Recommendations for a rack

[Clipper]

So that's it, at work we changed buildings and we have to do new installations and finally set up a network like it should be and build a rack that has to connect (for now) 5 computers, 3 printers, a CNC, a jointer, a laser cutter and in the future a slicing machine.
We are a bit lost on what to look for and where to buy.
As a fact, we have a few gigabytes in the cloud for backup, but we are considering setting up a NAS because currently certain files are on my boss's PC which is a Word station. But of course... When he is working and we want to access heavy files, it gets a bit overloaded.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Regards

[Clipper]

When I put up a rack.
I don't mean the closet.
But a system that manages the entire network, both internet and links between all the PCs, printers, etc., and that common files are stored in it.
For example: computers 1 and 2 generate files for the CNC
In a shared folder.
Any changes to the files are not read from those computers, but from the shared folder that is in the "rack"
Regards

[defaultuser]

How many disks will you use in total?

[Clipper]

@defaultuser said in Recommendations for a rack:

How many disks are you going to use in total?

In the rack in the nas or the pc's?
Regards

[defaultuser]

@clipper On the server and on the NAS, which I understand will go together. In other words, how many gigabytes?

I don't understand much about this topic, but at first glance it seems that for now you could almost get by with a normal computer, depending on the demand you generate, or an outdated workstation that handles more demand and more disks and you don't need computing power, but in atx/e-atx, which may not even need a rack.

How is your boss's Workstation storage set up? From there you can get an approximate idea of the demand you generate in accessing data.

The network depends on whether you only want to centralize it.

[Clipper]

@defaultuser
The Word station has a mn2 and two SSDs.
The mn2 has the OS and all the programs, the SSDs are for storage and backup.
All computers are networked.
The problem is that we work with different projects in AutoCAD.
On different computers and we all need to access those projects that are saved on the Word station and at certain times it gets saturated.
The idea is that those files are saved on a NAS or similar so that in real time everyone can access them.
To make it a bit clearer.
My boss accepts a project, starts it in CAD on his PC, passes a part of the project to the assistant who "loads" it from the boss's PC.
They generate some CAD files that I have to use in the CNC, all of that stays in a shared folder on his PC.
And that's where it gets saturated.
And currently we have one router for the entire network.
Would something like this be interesting?
https://www.give1life.com/dell-r620-2x-e5-2640-48gb-ddr3-r-h310-4x1gb-lan-4-caddy-2-power-supply/?utm_source=Google Shopping&utm_campaign=para google shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=9059
I have no idea...
Regards

[Clipper]

@clipper
We return to the topic.
On the one hand, a connection between all the PCs
On the other hand, a real-time shared storage system.
Obviously the system has to manage internet access and store the company's website.
And be able to access files remotely.
What do you suggest?
Thanks for any suggestions.
Regards

[jordiqui]

@clipper It seems like you need a server with the capacity to handle everything you're talking about. Dell has more affordable prices than HP in the second-hand market, where you can find equipment in 2U racks for around a thousand euros, and for 3000 I've seen a Dell blade with 12X EPYC, of course, the latter is a bit much for being second-hand, because of warranty issues, which come from Germany and the United Kingdom basically. But of course, in my humble opinion, the processors in this case should be Xeon or EPYC.

[Clipper]

I am looking and the link that I pass allows me to configure the U2 rack
In CPU RAM and storage.
And I go to 1000€ calmly...
Just and out of ignorance I have a question.
The MB has 4 rj45 ports
Do they have to be put each one to a pc or can a router be put?
Regards

[jordiqui]

@clipper said in Recommendations for a rack:

I'm looking and the link that I pass allows me to configure the U2 rack
In CPU RAM and storage.
And I go to 1000€ calmly...
Just and out of ignorance I have a question.
The MB has 4 rj45 ports
Do they have to be put each one to a pc or can a router be put?
Regards

I understand that there will be a Host 1 from the router switch and the rest on the switch. Anyway, @krampak can advise you better than me, as he works on it.

[Clipper]

I understand that the minimum configuration would be two xenon with 64gs of memory per CPU and a raid 0+1 as primary storage plus a disk for the "one-time use" files, which are files that are only sent to the CNC or laser and are not used again once they are used.

Regards

[defaultuser]

@clipper Raid 5 is more secure.

Who is going to implement/configure it for you?

[Clipper]

@defaultuser the external IT specialist
We need to talk to him sometime, we are very busy.
Between the current job and the change of location it is getting complicated.
Best regards

[Clipper]

Reflote.
I understand that, the network cables connect from behind to the "patch channel" from there to the switch from the front and to run, right?
For now the server in the rack for € issues is somewhat stopped.
They want to make a double rj45 cable installation for each pc / machine.
But...
From my ignorance I understand that without mounting dual network cards in each pc it is silly.
Right?
Regards

[jordiqui]

@clipper Hello, I'll tell you how I have it set up. From the router, a cat6 or higher network cable goes to the switch. Then from the switch, another cable goes to the server. Let's say HOST1, for example. This is if you only have one server. If you have two, you just add another network cable from what would be HOST2 to the network card, which I assume is integrated into the server. And so on, you can add more servers. If you use Windows, you have to use MPI Windows, if you'll excuse the redundancy. With Linux, I don't have a clue. But the colleagues here can assure you. As for work, I imagine you'll have good fiber optics. That's why the cables are cat6 or higher because if the network card can go to 1GBS or higher, you need cat 7 or higher cables if I'm not mistaken. It's not more difficult than that, a cluster would be another thing, that's a different story. Oh, and as you've been told, raid 5 is more secure. Krampak can surely provide more reliable data. Best regards.

[Clipper]

@jordiqui
Thanks for replying.
I understand that if you connected everything to the switch, the PCs and machines, it configures as a network, everyone "sees" each other and can exchange files.
And to the switch I connected the PCs and the router.
From there each PC set up access to X folders.
Or PCs?
Right?
Thanks

[jordiqui]

@clipper regarding PCs I don't know because I don't have a PC. But I can assure you that from the host1 I manage the 2 (configure firewall policy). And I imagine that you can give access to other computers, in this case PCs. I don't know how the server is configured, location and then the location of the PCs. Although I don't think there will be any problem. If I who am a dunce have set up the cluster, you will see that you can do it that's for sure. I tag @krampak and @cobito because they know more about the subject.

[cobito]

@clipper said in Recommendations for a rack:

@jordiqui
Thanks for answering.
I understand that if you connected everything to the switch, the PCs and machines, it is configured as a network, everyone "sees" each other and can exchange files.
And I connected the switch to the PCs and the router.
From there, each PC sets up access to X folders.
Or PCs?
Thanks

I'm not a networking expert and I'm not sure I understand the question, but here's my take:

The switch is in layer 2 of the OSI model. That means it's agnostic to everything that happens above it, like the TCP/IP stack. In fact, you can have different subnets on the same switch. That allows you, for example, to isolate some devices from others even if they're all connected to the same switch by configuring different subnets.

To answer your question, as long as all network devices (whether they're PCs or not) are within the same subnet (same mask and same root IP), they can communicate with each other. To do this, you have two options: either manually configure each device or set up a DHCP server (all routers have this capability).

I can't help with folder capping. I haven't used SMB on Windows in a long time.

[marihueco]

@cobito Osti, pues algo nuevo, o sea, no sabía que se encontraba en la capa 2