How to Install and Configure NAS4Free 10.3 Storage on VMware

NAS4Free 10.3 Installation and Configuration on VMware

This tutorial shows how to install and configure NAS4Free 10.3 on VMware Workstation or Player step by step. You can also use this tutorial for installing NAS4Free 10.3 on physical server or hardware.

Steps for Installing and Configuring NAS4Free 10.3 Storage

1. Download and Install VMware Workstation or VMware Player
2. Download NAS4Free 10.3 Live ISO
3. Start Installation
4. NAS4Free Initial Configuration
5. Create ZFS Disk Pool
6. Enable and Configure CIFS share
7. Enable and Configure NFS share

Install and Configure NAS4Free Storage on VMware

What is NAS4Free?

NAS4Free is an Open Source Storage NAS (Network-Attached Storage) distribution based on FreeBSD. NAS4Free is the new brand name of the original FreeNAS 0.7 code which was developed between 2005 and late 2011. The NAS4Free operating system can be installed on virtually any hardware platform to share computer data storage over a computer network.

NAS4Free supports sharing across Windows, Apple, and UNIX-like systems. It includes ZFS v5000 , Software RAID (0,1,5), disk encryption, S.M.A.R.T / email reports etc. with the following protocols: CIFS/SMB (Samba), Active Directory Domain Controller (Samba), FTP, NFS, TFTP, AFP, RSYNC, Unison, iSCSI (initiator and target), HAST, CARP, Bridge, UPnP, and Bittorent which is all highly configurable by its WEB interface. NAS4Free can be installed on Compact Flash/USB/SSD key, Hard disk or booted from a LiveCD/LiveUSB with a small usbkey for config storage.
NAS4Free Website: http://www.nas4free.org/

NAS4Free Minimum Hardware Requirements

1. Multicore 64-bit* processor (Intel strongly recommended, NAS4Free 10.x series will be the last 32-bits version, 11.x series will be 64-bits only)
2. A PC with a minimum of 512MB of RAM (ECC Recommended)
3. 512MB of RAM is the minimum required for upgrading the Embedded platforms
4. Using advanced features like software RAID 5 and enabling lots of functions may need more RAM (1GB or greater)
5. For using ZFS minimum of 4GB RAM recommendedand using a 64-bits install only by using the NAS4Free-x64 releases
6. Or a virtual PC emulator such as VMware or QEMU configured as above

What is VMware Workstation?

VMware Workstation is a hypervisor that runs on x86-64 computers; it enables users to set up one or more virtual machines (VMs) on a single physical machine, and use them simultaneously along with the actual machine.
VMware Workstation product website: https://www.vmware.com/products/workstation

Hope you found this NAS4Free 10.3 installation and configuration tutorial helpful and informative. Please consider sharing it. Your feedback and questions are welcome!