RE: [cobalt-users] Some Basic Questions from a Possible New User

[Rodolfo Paiz <rpaiz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Wow... lots of questions...

As you read these answers, keep in mind I've only had my Qube for a few
weeks. However, my situation is very similar to yours.

> 1. Can I keep my Ugate and just plug the Qube into the
> network as if it were another user?  I wouldn't use the Qube
> to share the internet connection at all.  Does this, for
> example, present a problem if I need to download patches or
> anything else?  Will the intra-office email, discussion
> groups, etc. be impacted?

No problem. You can use any combination of the Qube's services,
or just one, or all of them. In your case, you want to run
Windows file sharing, maybe Apple file sharing, FTP, and maybe
mail. Web and discussion group servers are always on. You want
to turn off NAT, DNS, and DHCP since you're obviously on the
Net already.

No negative impact at all.

> 2. I'm a little confused about how the file sharing works.  I
> want to use Goldmine or some similar program for instance.
> Can the Goldmine Db file (for example) be loaded to the Qube
> and shared on the network when Goldmine operates with the
> various users?  A shared database.

As I understand it, assuming you adhere to cross-platform name
conventions and don't do weird Windows things to names, file
sharing is completely seamless. You should be able to open
Word on your PC and edit a document on the Qube; ditto with
Goldmine assuming that Goldmine will let you share on a network
at all.

> The Qube manual talks about moving files back and forth from
> the Qube to the workstation, but it doesn't really say you
> can run applications from the workstation that uses  files on
> the network  - like say a Snap Server or traditional file
> server would do. (I realize this may be a stupid question).

Confucius say, "All men are stupid. But man who does not ask
question, stay stupid forever. Man who ask, get less stupid
every time."

It works like a charm; I've moved entire directories to the
Qube and work with them by mapping a drive letter in Windows.
You'd never know the difference, unless of course you're
using huge graphics files that are going to clog up your
network or go very slow because of the size.

> I understand that most of the benefits of the Qube are as a
> internet/intranet Web server, so I'm not sure if it's file
> server features are adequate (although besides the goldmine
> database and some limited documents and images, there won't
> be that much stored in my case on the server).

Perfectly adequate, and more than you need even.

> 3.  Since the Network is so small, I was considering just the
> 16mb version versus the 32 mb version, but not sure if this
> makes a big difference - I was told not.

I have a 16MB Qube, and I've had seven machines throwing files
at it like crazy at one time, just to test whether it held up.
Didn't even blink...

Suggestion: think of it another way. Is 4GB of space on the
Qube enough for you? If so, buy the 16MB Qube with 4GB, then
go to www.crucial.com and buy more RAM; it's cheaper than
buying a bigger Qube. But if you want to save the money, and
4GB is enough, and you're not going past, say, 10-15 people,
the 16MB version actually works pretty well.

> 4. Is there an easy back-up solution - I don't really want to
> invest in hardware - I'd be willing to schedule transfers of
> key files to a workstation - but I'm not sure how easy that
> process is?

For an operation your size (or my size), my "backup" strategy
is to schedule an FTP download of my entire data directory
tree off the Qube every night, to two computers. That way I
always have two backup copies of everything, on hard disk,
and I don't even pay for media. Of course, you could lose the
day's work, but that's the worst case.

> 6. I assume the product's "low administration"  tout is
> really a reality. I'd like the system to work like my UGATE -
> it works so well you basically forget it's there.

Routers are much more easily set-and-forget. Servers are
subject to such things as stupid users, stupid admins, bad
karma, disrespectful perl and CGI scripts in websites, and
the diameter of your toilet in inches.

The Qube, for my money, is a great little box. However, it
does not do magic; nor have I ever met a server that did. It
will at some point break; that may be in four years, it may
be tomorrow. When it does, you must have someone to call, or
someone there must learn something about how to fix it and
maintain it. Plus, the very flexibility that comes from having
your own server oftentimes carries the additional responsibility
and "cost" of having to manage it.

Low administration, yes. Even no administration. Until it
breaks... which it will. Someday. Surely. Maybe today. All
servers do.

> 7. Is there anything else I need to consider based upon the
> above description?

I'd actually only add willingness or interest in learning.
Keep in mind that everything (or most everything) you get from
the Qube you could do some other way, with its own pros and cons:

a) you could file share from one of the clients and just not
turn it off. Or you could rent space on one of the Internet
storage services that encrypt your data. Webdrive is one,
Connected Backup is another, etc.

b) you could host your mail and web with like a billion
companies for $20 a month.

c) and so on.

Pluses and minuses for each option. Make sure you consider
them carefully. I went with the Qube, partly to have every-
thing local, accessible, and secure, especially if my
Internet connection goes down, and partly because I *want*
to learn how to run one of these things, configure it,
make it better, and fix it when (when, not if) it breaks.

You make your own call...

------
Rodolfo J. Paiz
rpaiz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:rpaiz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>