Adequate File Server for Design Studio

I am looking for feedback on the new mac mini. Hopefully, there are a number of you who have experience in the matter.
My company will soon have several designers on staff. Currently, my Mac Pro is serving as the file server for the company. This is not ideal, as I would like to use my Mac Pro as a work station. We have a ReadyNAS in the office, but it's sluggish performance would never hold up with our work flow. I need a file server that can handle less than 10 designers working on large files. Ideally, I would also like to find something that acts as an in-house web server.
The new Mac Mini with Thunderbold looks like it could fit the bill, but I would love to hear from people who are using the machine in a similar setup. Could the mini provide adequate performance as a file server? If so, what upgrades should I consider?
I am also looking at attaching the LaCe Little Big DIsk for the files. If I understand correctly, this should run as quickly as an internal drive, correct?
I would love to hear your feedback and any alternative suggestions.

I recently purchased a Mac Mini i& 2.0 with 7200RPM Drives and a Promise Pegasus R6 12TB File Server.
Everything worked great for 48 hours, but then my Pegasus Server droped a drive... Promise is RMAing me a replcement drive, but that takes about a week to get... I have heard issues with Promise RAIDs coming with 1 Bad drive, but I thought I was safe since I didn't have one after the 6 hour initialization process. The new drive wil be here by Friday, and hopefully I can do some tests on this thing to see if anything else goes wrong before the "Return/Refund" date is up. I really can't afford to have a $2,000 RAID PaperWeight.
I also asked Promise if I could simply go to "Best Buy" and get a replacement drive to get me back up and going (even though the server is still running I am apprehensive about using it without a "Redundant drive"), Promise said that the server will only work with "Apple Approved" drives, and only Promise can ship though drives, so I could not just go get a 2TB 7,200 RPM drive and replace the defective one myself.
Not sure there is any truth to this, but since the parts are under warranty for 2 years, I guess it doesn't matter as its not costing me anything but time and from using the new $2K server.
I thought about Drobo Pro servers too, but the reviews of them seemed 10 times worse that what I read about the Promise Servers.
Anyone out there has these R6 Pegasus Servers, care to comment? Should I cut my loses and return this thing or should I stick it out?

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IIS Web Farm - File Server for Content and Shared Configuration - SOFS?

We currently have a number of web farms with their content and shared configuration files located on a standalone file server.
I am looking to utilise the clustered file server role in Windows 2012 to provide improved uptime and load balancing for the configuration and content shares.
Please could someone provide clarification as to whether SOFS is supported for this scenario?
There appears to be some conflicting advice in the documentation and across the internet.

We currently have a number of web farms with their content and shared configuration files located on a standalone file server.
I am looking to utilise the clustered file server role in Windows 2012 to provide improved uptime and load balancing for the configuration and content shares.
Please could someone provide clarification as to whether SOFS is supported for this scenario?
There appears to be some conflicting advice in the documentation and across the internet.
SoFS is a good choice for a) Hyper-V and b) SQL Server (anything working with a big files like VHDX and MDF). For a bunch of a small files IIS has in a shared directories SoFS is not going to work and it's cleary said in the documentation. See:
Scale-Out File Server for Application Data Overview
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831349.aspx
Workload: Information worker
Yes
Not recommended
Workload: Hyper-V
Yes
Yes
Workload: Microsoft SQL Server
Yes
Yes
So in your case just an ordinary clustered file servers should be enough. See:
Create a Clustered File Server
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753969.aspx
Hope this helped :)
StarWind VSAN [Virtual SAN] clusters Hyper-V without SAS, Fibre Channel, SMB 3.0 or iSCSI, uses Ethernet to mirror internally mounted SATA disks between hosts.

Mac as a file server for windows -- mounting a mac disk at windows startup

Is there any way to use the Mac as a file server for a windows XP home service pack 1 system?
The best I can do is "mount disk at login". However, this fails to use the right username/password, and even then it fails to deal with programs that run outside of a user context, or with fast user switching (it seems every program gets a different set of drive letters to remote volume mappings).
Mac Mini 1.42 1G Mac OS X (10.4.3)

And this is my problem.
In windows terms:
I want to assign a drive letter to a network drive, and have that be a machine-wide assignment, that is activated during bootup, and is visible to all users and services.
I can do that for an arbitrary partition that is physically attached to the machine.
I cannot seem to do that for any partition that is mounted over the network.
The problems are:
1. It doesn't map for every user,
2. It doesn't map for services that run when a user isn't logged in
3. It generates annoying inconsistencies in what programs see what.
Is there really no way for an XP box to use a file server? Even a microsoft file server? (if there is, how do I make my mac os with samba look like a real microsoft file server).
Annoying tidbit: The "conncet at login" information is stored in the user profile; if you rely on that, then the user profile cannot be stored with the rest of the user's personal files. If it weren't for that, I could probably live with a work around.
(2 to 1 someone will say "Xp Professional can do that trivially" and tell me to upgrade. I thought XP home was supposed to support home and small office networking, and I thought that included a single shared file server.)
Mac Mini 1.42 1G Mac OS X (10.4.3)

