Server Data Storage

Hi Sarah -

This is a serious issue.

You have three options as I see them:

1) Add additional storage to the existing server. This troubles me for two reasons: a) The server is ancient & I fear making changes to it might cause bigger problems. b) The server isn’t made from server-grade hardware & as such has limited expansion capabilities.

2) Replace the entire server with a new one or add an additional server configured to mirror the existing data on the current server & provide for additional storage. It can run either Windows or Linux – we’re perfectly happy to support either.

3) Add a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device which has similar capabilities to a server & functions like a server but is essentially a hard drive connected directly to the network that clients can access to share files.

Option #2 is definitely the most reliable option & provides the most flexible configuration options for backup, creating shares, & hosting applications & software. It’s also the most expensive – the server itself would cost at least $2000 & it would take at least two days to complete the migration, configuration & setup.

Option #3 is a highly viable option & something we’ve done for many clients in your class (small business < 30 users). Cost per gigabyte is very inexpensive (< $1 per gigabyte) & while this option has limited capabilities, it would most likely suit your purposes very nicely. A 1 Terabyte Mirrored option (1 Terabyte is 1000 Gigabytes, Mirrored means two redundant drives for data protection) is less than $400 & setup/configuration is only hours instead of days.

I would absolutely NOT recommend using an external hard drive. We have tried this with some of our clients & doing so only causes data loss & damaged drives. It is also very difficult to share the data on the external drive effectively among multiple users simultaneously.

Hope that information helps – please let us know if you have any questions or would like a more specific quote.

Best,

hunter greene Brainspiral Technologies, Inc. hunter@brainspiral.com http://brainspiral.com w: 413-458-5755 c: 413-281-4918

On May 28, 2009, at 11:45 AM, Sarah wrote:

> Hunter, > > We will need to store massive amounts of photos and videos through > out the summer when leaders come back with memory cards from their > trips. Can you give me or Troy a call so we can plan for this > additional memory need. We’re not sure how much space we have and > want to plan in advance for the amount of memory this will take up. > We can buy an external hard drive and store all the photos and video > on it, but want your opinion of how we should go about it and what > is best for the network. > > Thanks, > > > Sarah >

iPhoto Library Issue

Hi Alice -

Probably. iPhoto stores its Library as a single folder, the contents of which comprise all the database & picture files iPhoto needs to efficiently manage your photos. By default iPhoto stores its Library inside the Pictures folder of the home folder of the currently logged in user. iPhoto doesn’t actually care where it’s stored, however, and only looks in this location if it either can’t find another Library, doesn’t know about another Library or it’s being opened for the first time.

If you have copied your Library to an external hard drive, then there are really only two reasons why iPhoto wouldn’t be able to access it: 1) The external hard drive is not being mounted on the iMac because it is either not connected or not functioning properly. 2) iPhoto forgot that the Library was on the external hard drive. This can sometimes happen if you open iPhoto BEFORE the hard drive has been mounted on the iMac or if the external drive is simply turned off.

We can quickly rule out #1 if you can see the external hard drive mounted on your Desktop. Do you? If you do not, then make sure the external drive is connected properly & reboot the iMac if necessary. If you do, which I presume you do, then we can tackle #2 by doing the following:

Hold down the ‘option’ key while starting iPhoto. iPhoto will prompt you to either ‘Choose’ an existing Library or ‘Create’ a new one. Click ‘Choose’. Now browse to your external hard drive using the Finder window & then find the iPhoto folder you copied or created on there previously. Then hit ‘OK’. This forces iPhoto to use that Library & iPhoto should now continue to use it, provided that there isn’t another interruption between the iMac and the external hard drive.

Hope that helps – please let us know if it doesn’t work & we can investigate as to why.

Best,

hunter greene Brainspiral Technologies, Inc. hunter@brainspiral.com http://brainspiral.com w: 413-458-5755 c: 413-281-4918

On May 24, 2009, at 9:30 AM, help@brainspiral.com wrote:

> a form has been submitted on May 24, 2009, via: http://brainspiral.com/contact/ > [IP 69.205.52.97] > Contact Us > Name Alice > Message Hello, you did some work on our Imac not too long ago. We > have a new problem. We have our iphoto library on an external > harddrive, and all was well until about a month ago when the iphoto > program can’t find the library anymore. We’ve spent many hours on it > and can’t seem to get it reconnected. Can you help? Thanks. Alice