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Showing posts with label TUTORIALS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TUTORIALS. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Picture Perfect Follow a few simple rules of photography to create stunning pictures.
As clichéd as it may sound, the
truth is that a picture speaks a
thousand words, and a well-shot
picture always stands out. When you
enter a living room, it’s common to see
family portraits and vacation memories
When shooting outdoors, the most
important aspect to look at is lighting.
With the right amount of lighting, you
can achieve just about the same output
as you would using in-house or studio
lighting. However, there are certain
factors to consider when shooting
outdoors.
 |
| Keeping your subject a little off-center adds more depth to the overall picture. |
on the walls or show cases. Now, it can
be embarrassing to have washed out or
grainy pictures in those photo frames.
In this workshop, we discuss the various
aspects of shooting the perfect picture in
dif erent scenarios and enhancing them
at noon or when the sun is directly
overhead. Apart from the lighting
conditions, you will also need to look
into your camera settings. If you have
a normal point-and-shoot, you should
consider having settings like aperture,
shutter speed and the manual mode.
However, not all cameras come with a manual mode. In such cases, just the aperture and shutter speed controls willsui ce. We have taken both indoor and outdoor shoots into consideration for the
following tutorial as there are no fi xed settings that apply to all situations.
following tutorial as there are no fi xed settings that apply to all situations.
STEP 1: RULE OF
THIRDS
A very common mistake that most of us make when shooting portraits is to place the subject right at the center. While it might seem like the most natural way of capturing portraits, it defi nitely has the makings of a very dull and unimaginative picture. The basis of this after they’ve been shot. Right from the
initial steps of shooting, using proper cameras and equipment, to the post processing and printing of images, we’ll give you brief step-by-step guides on the various crucial aspectsrule states that if you were to divide a
rectangular frame with two equidistant vertical and horizontal lines into nine equal parts, then the point where the lines meet is where the subject should be placed. This rule is applied to prevent positioning the subject at the center. To make things simpler, you can enable the ‘grid’ view option that most cameras come with.
STEP 2: APERTURE AND SHUTTER
SPEED
Both aperture and shutter speed are inversely proportional to one another, which means that if you increase the aperture range, the shutter speed will automatically decrease, and vice versa. However, this only happens when you choose to shoot either in aperture priority mode or shutter speed mode. The shutter priority mode is best used when you're shooting either in low light or whenthe subject that is being shot requires
a really high shutter speed, like when you're capturing fast moving objects. If you want greater control over the depthof fi eld, then the aperture priority modeshould help achieve this. Decrease thenumber of f-stops to get a better depthof fi eld. This is best used when you only need your product or subject to be your
point of focus.
STEP 3: ISO
The selection of ISO settings plays an important role in photography and how
your images turn out. The lower the camera's ISO levels, the fi ner will be
the overall image quality. However, the ISO levels all depend on the lighting
conditions. Better the lighting conditions, smaller will be the ISO levels. However,
we recommend not going beyond ISO 400 when using digital cameras,
because anything over this value will produce visible noise. The same cannot
be said when shooting with an SLR, because SLRs come with a larger sensor
size along with better post-processing capabilities. The best way to overcome
the noise issues with digital cameras would be to set it to manual mode (if
your camera supports this) or switch to either shutter/aperture priority while not
going above ISO 400. It is recommended that you make use of a tripod, especially
when you are shooting under low light conditions.
STEP 4: FLASH INTENSITY
Depending on what you are shooting,
you will need to selectively adjust the
fl ash intensity, otherwise you might just
end up burning your overall image. We
do not recommend using the on-camera
fl ash, as you will only end up spoiling
the overall image. Try making use of the
Bounce Flash method discussed later on
in this workshop. For point-and-shoot
cameras though, the Bounce Flash
method won’t quite work since the fl ash comes fit with the device. So apart from reducing the fl ash manually, you can have a white sheet of paper placed in front of the fl ash to further reduce the fl ash intensity.
