I tested Procom's NetFORCE 100 NAS appliance on my network in Savannah, Ga., and found it to easy to use, requiring only 15 minutes to go from box to network. Although it doesn't support enterprise-level file-sharing protocols such as NFS, or directory protocols like NDS, it supports NT domain authentication and standalone Microsoft-style SMB (Server Message Block) networking in a fault-tolerant box (RAID and redundant power supplies)--for about the same price as a well-heeled NT workstation (the unit I tested listed at $6,848). And while the NetFORCE 100 does not offer as many administration options as an NT server, and local tape-drive options are limited, I was impressed with its fault tolerance, well-conceived Java administration tools and ability to notify an administrator of events via SMTP mail. NFS and NCP support is in the works for a future release, according to the vendor.

In the lab, I set up a NetFORCE 100 configured as a RAID 5 device (other RAID configurations can be configured through a telnet interface). In all, there were five 6-GB drives in the stripe--and a sixth was set up as a warm spare--leaving me with 24 GB of available storage. The setup was incredibly simple; I had the option of using DHCP or manually setting an IP address on the front panel. Then, I launched a Web browser on the same subnet the unit was on, pointed it to the IP address of the NetFORCE, answered some "quick setup" questions and rebooted.

I initially used the NetFORCE in workgroup mode--without authentication to an NT domain--using share-level passwords. A quick throughput test with Coffee Computing Corp.'s FileMetric 1.1 benchmark (www.coffeecomputing.com) showed me that though the unit didn't perform as well as our $250,000 Unix host (which sports multiple RAID channels and a plethora of hard-drive spindles), it held its own. I then released the unit to our users to get some real-world feedback on its performance.

Application Entrée Before sending out the unit, I configured it for "passthrough" domain authentication, so I didn't have to rely on share passwords. Using the Java configuration tool, I informed the unit about one of our NT domain controllers and then rebooted it. The result was instant domain authentication. I was then able to manage users and groups via NT administration tools.

One of our Georgia-based network's GIS (Geographic Information Systems) databases has more than 100,000 land parcels, representing more than 10,000 files and about 300 MB of storage. I moved this database from an overworked NT server onto the NetFORCE, so my users could work with it. Not surprisingly, they reported an instant speed boost. Of course, I could have added another NT server along with lots of memory and RAID, and experienced the same type of speed boost--but not in 30 minutes. This is the type of network scenario where NetFORCE excels--it enables you to add reasonably inexpensive and fast file storage to an existing domain in no time.

To test the NetFORCE's fault tolerance, I shut off one of its power supplies with no difficulties. I was disappointed that each power supply did not have a separate cord, which would have let me use two different UPS lines. Also, when the power supply "failed," the server did not notify me via SMTP mail, though an alarm sounded. I had configured the NetFORCE via the Java applet to inform me of all events. The server alerted me via e-mail when I made a drive in the array fail.

Just Deserts When I tested the NetFORCE's file-locking abilities, I was disappointed to see no information regarding who was logged into the NetFORCE at any given moment, nor any way to display file locks; Procom has no plans to add these capabilities at this time. The NetFORCE will show you how many users are on it.

Neither Procom's tech-support team nor I could get existing 8-mm Exabyte drives to work with the NetFORCE to take advantage of its local backup feature, though a Procom-supplied tape drive worked fine. Be sure to check with Procom before trying to use an existing tape drive. The vendor is looking into third-party backup support for a future release.

Jonathan Feldman is the author of SAMS Teach Yourself Network Trouble-shooting in 24 Hours, and is technical systems manager for the Chatham County Government in Savannah, Ga. Send your comments to him at jfeldman@nwc.com.