A New Idea for Servers
Rachel Thomason | Executive Director

Are you out of data space? Would you like to host your own web site off of the campus server? Can’t afford a full fledged NT or MacOS server? Quantum, a global leader in data protection, has a solution for you.

In addition to their DLT tape libraries and tape automation products, they have come out with the SNAP server, manufactured by Dell. A snap server is basically a network file server or in laymen’s terms, a big hard drive you can access over the internet.
This sleek black box comes ready to use right out of the box. There is virtually no assembly required. To set up the machine for use, you plug the power cord into the wall and plug an Ethernet cord into the back. That’s it folks. You are then ready to configure your server online!

If the term "server configuration" scares you, don’t let it. To set your server up for data storage, you just type in the IP address in a browser of any computer connected to the network. The browser connects to the server and the configuration process is done right there in a wizard format. You create all your user accounts, file shares, and do all maintenance from your browser. The server also allows for disk quotas and file security like any other server. It will even email you if there are warnings, errors, or some sort of system failure. The great thing about this line of servers is they are compatible with any network. You can use it over TCP/IP or with any Windows, Macintosh, or Unix network. the only cross platform problem I have seen is when you are upgrading the server’s operating system. Currently the upgrade software can only be understood by a PC. This problem is easily dealt with however. When configuring the one we bought for the Student Media Department, I just went to a PC down the hall.

The following models are currently offered at snapappliances.com and can be bought at your favorite major computer supply store.

Snap Server 1000
80GB ($799)
40GB ($499)

Snap Server 2200
160GB ($1,499)

Snap Server 4100
400GB ($4,799)
240GB ($2,999)

Snap Server 12000
960GB ($15,000)