Camera gear
LENSES TO LOOK
OUT FOR WHEN SHOOTING
INDOOR AND OUTDOOR: As far
as point-and-shoot cameras go, you obviously don’t have the choice of choosing the lens, as these cameras come fit with a decent amount of zoom out of the box. There are a few that offer upto 30x optical zoom,
which is more than enough to capture objects that are at quite a distance. Adding to this are the
preset scene modes that make the normal digital point-and-shoot a jack of all trades. So you get is a zoom lens, a macro lens and a normal lens all fi t into one single unit.However, the stock lens that you normally get with a DSLR gives a maximum of just 3x zoom, which isn’t much, especially if outdoor photography
is what you are mostly into. Here, however, you have lenses to take care of
each aspect of photography. There are three types of lenses that generally fi t a
DSLR - zoom lenses, prime lenses and macro lenses.
ZOOM LENSES: A typical zoom lens
(24 – 90 mm) will give an approximate
zoom range of 3.5x. However, if you want
the best of both worlds, try going in for a
28 – 200 mm zoom lens. That way, you
wouldn’t need to carry an additional lens
when travelling.
PRIME LENSES: Prime lenses, on the
other hand, don’t of er any kind of zoom.
In other words, these lenses have a fi xed
focal length. But what they lack in zoom,
they more than make up by delivering
superior image quality. In addition, these
lesnses are lighter and cheaper than traditional zoom lenses. They also have a larger aperture range that is capable of capturing images in low light conditions while maintaining the same shutter speed of a zoom lens. Prime lenses are best used when you require the picture to have a certain depth of fi eld.
MACRO LENSES:
Macro lenses are best used when you want to capture extreme close up shots of subjects. They are best used to highlight specifi c parts of a subject while blurring out the rest. However, they require sufficient
lighting to make the overall picture stand out.
TRIPODS:
Tripods are
an essential part of any
photographer’s equipment. So
making use of a tripod when shooting will undoubtedly
produce much better results. There are a few things
that you need to look at before taking the plunge.
First and foremost, you will need to check
the overall weight of the tripod. This
will depend on your requirements. If you are the kind to
make use of several lenses and camera
fl ashes, it would be advisable to settle
for a tripod that’s slightly heavy. But if
you are always on the move and all you
have is the camera, you should consider
buying a tripod that’s light and compact
enough to carry. Secondly, check the
tripod for stability as there are a few
that tend to wobble when fi t with a
camera. The best way to do this would be to mount the camera with the legs of
the tripod spread out. If it feels wobbly or uncomfortable, you should consider looking at something else.
Next, consider the extensibility
of the tripod. Choose something that reaches your height when fully extended.
However, this also depends on what you are trying to shoot. Tripod heads should
also be taken into account i.e.: their ease of use, overall movement of the
camera when attached to the tripod, and if they are easy to detach when the need arises.
So make sure you take all these into account before
purchasing a tripod.If you are not too keen on
purchasing a tripod, you can instead invest in a monopod.
Monopods are much lighter to carry and since they only have a
single leg, they wouldn’t take you more than a few seconds to set
up. They are also considerably cheaper than their three-
legged counterparts. However, keep in mind that a monopod
will not eliminate camera shake as well as a
tripod, but will
to be continued.........
THIRDS
A very common mistake that most of us make when shooting portraits is to place the subject right at the center. While it might seem like the most natural way of capturing portraits, it defi nitely has the makings of a very dull and unimaginative picture. The basis of this after they’ve been shot. Right from the
initial steps of shooting, using proper cameras and equipment, to the post processing and printing of images, we’ll give you brief step-by-step guides on the various crucial aspectsrule states that if you were to divide a
rectangular frame with two equidistant vertical and horizontal lines into nine equal parts, then the point where the lines meet is where the subject should be placed. This rule is applied to prevent positioning the subject at the center. To make things simpler, you can enable the ‘grid’ view option that most cameras come with.
STEP 2: APERTURE AND SHUTTER
SPEED
Both aperture and shutter speed are inversely proportional to one another, which means that if you increase the aperture range, the shutter speed will automatically decrease, and vice versa. However, this only happens when you choose to shoot either in aperture priority mode or shutter speed mode. The shutter priority mode is best used when you're shooting either in low light or whenthe subject that is being shot requires
a really high shutter speed, like when you're capturing fast moving objects. If you want greater control over the depthof fi eld, then the aperture priority modeshould help achieve this. Decrease thenumber of f-stops to get a better depthof fi eld. This is best used when you only need your product or subject to be your
point of focus.