File Extension of Design Studio

I would like to know the file extension of Design studio.
Ramesh

Hi Ramesh,
It makes no sense to mark any other than the correct answer just to close the question.
After that click, your question is marked as "answered", the correct answer moves upwards, and is displayed direct under your question, so anybody can see the correct answer at first glance.
In this case you should have marked Mustafas answer as correct not yours.
Regards,
Steffen

What are prerequisite for Design Studio Client tool behind firewall?

Hi Experts,
Can you tell me what are prerequisites for Design Studio Client tool behind firewall?
Best Regards,
Pushkar

Hi Pushkar,
In which 'mode' would you like to use the Design Studio Client application. Connected to the BI platform, SAP HANA, etc?
With kind regards,
Martijn

How can I set-up my mac mini server to be a central file server for my windows boxes (they don't see the mac on the network), and how do I set-up a central iTunes server so that all my devices sync to the mac mini?

I am looking for step by step instructions to configure my mac mini server to support the following:
1. Central itunes server for all my devices (ipad, ipod, iphone, etc.)
2. Central file server so that my windows devices can save and retrieve data from the central system (the mac does not show up in the network for the windows systems - all running windows XP or 7)
Thanks,
Keith

You will need to enable file sharing in System Preferences
as well as setting up sharing and permissions for the
directories that you want shared. You may also want to
setup a non-administrative user or allow limited guest
access. The user would require entering a user name and
password to make the connection, but would allow remotes
to change files, if set up tat way.
As for serving iTunes media, better to post in the iTunes forum.

File Server For Both Mac OSX and Windows?

Hello All,
With HP discontinuing theier HP Server line, I've been browsing around for quite some time at a good box to use as a file server. My windows Home server is about to die i feel, and most PC based servers seem just as pricey as me acquiring a Mac Pro Server with Two 1TB Hard Drives and using OSX Lison Server.
However, before I take that plunge I was really wondering if anyone had had any success or stories that they can share about using a Lion Server with windows 7 PC's.
I use a MAC, but everyone else here uses windows. On my the home server box we bascially store all of our digital photographs, personal files and such as a backup. Granted the Apple time machines and mac mini's can be used as the same but you loose the redundant hard drives and stability of comintuing to upgrade if you run out of space.
So I'm hoping that its positive and pretty much flawless where the Mac Pro with Lion Server could just save and serve files galore without slow down or problems. With my past mac experience that's usually not the case. I just want to replace that box, have a new box that can store files off of the independent machiens with a here or there additional backup on it as needed.
The other plus if I take this plunge is I have a Mac Pro box for greater functionality at home over my Macbook Pro! So yeah, a little perk for me...
Thanks in advance for any news you can help or offer me... I know I'm probably asking something that a ton of others may have alredy asked and sorry for the duplication if thats the case

Mac OS X Server can do all that.
You can keep All the user accounts on the Server, or you can just use it for File Sharing. Does Windows SMB or Apple File System sharing without issue. Disk Utility can create Mirrored RAIDs right out of the box, that expensive RAID card is only needed for RAID 5.
I run a Server at home like a School Server with ALL User files on the Server (you log on at any Mac and your files appear, because they are on the Server). User files are on a pair of Mirrored RAID drives, and I use Time Machine to automatically back up all the User Files on the Server once an hour. Gigabit Ethernet Switches provide "Hard Drive-like" file access.

File server for school LAN--unable to get Open Directory working right

I've been following the tutorials on wazmac.com for configuring an OSX 10.6 server for local network file sharing.
Server IP address is 192.168.1.99.
FQDN is oltserver.ourladyoftepeyac
AFP, DNS, and Open Directory are configured, supposedly correctly.
What works:
Resolving the domain name to the server's IP address and vice-versa on Network Utility Lookup while on the server.
On client computers, under Accounts, I can bind to the IP address and I can bind to "oltserver.local".
After binding and restarting, I get a logon screen that shows the available users I have created in Workgroup Manager.
What doesn't work:
Cannot resolve the domain name to the server's IP address and vice-versa on Network Utility Lookup while on client machines.
On client computers, under Accounts, I cannot bind to the FQDN, oltserver.ourladyoftepeyac. Error: Could not resolve the address (2200).
When trying to log on to a network account from a client, it fails. "Cannot log in because an error occurred."
There must be a problem with the settings for my DNS service. But unfortunately the wazmac guide doesn't give a lot of troubleshooting advice.
Any help would be appreciated. Here are bunches of settings screenshots.

