Orbit Micro an industrial and server systems integrator, has announced the availability of the QNAP TS-101 Portable Single Drive Network Attached Storage with a USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and an eSATA high speed data transfer interfaces for use as a a file server, an FTP server, an automated download server, a web server, a print server, a disaster recovery server, a mirror server, or a backup server.

This external storage device is a “9-in-1-station”. The design philosophy of this unit was to come up with a storage drive that could do everything its inventors could think of short of predicting tomorrow’s weather and making the coffee.

It can be set up as a file server, an FTP server, an automated download server, a web server, a print server, a disaster recovery server, a mirror server, and a multimedia server. It will even do the old-fashion backup server job too, though that ends up sounding like far too conventional a role for such a talented piece of hardware.

The basic specification of the TS-101 is high; fast Serial ATA drives up to 500GB (or whatever is the largest available in the market) in capacity (with a spare SATA interface), a Gigabit Ethernet, and a incredibly clever one-touch backup feature, of which more later.

Taking only minutes to get up and running using a well-laid out web interface, initial configuration is markedly less fussy than with many drives of its kind. Establish a connection, map one or more drives to server directories and, if required, load a client backup stub. The designers have got round the issue of noisy cooling fans by chucking the whole idea out in favour passive cooling through the drive's metal case.

It looks like a basic storage server, and in some ways it is a basic storage server. But it turned out to have a few tricks up its sleeve that elevate it above the typical. A good example is the error notification via email. If something goes awry while this server is sitting at the core of a small company workgroup – a failed backup for instance - then the admin will need to know about it sharpish. This should really be standard on all backup drives, but for some reason it hasn't yet caught on with all vendors.

The backup capability turned out to be advanced too. The drive itself can be backed up to a remote QNAP-based SAN, or simply mirrored in RAID-1 using a separate drive connected via the unit’s external eSATA (external serial ATA) port. Client PC backup is taken care of with a supplied backup utility, so you’re pretty much covered for everything except servers. Client backup feature will work remotely across a WAN link, so can support workers in the field.

The clever one-touch backup feature, mentioned previously, makes quick backups precisely that. Just connect a USB device such as a digital camera, USB drive, or card reader (any device using VFAT basically) and a single press of the copy button transfers all files on that device to a default directory on the TS-101.

Fancy clogging up the Internet’s arteries? Then you might find a use for the built-in BitTorrent downloaded server. We assume this is aimed at power home users rather than the small business crowd, but you never know.

This is a racy bit of storage kit masquerading as a dull external storage device. We'd qualify it as a SAN-on-the-cheap just for its variety of backup features, the best of which is its RAID-1. Any company sticking the term “SAN” on a drive should be able to explain what happens if the backup drive itself fails. Replicating the data to another SAN is one option, but the RAID feature is an important second layer.

About Orbit Micro
Orbit Micro is a system integrator of servers, workstations, industrial computers and networking products. Our application design approach allows us to maximize performance for your computing needs. Our product line also includes a variety of computer components and peripherals as well as software. Through its premier market position, Orbit Micro enables its customer’s growth potential by offering innovative solutions and expertise that give them the leading edge.