AOOSTAR, a Chinese mini PC manufacturer, has unveiled the AOOSTAR PRO 4 Bay NAS, a new network-attached-storage system. The device, set for pre-order availability in early January 2023, provides users with a choice of three different processors. The NAS system boasts a metal chassis and offers options for barebones or fully configured models. Configured versions come with pre-installed memory and storage.

While the company has not yet disclosed the price of the AOOSTAR PRO 4-Bay NAS, some specifications have been provided:

• Processor options: N100, N305, or Ryzen 7 5700U
• RAM: DDR4-3200 single-channel or DDR4-3200 dual-channel
• HDD storage: 4-bays for 2.5 or 3.5" hard drives
• SSD storage: Up to 2 x M.2 NVMe
• Ethernet: 2 x 2.5 GbE
• Wireless: WiFi 6 and BT 5.2
• USB: 1 x USB Type-C, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and 2 x USB 2.0 Type-A

More details about the AOOSTAR PRO 4-Bay NAS are expected to be revealed closer to the launch date.

Source: Liliputing.

AOOSTAR, a Chinese PC maker known for its attractively-priced hardware, has announced that it is developing a powerful and versatile network attached storage (NAS) system set to launch early next year. The upcoming NAS will be a compact computer powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5800U processor, featuring 8 Zen 3 CPU cores and Radeon Vega graphics, offering the performance of a decent 2021-era laptop.

What sets this NAS apart is its impressive specifications:

• 6 x 3.5 inch hard drive bays
• 6 x slots for PCIe NVMe SSDs
• 1 x 10 GbE Ethernet port
• 2 x 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports

The upcoming AOOSTAR NAS is reminiscent of the ZimaCube Pro, with its similar shape and support for up to 6 SATA connectors for 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch hard drives, as well as multiple Ethernet ports. However, the ZimaCube Pro features an Core i5-1235U processor, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a total of four Ethernet ports. The retail price for the ZimaCube Pro is expected to be $1,199, while AOOSTAR’s NAS is expected to have a lower price tag due to the company’s focus on budget computers.

AOOSTAR does not provide software with its NAS; customers are expected to provide their own software. However, there are several compatible options, such as TrueNAS, OpenMediaVault, Unraid, or even building a CasaOS system by installing Ubuntu, Debian, or CentOS and then loading the CasaOS user interface.

While AOOSTAR’s NAS systems offer competitive pricing, some users may prefer more well-known brands like Synology or QNAP for a hassle-free experience. However, for those who have the time and interest in configuring a DIY solution, AOOSTAR’s NAS systems provide powerful features and customization options.

More details about AOOSTAR’s upcoming 6-bay NAS will be available closer to its launch.

Source: Liliputing.

FriendlyELEC has introduced the CM3588 NAS Kit, which features the new Rockchip RK3588 board. The board comes with four M.2 Key-M sockets, each with a PCIe Gen 3 x1 interface, designed to accommodate 2280 NVMe SSDs or other M.2 PCIe modules. The CM3588 NAS Kit is equipped with the CM3588 Core system-on-module and offers a range of features. These include a 2.5GbE RJ45 connector, two HDMI 2.1 video outputs, one HDMI 2.0 video input, MIPI DSI and CSI connectors, several USB 3.0/3.1 ports, and a 40-pin GPIO header for expansion. he FriendlyELEC CM3588 NAS Kit:

System-on-Module – CM3588 Core board:

• SoC – Rockchip RK3588 with 4x Cortex-A76 cores @ up to 2.4 GHz, 4x Cortex-A55 cores @ 1.8 GHz, and an Arm Mali-G610 MP4 “Odin” GPU
• Video decoder – Supports 8Kp60 H.265, VP9, AVS2, 8Kp30 H.264 AVC/MVC, 4Kp60 AV1, 1080p60 MPEG-2/-1, VC-1, VP8
• Video encoder – Supports 8Kp30 H.265/H.264 video encoding
• AI accelerator – 6 TOPS NPU
• System Memory – 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB LPDDR4x @ 2133 MHz
• Storage – Optional 64GB eMMC flash
• Networking – Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE controller
• 4x 100-pin high-density board-to-board connectors with USB 3.0/2.0, PCIe Gen 3 x4, 2.5GbE, HDMI Tx/Rx, GPIOs, etc.
• PMIC – Rockchip RK806-1 power management IC
• Dimensions – 65 x 55 mm (8-layer PCB)
• Weight – About 21 grams