STEP 3: ISO
The selection of ISO settings plays an important role in photography and how
your images turn out. The lower the camera's ISO levels, the fi ner will be
the overall image quality. However, the ISO levels all depend on the lighting
conditions. Better the lighting conditions, smaller will be the ISO levels. However,
we recommend not going beyond ISO 400 when using digital cameras,
because anything over this value will produce visible noise. The same cannot
be said when shooting with an SLR, because SLRs come with a larger sensor
size along with better post-processing capabilities. The best way to overcome
the noise issues with digital cameras would be to set it to manual mode (if
your camera supports this) or switch to either shutter/aperture priority while not
going above ISO 400. It is recommended that you make use of a tripod, especially
when you are shooting under low light conditions.
STEP 4: FLASH INTENSITY
 |
| Manually adjusting flash intensity will help prevent pictures from appearing too bright or dull. |
Depending on what you are shooting,
you will need to selectively adjust the
fl ash intensity, otherwise you might just
end up burning your overall image. We
do not recommend using the on-camera
fl ash, as you will only end up spoiling
the overall image. Try making use of the
Bounce Flash method discussed later on
in this workshop. For point-and-shoot
cameras though, the Bounce Flash
method won’t quite work since the fl ash comes fit with the device. So apart from reducing the fl ash manually, you can have a white sheet of paper placed in front of the fl ash to further reduce the fl ash intensity.
Camera gear
LENSES TO LOOK
OUT FOR WHEN SHOOTING
INDOOR AND OUTDOOR: As far
as point-and-shoot cameras go, you obviously don’t have the choice of choosing the lens, as these cameras come fit with a decent amount of zoom out of the box. There are a few that offer upto 30x optical zoom,
which is more than enough to capture objects that are at quite a distance. Adding to this are the
preset scene modes that make the normal digital point-and-shoot a jack of all trades. So you get is a zoom lens, a macro lens and a normal lens all fi t into one single unit.However, the stock lens that you normally get with a DSLR gives a maximum of just 3x zoom, which isn’t much, especially if outdoor photography
is what you are mostly into. Here, however, you have lenses to take care of
each aspect of photography. There are three types of lenses that generally fi t a
DSLR - zoom lenses, prime lenses and macro lenses.
ZOOM LENSES: A typical zoom lens (24 – 90 mm) will give an approximate
zoom range of 3.5x. However, if you want
the best of both worlds, try going in for a
28 – 200 mm zoom lens. That way, you
wouldn’t need to carry an additional lens
when travelling.
PRIME LENSES: Prime lenses, on the
other hand, don’t of er any kind of zoom.
In other words, these lenses have a fi xed
focal length. But what they lack in zoom,
they more than make up by delivering
superior image quality. In addition, these
lesnses are lighter and cheaper than traditional zoom lenses. They also have a larger aperture range that is capable of capturing images in low light conditions while maintaining the same shutter speed of a zoom lens. Prime lenses are best used when you require the picture to have a certain depth of fi eld.
MACRO LENSES:
Macro lenses are best used when you want to capture extreme close up shots of subjects. They are best used to highlight specifi c parts of a subject while blurring out the rest. However, they require sufficient
lighting to make the overall picture stand out.
TRIPODS:
an essential part of any
photographer’s equipment. So
making use of a tripod when shooting will undoubtedly
produce much better results. There are a few things
that you need to look at before taking the plunge.
First and foremost, you will need to check
the overall weight of the tripod. This
will depend on your requirements. If you are the kind to
make use of several lenses and camera
fl ashes, it would be advisable to settle
for a tripod that’s slightly heavy. But if
you are always on the move and all you
have is the camera, you should consider
buying a tripod that’s light and compact
enough to carry. Secondly, check the
tripod for stability as there are a few
that tend to wobble when fi t with a
camera. The best way to do this would be to mount the camera with the legs of
the tripod spread out. If it feels wobbly or uncomfortable, you should consider looking at something else.
of the tripod. Choose something that reaches your height when fully extended.
However, this also depends on what you are trying to shoot. Tripod heads should
also be taken into account i.e.: their ease of use, overall movement of the
camera when attached to the tripod, and if they are easy to detach when the need arises.
So make sure you take all these into account before
purchasing a tripod.If you are not too keen on
purchasing a tripod, you can instead invest in a monopod.