That's terrific! I am almost there.
What I did:
I followed your advice on the domain name and renamed it ourladyoftepeyac.lan. Screenshot.
Then (what probably made a big difference), I went into the network settings for the client Macs and removed their incorrect manual settings for DNS servers. This gave them the correct DNS servers! Screenshot.
This allowed the Network Utility on client machines to correctly resolve the server's IP address with the domain name! Screenshot.
Aaaaand it solved the problem with previously being unable to bind the client mac to the Open Directory server. Screenshot.
But:
After all of that, the clients still aren't logging in. So disappointing. It's unbelievable how unhelpful the error message is, too. "Logging in to the account failed because an error occurred."
I can't understand why this is. AFP is active and set to allow guests to log in. Unfortunately, with all the help you've given, I don't have any clues left as to why the clients aren't logging on.

Need advice for setup of AD and file server for small business with 2 locations

Hi,Let me begin by saying I'm not sure if this was right place to post this. I could have just as easily posted this in 4 other categories but I think we need virtualization to get the DR and HA that I'm looking for. Allow me to provide some background... Our company has two locations. For simplicity sake I'll refer to them as our Main site and Branch site.Main Site Facts:Considered corporate HQ.Has primary and secondary AD controller (two physical servers - Server 2003), as well as our ERP system (green screen), which is on a separate host. Primary AD server is also our network file server.Backups are written to tape and taken off-site. (I'd love to ditch tape if possible.)Has 22 PC's (includes 5 laptops) and about 7 networked printers.Has a 3 Mb T1 and a 50 Mb cable connection.Branch Site Facts:Has 6 PC's (includes 1 laptop) and 2...
This topic first appeared in the Spiceworks Community

Hi,Let me begin by saying I'm not sure if this was right place to post this. I could have just as easily posted this in 4 other categories but I think we need virtualization to get the DR and HA that I'm looking for. Allow me to provide some background... Our company has two locations. For simplicity sake I'll refer to them as our Main site and Branch site.Main Site Facts:Considered corporate HQ.Has primary and secondary AD controller (two physical servers - Server 2003), as well as our ERP system (green screen), which is on a separate host. Primary AD server is also our network file server.Backups are written to tape and taken off-site. (I'd love to ditch tape if possible.)Has 22 PC's (includes 5 laptops) and about 7 networked printers.Has a 3 Mb T1 and a 50 Mb cable connection.Branch Site Facts:Has 6 PC's (includes 1 laptop) and 2...
This topic first appeared in the Spiceworks Community

Epson WorkForce Printer for Design Studio?

I need a recommendation on a reliable, cost effective color printer for my design studio. Color accuracy is very important, as I intend to use it for proofing purposes, and Mac OS X compatability is a must. I currently own a Brother MFC-9840CDW, which is a tank, but its color accuracy is horrible. Plus the consumables are very expensive. When I purchased the Brother laser printers were more cost effective thank inkjet. Now, it seems like some inkjet manufacturers have caught up with the laser guys in terms of lower per page costs.
I'm really impressed with what I've read on the Epson WorkForce series of printers, and I'm especially intrigued by the wide format options they have, which will enable me to print full spreads. Does anyone own any of the Epson WorkForce printers and if so how happy are you with its performance?

I don't have any "Workforce" printers, but wanted to chime in on your question. There are basicly 3 types of inkjet printers: 1.) office type printers like the workforce or deskjet type CMYK printers; 2.) photographic printers with multi-cartridge colors like CMYKlmlc; and 3.) graphic arts proofers like the Epson Stylus Pro or an HP Designjet that is mated with a 3rd party RIP.
You're looking at an office type solution with the Epson Workforce CMYK printer which is similar to the HP Deskjet8000 which is also CMYK. These type of inkjets are going to acheive some fairly good color, but not all colors will be accurate because of the limits of resolution and the 4 basic colors available ( CMYK ). I would look into a 3rd party RIP solution like a Colorburst or Efi Fiery that will open up some options for color accuracy. I recommend a RIP because the driver that comes with the printer is good, but not a proofing solution. For that, you'll need a RIP. More money, but worth the investment. Take a look at the Epson Stylus Pro 3880 Designer Edition or the HP Designjet 130 with an optional RIP.
Also keep in mind that whatever you decide, the printer should be calibrated. The higher end inkjets come calibrated or have their own internal calibration. The RIP makes this happen.