Carrier board – CM3588 NAS SDK:

• Storage: Up to 4x M.2 2280 NVMe SSDs, microSD card slot, footprint for SPI flash
• Video Output: 2x HDMI 2.1 ports (up to 8Kp60 and 4Kp60), 1x DisplayPort via USB-C (up to 4Kp60), 4-lane MIPI DSI connector
• Video Input: 1x HDMI 2.0 input port (up to 4Kp60), 4-lane MIPI CSI connector
• Audio: 3.5mm audio output jack, 2-pin microphone connector, built-in PWM buzzer
• Networking: 2.5GbE RJ45 port
• USB: 2x USB 3.0 Type-A ports, 1x USB 3.0 USB-C DRP port with DisplayPort support (up to 4Kp60), 1x USB 2.0 host port
• Expansion: 4x M.2 2280 PCIe sockets (each with PCIe 3.0 x1), 40-pin GPIO header with various interfaces
• Misc: 2-pin RTC battery connector, IR receiver, fan connector, MASK button for eMMC flash update, reset button, power button, recovery mode button, user button, 4x LEDs for SSDs, 3-pin debug UART header
• Power Supply – 12V DC via power barrel jack or 2-pole terminal block
• Dimensions – 160 x 116 mm (4-layer PCB)
• Temperature Range – 0 to 70°C

The CM3588 Core module with heatsink starts at $95 and comes with 4GB RAM and no flash. The CM3588 NAS Kit, which includes the Core module with heatsink and the CM3588 NAS SDK carrier board, starts at $130. Additional accessories such as a 12V/2A power supply and a microSD card are required to boot the OS. There is also a kit option with an 8GB+64GB Core module, the carrier board, and a 12V/2A power supply for $154.89 plus shipping. The variant with 16GB RAM adds an extra $15.

Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.

TrueNAS has introduced the F60 and F100 models as the newest additions to their TrueNAS Enterprise portfolio. These models belong to the high-performance line of all-NVMe systems known as the TrueNAS F-Series. The F-Series is designed to offer maximum performance, reliability, and density for organizations with ultra-demanding workloads. It provides organizations with a new choice for their performance-centric workloads, complementing other models in the TrueNAS portfolio that are optimized for capacity.

The TrueNAS F-Series supports file, block, and object protocols, and offers the rich data management capabilities of OpenZFS. Like other TrueNAS Enterprise appliances, the F-Series can be equipped with iXsystems’ award-winning enterprise support.

The TrueNAS F-Series includes two models:

• F100: This model features up to 24 NVMe Gen4 SSDs per 2U system, providing a storage capacity of 720TB. It offers up to 30GB/s bandwidth per node with 6x 40/100 GbE optical NICs and has a typical power draw of 800W.
• F60: The F60 model also supports up to 24 NVMe Gen4 SSDs per 2U system, with a storage capacity of 720TB. It offers up to 20GB/s bandwidth per node with 4x 40/100 GbE optical NICs and has a typical power draw of 800W.

The TrueNAS F-Series appliances come with the latest version of TrueNAS software, TrueNAS Enterprise 23.10. These all-NVMe models are designed to deliver maximum performance, reliability, and density for the most demanding workloads. Compared to previous models, the F-Series offers significant reductions in all-flash power, space, and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

The TrueNAS portfolio also includes the TrueNAS M-Series, which caters to hybrid flash and HDD requirements, and the TrueNAS Mini series. Both the M-Series and F-Series systems run on the same TrueNAS Enterprise 23.10 software, offering compatible features and a common WebUI. All TrueNAS systems can be monitored and managed as a fleet using TrueCommand.

In The MagPi 134, Alasdair Allan, Head of Documentation, expressed excitement about the possibility of low-power NAS boxes utilizing the M.2 HAT on the Raspberry Pi 5. Here are the basic steps for setting up a file server.