Monopods are much lighter to carry and since they only have a
single leg, they wouldn’t take you more than a few seconds to set
up. They are also considerably cheaper than their three-
legged counterparts. However, keep in mind that a monopod
will not eliminate camera shake as well as a
tripod, but will
to be continued.........
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Build Your Own File Server
Build Your Own
File Server
Build yourself a secure file server using any old
computer with a couple of hard drives and store
all your data centrally
Every oi ce that generates large amounts of data needs a fi le server so that users can access
it all from a central location. The sole purpose of a fi le server is to provide the users on the network with fi les. Additionally, fi le servers can also provide data to other users over the internet via a website or FTP service. A fi le server is nothing but a simple computer with ample storage space, running a server operating system and confi gured with data backup or synchronizing software. The hardware is usually designed using special purpose processors, RAM, motherboards, hard drives, power supply units and cabinets so the server is able to be powered on 24x7. So they have to be rugged and ei ciently cooled too.The main component of a server is the storage space, but using a single spacious hard drive will not serve the purpose. The drives should also be highly ei cient in terms of speed, should have a large volume, and last but not the least, they should be secure enough to keep your data safe. Hence, they are usually onfi gured in RAID, where multiple hard drives are deployed to ensure speed and safety during data transfers. Hard drives can be confi gured in RAID using dif erent modes— RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 or 01. While RAID 0 is considered the fastest as it uses the
data striping feature, RAID 1 is the safest as it uses data mirroring. but both have their advantages and disadvantages. RAID 5, 10 and 01 are combinations, which uses both striping and mirroring to form fast and safe storage. We will show you how to confi gure a simple fi le server which uses RAID 0 or RAID 1 using two SATA hard drives and an old computer. You can also use multiple hard drives to form a RAID 5, 10 or 01 volume.Note: To create a RAID volume, the hard drives must be of the same type, speed and capacity, otherwise the one with the lesser of these features will bring down the ei ciency of the entire group. A file server is usually untouched, except for maintenance such as application installation, user confi guration or fi xing breakdowns. You can build your
own server and leave it behind a desk, in a loft or hidden inside a cabinet, but the place it's set up in should be spacious, well ventilated and easily accessible for maintenance. The monitor, keyboard
and mouse can be disconnected until required.
Requirements
Any old desktop computer. A Pentium
4 or higher is preferable.
Two or more similar SATA hard drives.
2 GB RAM should be enough, unless
you have more to spare.
A PCI SATA RAID card, unless your
motherboard features built-in RAID.
An operating system. A server edition
is highly recommended if there are many users accessing it. Let’s begin. Open and clean the old computer thoroughly and ensure a dust-free interior for ei cient cooling. Install a PCI SATA RAID card into a vacant PCI expansion slot and screw it in place, unless your motherboard features an onboard RAID controller. Install the two (or more) hard drives in the respective
bays and connect the necessary cables (data and power). Confi rm that all cables
are neatly tied and tucked away from the cooling fans and ducts to ensure proper air circulation. Oncedone, your hardware is ready to become a server.Now is the time to install the operating
system, but before this, you will need to confi gure the hard drives in RAID. If your
motherboard features RAID, then simply go to the BIOS setup and confi gure the
two hard drives in RAID 0 or 1 and exit. If you are using a PCI RAID card, then
you will have to press the necessary keys displayed on the screen while the system
is starting up to enter the card’s BIOS. Here again, confi gure the hard drives in
RAID and save the settings. You’re fi nally done confi guring the hardware. If you
want a secure storage system, use the RAID 1 confi guration, and if speed is the requirement, go for RAID 0. Note: Hard drives in RAID 0 will allow the total combined capacity to be used
while RAID 1 of ers half the combined storage space. For Example: RAID 0: 80 GB + 80 GB = 160 GB and RAID 1: 80 GB + 80 GB = 80 GB.
Procedure
Begin installing the operating system. You can use a Microsoft Windows Server Edition OS (recommended) or a Linux OS. We have used Windows XP as the OS as an old computer would already have a licensed operating system. During the installation, you might be prompted to install the drivers for the RAID hardware so that the OS can recognize the storage/volume type. Insert the driver CD that came with the motherboard or the PCI RAID card. The setup will then detect
the storage space and you can continue installing the operating system as usual.