Scale Out File Server for Applications using Shared VHDX

Just trying to get a definitive answer to the question of can we use a Shared VHDX in a SOFS Cluster which will be used to store VHDX files?
We have a 2012 R2 RDS Solution and store the User Profile Disks (UPD) on a SOFS Cluster that uses "traditional" storage from a SAN. We are planning on creating a new SOFS Cluster and wondered if we can use a shared VHDX instead of CSV as the storage
that will then be used to store the UPDs (one VHDX file per user).
Cheers for now
Russell

Just trying to get a definitive answer to the question of can we use a Shared VHDX in a SOFS Cluster which will be used to store VHDX files?
We have a 2012 R2 RDS Solution and store the User Profile Disks (UPD) on a SOFS Cluster that uses "traditional" storage from a SAN. We are planning on creating a new SOFS Cluster and wondered if we can use a shared VHDX instead of CSV as the storage that
will then be used to store the UPDs (one VHDX file per user).
Cheers for now
Russell
Sure you can do it. See:
Deploy a Guest Cluster Using a Shared Virtual Hard Disk
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn265980.aspx
Scenario 2: Hyper-V failover cluster using file-based storage in a separate Scale-Out File Server
This scenario uses Server Message Block (SMB) file-based storage as the location of the shared .vhdx files. You must deploy a Scale-Out File Server and create an SMB file share as the storage location. You also need a separate Hyper-V failover cluster.
The following table describes the physical host prerequisites.
Cluster Type
Requirements
Scale-Out File Server
At least two servers that are running Windows Server 2012 R2.
The servers must be members of the same Active Directory domain.
The servers must meet the requirements for failover clustering.
For more information, see Failover Clustering Hardware Requirements and Storage Options and Validate
Hardware for a Failover Cluster.
The servers must have access to block-level storage, which you can add as shared storage to the physical cluster. This storage can be iSCSI, Fibre Channel, SAS, or clustered storage spaces that use a set of shared SAS JBOD enclosures.
StarWind VSAN [Virtual SAN] clusters Hyper-V without SAS, Fibre Channel, SMB 3.0 or iSCSI, uses Ethernet to mirror internally mounted SATA disks between hosts.

How to start the file server for Agile PLM

when i try to add one attachment for an Item, i got the following error message:
The preferred file server http://agileserver:8080/Filemgr/AttachmentServlet for user : xxx is down
how to startup the file mgr?

Hi is this looks like a question for Agile A9.
For Agile A9 or Primavera questions, you can use Oracle Support, Support Communities, Yahoo Groups for Agile API or WRAU.
This forum is for Agile PLM for Process, which is part of the same Agile family but a different product.
Thanks.

Installing file server for BO in different box.

Hi all,
i want to install file server in different box and web server + app server in different box.
is it possible ?
how can i do that ?
do i have to make any changes while installation or after installation i have to go to CMC and then change the path of input repository server and output repository server ?
other instillation is i want web server, app server and file server in three different boxes.
how can i do that ? does anybosy have step by step instillation guide which i can follow for this?
Can anybody help me with this ?
Regards,
Vipul

Hi Nikhil,
Thank you for your help.
I have installed BO on A Box. Now i want to put File server on box B.
So i am going to CMC --> Servers --> InputfFileServer
and in there i am giving \\abc.vic.internal\E$\Reports\FileStore\Input ( abc.vic.internal is completely new box where i have created FileStore under Reports folder)
i have done this same thing for Output folder
\\abc.vic.internal\E$\Reports\FileStore\Outout.
\\abc.vic.internal\E$\Reports\FileStore\Outout\temp
after this i am restarting both the servers and after couple of minutes when i go in the both the severs its showing me an error saying "THE REQUESTED DIRECTORY DOES NOT EXIST.".
but with windows explorer i can map to this folder and they are sitting there.
Please see the attached screenshot to see my exact error.
Can you please help me with this ?
Thank you in advance.

Windows server 2012 R2 file server for windows XP machines?

I know that we can't auto enroll users that use an XP machine, but can an XP machine use the windows server 2012 R2 as a file server? Users will still be authenticated on a windows server 2003 machine.

Hi,
I found this article on Symantec website:
Enterprise Vault 10.0.3 Feature Briefings - FSA support for Windows Server 2012
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=DOC6307
So the newest version should support Deduplication (at least on Windows Server 2012) now.
And for best practice, do you have any specific requirement? It actually depends on necessary.
If you have any feedback on our support, please send to [email protected]

The same KM repository (File Server) for Portal DEV and Portal PRD

Hello,
I want to know if it is possible to configure in two different portals, one repository in each Portal Server making reference to the same File Server Folder. It's possible?
Regards
SU

Hi SU,
It is possible but I would recommend read only access to the files. A FS repository can becomes inconsistent if the file system files are changed outside of the portal. You can run "CM Repository File System Check" to fix inconsistencies but why risk it?
Best regards,
Duncan

Adequate File Server for Design Studio

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