storage for a small office.
The solution you are looking for could be a NAS or SAN network storage, depending on
your needs and opportunities.
So before you can make your choice, let’s have a closer look at the differences between
the two and at how they work.
Network Attached Storage A Network-Attached Storage (NAS) is a device
or server with a set of disks, which is connected to a network.
All members of such network can use the data stored on such device.
The main difference from a conventional storage device which is connected directly to a computer
is that in the case of NAS, the operating system and other software are designed for
the only purpose - storing data.
A Storage Area Network (SAN) is an architectural solution to enable external storage devices
to be connected to servers in such a way that the operating system can recognize the connected
network drives as local disks.
SAN is a network designed to ensure connecting equipment and software to servers.
It can transfer information from one storage device to another, and help different servers
to exchange information, which accelerates data backup and recovery processes.
SAN accesses data at the block level.
Its main input-output protocol is iSCSI (Small Computer System Interface).
A computer “sees” such storage as its own local disk.
iSCSI is a network protocol for working with data storage systems, and it lets them interact
with computers within a network.
Such storage can be organized with almost any operating system, because it is built
on the logical level and doesn’t require any special hardware for handling data (such
as disks or disk controllers).
This feature is included into most operating systems and can be enabled easily.
Windows is no exception, and it includes iSCSI components as extra elements.
So what’s the difference between the two approaches?
In plain English, SAN is a network drive which enables data exchange in blocks, just as it
happens with local disks.
Meanwhile, NAS is a network file system, and a resource with shared access.
It is a kind of a file server which can be access through your home network.
SAN is a block-based device delivered over the network, and NAS is a file system delivered
over the network.
So which way of storing data should you choose?
NAS or SAN?
The answer depends on your needs and opportunities, because these are two different configurations
designed for different tasks.
Access to files and shared use of information for apps on various server platforms within
a local network - choose NAS.
High-speed block access to data bases, consolidated storage with improved effectiveness and efficiency
- go for SAN.
Now let’s see how to configure such a storage system.
How to connect an SAN storage to a network As I said at the beginning of the video, I’ll
show you how to assemble and configure a SAN storage based on D-link DSN-1100-10.
First of all, assemble the storage, fix the drives in the bays, and then slide them into
the corresponding slots of the main case.
That’s actually all you need to do in terms of assembly.
The final step is to connect it to a power outlet and to the network.
To configure the SAN storage, you need to connect it to the network, or directly to
a computer, with the help of a network cable.
Plug one end of the cable into the Management Port of the storage, and the other - into
the LAN port of the router, then plug in the power cable and connect it
to the power outlet.
If you choose to connect the storage directly to the computer, you’ll need a network cable
of a special type, known as crossover cable.
For such connection type, you plug the other end of the network cable into the LAN port
of your computer instead of the router.
Turn on the storage system and wait until a LED light appears on the front panel - it
means the server has booted.
Configuring a network storage For primary configuration of the storage,
you should open a browser on your computer which is connected either to the network or
directly to the storage.
Type the network storage address in the corresponding line - this address is specified in the user’s
manual or other documents that come supplied with the storage.
After that, the web assistant will start looking for it.
When it’s ready, let’s get down to configuring.
Accept the license agreement and set the administrator password.
Enter IP address, subnet and gateway for the Management Port if the latter has to be modified,
then click Next.
Now you need to enter Data Port settings for the iSCSI connection.
Alternatively, you can choose to specify them later and click “Skip to Email Notification.”
In the next tab, you can enable and configure email support.
When it’s configured, the application will send you notifications about the storage status,
errors and failures.
Review the settings, and if everything is correct, click Finish; if you need to change
anything, just return to the previous window and edit the settings.
That’s all about primary configuration.
In the next window, you’ll be suggested to download and install Java.
It is required for xStack Storage to work normally, and we’re using this specific
application to manage the storage.
An Internet connection is required for the installation, so just click on this link and
install the package.
If your computer already has Java installed, click on the link below to download the xStack
Storage app.
Add the application to exceptions because Java may block it.
Open the Start menu, find Java configuration, switch to Security tab and add the address.
Confirm that you agree to run the application by checking this box, and allow Java access
in the firewall.
After that, the xStack Storage application will start.
To access the storage information and settings, enter the registration data - username and
password.
As you do that, the connection with the storage will be established.
Now you need to create a disk and configure network access for it.
Open Volume Creation Wizard.
Give the volume name here and select advanced settings.
If you need help in choosing the best way to organize your storage, check the first
option.