Your fi le server is now fi nally ready to be confi gured. Once the OS is installed,
make sure you have installed all the drivers and created all the users and their
profiles as per the requirement of your network. Copy your data to the storage
drives and share the respective folders with appropriate user rights. That’s it!
Your file server is ready to be deployed. Just connect the server to the network
after configuring the network card and then disconnect the monitor, keyboard and mouse.
Now that your server is on duty, there are some things that you should
also consider. Use a UPS to avoid data loss during power failures, install an
exhaust fan in case you are keeping it in an enclosed area, install an antivirus software for additional security, install and keep running a password protected virtual networking software so that you can access the server from another computer on the network instead of
connecting a monitor and input device and operating the server. Additionally, we also recommend a few changes to your server hardware. Since you are using an older computer, replacing the power supply unit would be a good idea as this component might fail when used 24x7.
Additionally, to lower the noise of multiple hard drives spinning inside the cabinet,
design some foam or rubber sleeves for the hard drives to dampen the vibrations.
Finally, use the power saving and/or WOL feature of the motherboard to power down the hard drives or system when the server is not being used. This will not only save power, but will also prolong the life of the server’s hardware. Your fi le server is finally ready for action. Let it serve you betterNow that your fi le server is ready and serving its purpose on the network, why not use the entire eficiency of the server for other purposes to enhance your business productivity or home
convenience. As we mentioned earlier, fi le servers are nothing but simple computers,
and you can use them for multiple purposes apart from simply sharing a folder or drive. Some other applications that can be installed on the server to juice-out some additional functionality.
Media server: Install a media server application and store your complete collection of audio and
video fi les on the server and stream them to all the computers or handheld gadgets from a centrally
located location. Examples: iTunes, IceCast, Unreal
HTTP server: Host your own website from home or
oi ce using an
HTTP server.
All you need is a live IP address from
your internet service provider. You don’t
need to worry about web space because
your server’s storage space is the limit.
Website down time is zeroed as your
server would be online all the time in your
own premises. Finally, hosting charges
are nil as you own the server. Examples:
Apache HTTP server, Xerver.
FTP server: Allow your friends and
clients to access your
data fi les or upload their
data to your server using
the FTP service. Here
too you would require a
live IP address from your ISP. Examples:
Xerver, FileZilla, Xlight, WinFTP.
Printer server: Install printer(s) on
the file server and share them across the
network. You don’t need to worry about
the printers connected to client machines
on the network being shut down. All your
printers can be in one location at home
or oi ce.
Database servers: Centrally feed
in all your data and share it w ith a
database management software to
make information available to all users
on the network. Examples: SQL, Oracle,
Microsoft Access, FileMaker.
Accounting server: Similar to a
database server, multi-user accounting
server applications can be installed to
provide multi-user access to accountants
on the network. Examples: Tally, Busy.
Proxy server:
Proxy servers
help internet
usage on the
local network
work much faster
because of their caching feature. You
can create user profi les to induce profi les
to authenticate users or even block
particular websites. Examples: FreeProxy,
AnalogX, CCProxy.
Download server: Employ the server to be a single point for downloading fi les and torrents from the Internet. This is benefi cial as the server can be used for
managing all your data downloads by taking the benefi ts of its 24-hour uptime. Examples: DAP, FlashGet, uTorrent, BitComet.Backup server: Install backup or
synchronizing software on the server and confi gure it in such a way that it can automatically backup crucial data from all the machines on the local network at specifc intervals. This would ensure that,
apart from client machines, a copy of all your data exists on the server. Example:
Fbackup, AceBackup.Mail server: Mail servers can be very
beneficial on a local network. Users can send and receive mails to the fi le
server, which will do the job of sendingemails outside or collecting emails and
distributing emails from an online POP server to local users. Also send emails
internally without the need of using Internet bandwidth. Example: hMailServer,
netMailshar, Winmail, CMailServerSecurity monitor: Using a video
security monitoring software, your fi le
server can also act as a surveillance unit by recording video feeds from webcams
and IP cameras. Example: WebcamXP,
SmarterGuard Basic.
