running a fog server on qnap nas?
-
I have been reading the forums and guides to see if it was possible to run a fog server on a QNAP NAS device. Is this even possible? If so where would be good start to read and understand the entire install process?
one other question, my nas has capability to run virtual machines, is it possible to run FOG on a virtual machine? is that an easier solution? finally can you have a virtual machine running 24/7?
-
@nofroyo I would not attempt to install FOG directly on your QNAP device. The fog installer assumes it has full control of your device and may make changes that could potentially break the web ui of your QNAP. The other issue you have to consider is that the libraries needed install FOG may not be available because your QNAP doesn’t run a standard linux OS.
Running inside a vm would be a better choice is you MUST run everything on a single device. Performance may no be so great since most NAS devices use low end CPUs because NAS activities don’t require much CPU. If you are only doing image deployment without any FOG Clients in the mix it may be OK to use it on your NAS as a VM. I don’t know if anyone has done this before so you can be the first.
FOG doesn’t really need a lot of CPU, in a way it functions much like a NAS in that the FOG server’s job is moving data between storage and the network adapter. The target computer does all of the real heavy lifting during imaging, I’ve run FOG on a Pi3 and Pi4 without issue. You have to just be mind full that you are dealing with a small but efficient computer.
-
Networked storage is mainly used in small office environments such as smoking gun slot and in workgroups, where it has adequately replaced the classic servers. They serve as shared file storage for documents and backups, as well as mail and Web servers. On them run the messaging services, automation systems, video surveillance, and other tasks relevant to the modern office. Unlike a classic server, NAS is beautifully designed, takes up only a fraction of the space of a traditional office computer, is quiet, and consumes minimal power. Perhaps the greatest advantage of a NAS, however, is that it is a complete, boxed solution that starts working as soon as you plug in the drives and plug it in. You don’t need a specially trained person to use it, and in terms of ease of operation, it’s comparable to a modern tablet.
NAS have proven to be equally interesting for home use where they are typically used as a torrent station and large storage for movies, photos, and music. However, the home uses of NAS are not limited to these. They take into account the interests of advanced users running specific and complex tasks on NAS, as well as ordinary users, for whom it can be a very convenient and functional tool for working with multimedia content, creating backups, anti-virus protection and, of course, for creating a personal “cloud”.
MOD’s edit: removed external link as it does not seem to be related to FOG at all.