01. Software setup

Begin by installing Samba onto Raspberry Pi OS with the following command:

sudo apt install samba samba-common-bin

To ensure compatibility with other operating systems, install NTFS for the shared drive:

sudo apt install ntfs-3g

02. Storage setup

While an external hard drive is typically used, using an SSD drive is similar. Plug in the SSD drive, format it if necessary, and mount it to Raspberry Pi OS. To automount the drive on boot, edit the fstab file with the command sudo nano /etc/fstab and add a line similar to the following:

/dev/sdb1 /mnt/location ntfs nls-utf8,umask-0222,uid-1000,gid-1000,rw 0 0

03. Configuration

The Samba configuration file is where the magic happens, allowing you to open up shared storage to the network. Here is an example configuration:

[share]
Comment = Network share
Path = /mnt/location
Browseable = yes
Writeable = yes
only guest = no
create mask = 0777
directory mask = 0777
Public = yes
Guest ok = yes

By following these steps, you can build a file server using the Raspberry Pi 5 and take advantage of its new features for a more efficient NAS setup.

Source: News - Raspberry Pi.

The maker of the ZimaBoard and ZimaBlade single-board computers, Icewhale Technology, is set to launch a new product called the ZimaCube. The ZimaCube is a “personal cloud” computer that functions as a network-attached storage (NAS) device, offering users a choice between two processor options: N100 or Core i5-1235U.

The ZimaCube boasts several special features that make it more than just a NAS device. It supports up to six hard drives, up to four 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports, and up to 64GB of RAM. The retail prices for the ZimaCube are expected to start at $699, but Icewhale Technology will be launching a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign on November 3, with Early Bird rewards starting at $499 for an entry-level model.

The starting price of $499 is for a model equipped with an energy-efficient 6-watt N100 chip based on Alder Lake N architecture. Customers who want a higher-performance version, the ZimaCube Pro, with a 15-watt Core i5 chip will have to pay $899 or more during the crowdfunding campaign, or $1,199 at retail.

The ZimaCube Pro not only features a more powerful processor but also supports up to twice as much RAM, has twice as many Ethernet ports, supports PCIe Gen 4, and includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, among other things.

The ZimaCube is more expensive than entry-level QNAP or Synology NAS devices, but it offers a high level of flexibility in terms of storage, expansion options, and software support.

Here are the specifications for the ZimaCube and ZimaCube Pro:

ZimaCube:

• Processor: N100 (4-cores / 4-threads, up to 3.4 GHz, 6W TDP)
• RAM: 8GB DDR4 (included), 32GB max (16GB x 2)
• Storage: 256GB SSD (included), 6 x SATA III bays (2.5" or 3.5" drives), 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe slots
• PCIe: 1 x PCIe Gen 3 x4
• USB: 1 x USB 3.0 Gen 1 Type-C, 4 x USB 3.0 Gen 1 Type-A, 2 x USB 2.0 Type-A
• Ethernet: 2 x 2.5 GbE Ethernet
• Video out: HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4
• Power: 220W (100V - 240V)
• OS: TrueNAS, ZimaOS
• Cooling: Active cooling, 2 x 80 x 80mm fans
• Dimensions: 240 x 221 x 220mm, 9.45" x 8.7" x 8.7"
• Weight: 5.4 kg, 11.9 pounds

ZimaCube Pro:

• Processor: Core i5-1235U (10-cores / 12-threads, up to 4.4 GHz, 15W TDP)
• RAM: 16GB DDR5 (included), 64GB max (32GB x 2)
• Storage: 256GB SSD (included), 6 x SATA III bays (2.5" or 3.5" drives), 2 x PCIe NVMe SSD slots, 4 x additional NVMe slots
• PCIe: 1 x PCIe Gen 4 x16, 1 x PCIe Gen 4 x4
• USB: 2 x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C, 6 x USB 3.0 Gen 1 Type-A
• Ethernet: 4 x 2.5 GbE Ethernet
• Video out: HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4
• Power: 220W (100V - 240V)
• OS: TrueNAS, ZimaOS
• Cooling: Active cooling, 2 x 80 x 80mm fans
• Dimensions: 240 x 221 x 220mm, 9.45" x 8.7" x 8.7"
• Weight: 5.4 kg, 11.9 pounds

The ZimaCube offers a compelling option for users interested in servers, Linux, DevOps, and home labs. With its range of features and storage options, it provides a versatile solution for personal cloud computing and networking needs.

Source: Liliputing.