Safety first
Data on a fi le server is important and
should be kept safe and secure at all
times. Backing up the server frequently is
a must as you would need to keep your
data safe in extreme cases such as virus
attacks, hard drive errors, bad sectors,
accidental wipeouts, etc. Keeping your
data safe means you should replicate
your data from the server onto another
machine or external storage medium from
time to time.
In case of a server crash or hardware
failure, your data on the fi le server can
be lost. The only form of backing up
your server is mirroring or synchronizing
your data completely to another external storage or machine. Numerous
applications such as GoodSync, Vice Versa and such are available online
which can help synchronize your data to have a secure backup system. We
will use SyncBackSE as an example for synchronizing/mirroring software. You can download a 30-day trial from ‘www.2brightsparks.com’ and if you would like to buy it, the utility is available
for $30 (approx Rs 1,500) onwards. SyncBackSE is a powerful utility that
helps automatically copy fi les and folders from a defi ned location to another, be it
on the local drives, NAS, external storage drives, or even FTP servers.
Install and start the application and click on ‘Profiles | New’. Enter a name
to diferentiate between profiles if you are creating multiple profi les, and click
‘Next’. In the following screen, click on the type of synchronization from ‘Backup’,
‘Synchronize’, ‘Mirror’, or Group’. Mirroring is useful as fi le servers need
to be replicated to save space and create an exact folder structure as the original
ones in case of a system crash. You can opt for synchronize or backup if you wish
to keep copies of older deleted data too,but the destination disk space might fall
short over time. In the next screen, you can choose to backup/sync from or to an FTP server.
If you don’t have any, skip this screen. Now enter a description name for the
source fi les and select the source folder and click ‘Next’. Do the same for the destination folder at the next screen.
Now define your preferred method and period of the mirroring of data. Click on
‘When’ from the left panel and then on Edit Schedule’ and the utility will ask you
to enter your current user password for security. Enter the details and adjust the
date and time along with the period of recurrence according to your choice of
mirroring. Ideally, a recurring period of one hour, daily, should be ideal in case
your server’s data is updated at regular intervals.
If you are sure that your server data changes after longer periods, you can
change the profi le to run every two or seven days. Now that the profi le
is completely ready, you can activate it and it will run automatically in
the background at the specifi ed time intervals. Similarly, you can create
multiple profi les to have a safer backup by defining dif erent folders or data
specific folders to diferent backup
locations. Mirroring the data from your file server automatically is essential via an
automated backup or synchronizing utility so that you do not have to waste
time performing these essential chores manually each day or every week.
File Server
Build yourself a secure file server using any old
computer with a couple of hard drives and store
all your data centrally
it all from a central location. The sole purpose of a fi le server is to provide the users on the network with fi les. Additionally, fi le servers can also provide data to other users over the internet via a website or FTP service. A fi le server is nothing but a simple computer with ample storage space, running a server operating system and confi gured with data backup or synchronizing software. The hardware is usually designed using special purpose processors, RAM, motherboards, hard drives, power supply units and cabinets so the server is able to be powered on 24x7. So they have to be rugged and ei ciently cooled too.The main component of a server is the storage space, but using a single spacious hard drive will not serve the purpose. The drives should also be highly ei cient in terms of speed, should have a large volume, and last but not the least, they should be secure enough to keep your data safe. Hence, they are usually onfi gured in RAID, where multiple hard drives are deployed to ensure speed and safety during data transfers. Hard drives can be confi gured in RAID using dif erent modes— RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 or 01. While RAID 0 is considered the fastest as it uses the
data striping feature, RAID 1 is the safest as it uses data mirroring. but both have their advantages and disadvantages. RAID 5, 10 and 01 are combinations, which uses both striping and mirroring to form fast and safe storage. We will show you how to confi gure a simple fi le server which uses RAID 0 or RAID 1 using two SATA hard drives and an old computer. You can also use multiple hard drives to form a RAID 5, 10 or 01 volume.Note: To create a RAID volume, the hard drives must be of the same type, speed and capacity, otherwise the one with the lesser of these features will bring down the ei ciency of the entire group. A file server is usually untouched, except for maintenance such as application installation, user confi guration or fi xing breakdowns. You can build your
own server and leave it behind a desk, in a loft or hidden inside a cabinet, but the place it's set up in should be spacious, well ventilated and easily accessible for maintenance. The monitor, keyboard
and mouse can be disconnected until required.
