depends on how much it's serving. usually no though in my experience. if it's a home file server running windows, i'd put 2000 on it with 128 megs of ram (small and light).
it helps drastically but no you dont need huge amounts for a home file server. 512 will do the job, 256 kinda pushing it.
Network speed and ram are the more important thing for a file server but like I said 512 will get the job done. For a business server however you will want atleast a gig, depending on number of users, Id do 2 gig for a business file server with a 100 to 200 user load and depending on how heavy a load maybe more.
its just for me, probably gonna be linux with a samba share. but i dunno linux is making me mad so i just might run 2000 server i have a copy laying around
0
Straight_ManGeeky, in my own wayNaples, FLIcrontian
edited March 2004
Bud, for you, you might do just that (use 2000 server behind a Linux or BSD security box gate to internet). The easiest thing to do with Linux or BSD is to set up a firewall\email\surfing box. Try that, and use Linux for securing your local network gate to the internet, to start, if you want a natural starting point for Linux. Look up WebMin on the web, and leanr that also, it is a browser-accessible admin interface that acts like a Swiss army knife GUI interface to all sorts of things (Samba, Apache, NNTP, firewall setup, etc etc with about 40 modules in it now at default). Handy for those who hate command line, though you will be learning that also. Command line is the key to really customizing Linux almost totally to your hardware and software you want to use on a linux box, you can eliminate what you do not need.
The nice thing about Linux right now is that it DOES grok Win2K NTFS. It groks XP NTFS subversioning to a much lesser degree, and the problem is journalling changes and $MFT structuring to a lesser degree. A linux security box can protect a vulnerable Windows network. AV software is economical for Linux boxes, that can detect Windows viruses and trojans.
Microsoft uses Linux and Unix to protect its core facilities from virus attacks. The US government uses similar strategies. In fact, the NSA even deved a Linux just for security and gating boxes. Expect Longhorn to look more like, and act more like, Linux and Unix than ever before, though it will also look somewhat like OSX as OSX is a BSD core more than Linux.
The very short answer is: No, file servers barely need any ram at all. If it's JUST a file server, the minimum recommended for the OS is appropriate. File serving is all disk and network.
For win2K - 256mb will do great.
For Linux - 128mb will be fine.
0
KwitkoSheriff of Banning (Retired)By the thing near the stuffIcrontian
edited March 2004
Disk speed and network throughput are the important things.
my hardcore leeching ftp'ing fileserver has a gig of ram and that seems to keep it settled just fine. using coolmon to monitor ram / page usage when i'm getting around 1 mbps up and 1 mbps down ram usage is around 700 and page is around 500.... just personal experience
Comments
Network speed and ram are the more important thing for a file server but like I said 512 will get the job done. For a business server however you will want atleast a gig, depending on number of users, Id do 2 gig for a business file server with a 100 to 200 user load and depending on how heavy a load maybe more.
Its better to over kill then short yourself.
Gobbles
The nice thing about Linux right now is that it DOES grok Win2K NTFS. It groks XP NTFS subversioning to a much lesser degree, and the problem is journalling changes and $MFT structuring to a lesser degree. A linux security box can protect a vulnerable Windows network. AV software is economical for Linux boxes, that can detect Windows viruses and trojans.
Microsoft uses Linux and Unix to protect its core facilities from virus attacks. The US government uses similar strategies. In fact, the NSA even deved a Linux just for security and gating boxes. Expect Longhorn to look more like, and act more like, Linux and Unix than ever before, though it will also look somewhat like OSX as OSX is a BSD core more than Linux.
John D.
For win2K - 256mb will do great.
For Linux - 128mb will be fine.