But if you know the exact details, select the second option and click Next.
Choose a composition type (i.e. the type of disk array); if you need to select specific
disks, choose the second option here and find the disks you want on the list.
Specify the size for the volume you are going to create.
Finally, choose the corresponding iSCSI network access type:
To all initiators, to an initiator from the list, to an initiator which is not on the
list, no access at all, Next, and Finish.
The volume has been created.
If you haven’t specified a network address to exchange data during primary configuration,
do it now.
Open Network settings, right-click on the Ethernet port and choose “Create Portal.”
Specify IP address, subnet, gateway, and click OK.
Below, you can enable or disable administrator rights for this portal.
Now the storage basic configuration is complete, the last step is to connect it to the computer.
Later, I’ll go into details of the xStack menu items.
Configuring iSCSI Initiator To configure the connection to the storage,
plug the end of the network cable into the Data Port.
On a Windows computer, use the search field to find iSCSI Initiator.
If you launch this application for the first time, the operating system will suggest to
enable the corresponding service that would connect the disk every time the operating
system boots.
Here, give the path to the iSCSI network disk.
Open the Targets tab and enter the server address into this field.
That is, the address of the port where data exchange is set up.
Now hit “Quick connect,” select the disk in the window that opens, and click to connect
it.
If the connection was successful, the next step is to initialize the disk and assign
a drive letter to it.
You can do it in the Computer Management menu or in Disk Management (Start > Control Panel
> Administrative Tools > Computer Management).
Or, right-click on the Start menu and select “Disk Management.”
When the initialization is over, the disk will be accessible as a local physical disk,
but it won’t be displayed in the Explorer yet.
Right-click on it and select “New Simple Volume,” specify the drive letter, file
system, Next, and Finish.
Now the disk should appear in the Explorer, you can use it and transfer information there.
This way, you can use iSCSI Initiator to connect a network drive to any computer within this
network.
Opportunities offered by xStack Storage Now let’s give a quick overview of the menu
you can find in xStack Storage.
For a more detailed description, check the documents that come supplied with your storage
device.
In the File tab, you can add a new connection or remove an existing one, log out, configure
auto-logon, or exit the application.
In the tab View, open Volume settings to modify Initiator access options, scan, destroy, grow
or reconfigure the volume.
In the System Administration tab, you can find many options to manage the server.
Restart, Shutdown, or Restore to Factory Defaults; also, you can add a user or modify the administrator’s
password.
In Network settings, you can add and configure one more portal, or remove the existing one,
or create a group of ports to reduce the network load and increase its speed, and so on.
In the Tools tab, you can customize the time display, run the volume creation wizard, or
save event history.
In addition, there are tabs containing detailed information about the disk, its status, settings
etc.
How to recover data from a network storage drive
While you are configuring and managing the storage system, you may accidentally remove
important information, format the disk or recreate the volume and cause a loss of data.
Even if it happened, don’t worry: with the help of our data recovery tool, Hetman Partition
Recovery, you’ll be able to have them back.
Hetman Partition Recovery lets you restore lost data from such disks without effort.
The utility will scan the network drive, find the lost data and help you save it, in an
easy and effective way.
Here is what you do to get your files back: Step 1.
Download, install and run Hetman Partition Recovery.
As you can see, the program has identified this disk type easily.
Step 2.
In the Drive Manager, select the disk, right-click on it and choose “Open.”
Try a fast scan first - it will take less time.
If the fast scan can’t find the deleted data, then go for Full analysis.
Step 3.
The file recovery wizard will scan the selected volume immediately and display the scan results
in the right side of the program’s window.
Step 4.
When the scan is over, all you need to do is to select the deleted files you want to
restore and then click the “Recovery” button.
Specify where to save the data and click the same button again to start recovering.
Also, our program can create a disk image and then conduct all recovery operations with
this image, which increases your chances to restore the deleted information successfully,
because multiple rounds of scanning may result in data overwriting… which is certainly
not what you’d like to face.
You can use this program for data recovery in any of the following cases:
To recover files lost after removing or formatting partitions, system errors, virus attacks and
other scenarios that involve loss of data.
To recover data from internal and external hard disks, USB storage devices, SD memory
cards, digital cameras and other devices used to store information.
To recover lost photos, videos, music, documents and other file types.
Summing up, now you know how to create your own network-attached storage and protect it
against loss of data, and what to do if some information was lost - in spite of all your
efforts.
That is all for now!
Hopefully, this video was useful.
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Thank you for watching.
Good luck.