Requirements
Any old desktop computer. A Pentium
4 or higher is preferable.
Two or more similar SATA hard drives.
2 GB RAM should be enough, unless
you have more to spare.
A PCI SATA RAID card, unless your
motherboard features built-in RAID.
An operating system. A server edition
is highly recommended if there are many users accessing it. Let’s begin. Open and clean the old computer thoroughly and ensure a dust-free interior for ei cient cooling. Install a PCI SATA RAID card into a vacant PCI expansion slot and screw it in place, unless your motherboard features an onboard RAID controller. Install the two (or more) hard drives in the respective
bays and connect the necessary cables (data and power). Confi rm that all cables
are neatly tied and tucked away from the cooling fans and ducts to ensure proper air circulation. Oncedone, your hardware is ready to become a server.Now is the time to install the operating
system, but before this, you will need to confi gure the hard drives in RAID. If your
motherboard features RAID, then simply go to the BIOS setup and confi gure the
two hard drives in RAID 0 or 1 and exit. If you are using a PCI RAID card, then
you will have to press the necessary keys displayed on the screen while the system
is starting up to enter the card’s BIOS. Here again, confi gure the hard drives in
RAID and save the settings. You’re fi nally done confi guring the hardware. If you
want a secure storage system, use the RAID 1 confi guration, and if speed is the requirement, go for RAID 0. Note: Hard drives in RAID 0 will allow the total combined capacity to be used
while RAID 1 of ers half the combined storage space. For Example: RAID 0: 80 GB + 80 GB = 160 GB and RAID 1: 80 GB + 80 GB = 80 GB.
Procedure
Begin installing the operating system. You can use a Microsoft Windows Server Edition OS (recommended) or a Linux OS. We have used Windows XP as the OS as an old computer would already have a licensed operating system. During the installation, you might be prompted to install the drivers for the RAID hardware so that the OS can recognize the storage/volume type. Insert the driver CD that came with the motherboard or the PCI RAID card. The setup will then detect
the storage space and you can continue installing the operating system as usual.
Your fi le server is now fi nally ready to be confi gured. Once the OS is installed,
make sure you have installed all the drivers and created all the users and their
profiles as per the requirement of your network. Copy your data to the storage
drives and share the respective folders with appropriate user rights. That’s it!
Your file server is ready to be deployed. Just connect the server to the network
after configuring the network card and then disconnect the monitor, keyboard and mouse.
Now that your server is on duty, there are some things that you should
also consider. Use a UPS to avoid data loss during power failures, install an
exhaust fan in case you are keeping it in an enclosed area, install an antivirus software for additional security, install and keep running a password protected virtual networking software so that you can access the server from another computer on the network instead of
connecting a monitor and input device and operating the server. Additionally, we also recommend a few changes to your server hardware. Since you are using an older computer, replacing the power supply unit would be a good idea as this component might fail when used 24x7.
Additionally, to lower the noise of multiple hard drives spinning inside the cabinet,
design some foam or rubber sleeves for the hard drives to dampen the vibrations.
Finally, use the power saving and/or WOL feature of the motherboard to power down the hard drives or system when the server is not being used. This will not only save power, but will also prolong the life of the server’s hardware. Your fi le server is finally ready for action. Let it serve you betterNow that your fi le server is ready and serving its purpose on the network, why not use the entire eficiency of the server for other purposes to enhance your business productivity or home
convenience. As we mentioned earlier, fi le servers are nothing but simple computers,
and you can use them for multiple purposes apart from simply sharing a folder or drive. Some other applications that can be installed on the server to juice-out some additional functionality.
Media server: Install a media server application and store your complete collection of audio and
video fi les on the server and stream them to all the computers or handheld gadgets from a centrally
located location. Examples: iTunes, IceCast, Unreal
oi ce using an
HTTP server.
All you need is a live IP address from
your internet service provider. You don’t
need to worry about web space because
your server’s storage space is the limit.
Website down time is zeroed as your
server would be online all the time in your
own premises. Finally, hosting charges
are nil as you own the server. Examples:
Apache HTTP server, Xerver.
FTP server: Allow your friends and
clients to access your
data fi les or upload their
data to your server using
the FTP service. Here
too you would require a
live IP address from your ISP. Examples:
Xerver, FileZilla, Xlight, WinFTP.
Printer server: Install printer(s) on
the file server and share them across the
the printers connected to client machines
on the network being shut down. All your
printers can be in one location at home
or oi ce.
Database servers: Centrally feed
in all your data and share it w ith a
database management software to
make information available to all users
on the network. Examples: SQL, Oracle,
Microsoft Access, FileMaker.
Accounting server: Similar to a
database server, multi-user accounting
server applications can be installed to
provide multi-user access to accountants
on the network. Examples: Tally, Busy.
Proxy servers
help internet
usage on the
local network
work much faster
because of their caching feature. You
can create user profi les to induce profi les
to authenticate users or even block
particular websites. Examples: FreeProxy,
AnalogX, CCProxy.
Download server: Employ the server to be a single point for downloading fi les and torrents from the Internet. This is benefi cial as the server can be used for
managing all your data downloads by taking the benefi ts of its 24-hour uptime. Examples: DAP, FlashGet, uTorrent, BitComet.Backup server: Install backup or
synchronizing software on the server and confi gure it in such a way that it can automatically backup crucial data from all the machines on the local network at specifc intervals. This would ensure that,
apart from client machines, a copy of all your data exists on the server. Example:
Fbackup, AceBackup.Mail server: Mail servers can be very
beneficial on a local network. Users can send and receive mails to the fi le
server, which will do the job of sendingemails outside or collecting emails and
distributing emails from an online POP server to local users. Also send emails
internally without the need of using Internet bandwidth. Example: hMailServer,
netMailshar, Winmail, CMailServerSecurity monitor: Using a video
security monitoring software, your fi le
server can also act as a surveillance unit by recording video feeds from webcams
and IP cameras. Example: WebcamXP,
SmarterGuard Basic.
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Data on a fi le server is important and
should be kept safe and secure at all
times. Backing up the server frequently is
a must as you would need to keep your
data safe in extreme cases such as virus
attacks, hard drive errors, bad sectors,
accidental wipeouts, etc. Keeping your
data safe means you should replicate
your data from the server onto another
machine or external storage medium from
time to time.
In case of a server crash or hardware
failure, your data on the fi le server can
be lost. The only form of backing up
your server is mirroring or synchronizing
your data completely to another external storage or machine. Numerous
applications such as GoodSync, Vice Versa and such are available online
which can help synchronize your data to have a secure backup system. We
will use SyncBackSE as an example for synchronizing/mirroring software. You can download a 30-day trial from ‘www.2brightsparks.com’ and if you would like to buy it, the utility is available
for $30 (approx Rs 1,500) onwards. SyncBackSE is a powerful utility that
helps automatically copy fi les and folders from a defi ned location to another, be it
on the local drives, NAS, external storage drives, or even FTP servers.
Install and start the application and click on ‘Profiles | New’. Enter a name
to diferentiate between profiles if you are creating multiple profi les, and click
‘Next’. In the following screen, click on the type of synchronization from ‘Backup’,
‘Synchronize’, ‘Mirror’, or Group’. Mirroring is useful as fi le servers need
to be replicated to save space and create an exact folder structure as the original
ones in case of a system crash. You can opt for synchronize or backup if you wish
to keep copies of older deleted data too,but the destination disk space might fall
short over time. In the next screen, you can choose to backup/sync from or to an FTP server.
If you don’t have any, skip this screen. Now enter a description name for the
source fi les and select the source folder and click ‘Next’. Do the same for the destination folder at the next screen.
Now define your preferred method and period of the mirroring of data. Click on
‘When’ from the left panel and then on Edit Schedule’ and the utility will ask you
to enter your current user password for security. Enter the details and adjust the
date and time along with the period of recurrence according to your choice of
mirroring. Ideally, a recurring period of one hour, daily, should be ideal in case
your server’s data is updated at regular intervals.
If you are sure that your server data changes after longer periods, you can
change the profi le to run every two or seven days. Now that the profi le
is completely ready, you can activate it and it will run automatically in
the background at the specifi ed time intervals. Similarly, you can create
multiple profi les to have a safer backup by defining dif erent folders or data
specific folders to diferent backup
locations. Mirroring the data from your file server automatically is essential via an
automated backup or synchronizing utility so that you do not have to waste
time performing these essential chores manually each day or every week.
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