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+--- Thread: NAS for Geospatial projects with large file reads (/showthread.php?tid=7155)
NAS for Geospatial projects with large file reads - Enquiries - 07-07-2022
Hi
I am researching on behalf of my girlfriend who recently started running a business (1yr in). She is a geologist working in the mining industry.
She uses QGIS (one software example) and has *lots* of *large* datasets (up to 7GB) that are loaded into each workspace - these are often shape files (vector) or raster, and the size is usually because they cover a huge area (e.g. Queensland, Northern Territory, New South Wales, all states in Australia).
My experience with QGIS is limited to creating topo maps for hiking. I use a ReadyNAD314 as a file server (for my business) and can confirm it's bloody slow to load the data on screen.
I lent her my 6 year old Dell XPS15 med-spec and she has been using that for the last year. The 1TB disk is full and she is offloading a lot of data onto Dropbox. I could install a larger disk but I think this is a bandaid approach for an old laptor.
Her main client uses Dropbox as a file server (dumb IMO) and that dataset is growing rapidly - this currently sits on her C drive, and it appears to be cumbersome to selectively sync these to such a small hard disk (I suggested her client needs to set up a VPN but that's another topic.)
It seems that it is common even in the biggest corporations that geologists often save their projects locally to avoid the network bottlenecks. Also a project can contain hundreds of dynamically linked shapefiles and I understand that it's a pain in the butt to relink them.
Geologists will spend a approx week per month out in the field (remote australia with no, or crap internet), and they need to take the working project files with them.
My thinking is that options are:
1) New High Spec Laptop+ NAS (Nas holding the bulk of the project data, and manually copy any large files to the laptop as needed to avoid bottleneck) Will need to come up with a system for when transferring projects fully to the laptop when working remote. Dropbox can run on the NAS.
2) Laptop with huge hard disk - basically run as is. This would be the most convenient, but IMO it's risky with no raid and all eggs in one basket and I'm not sure if it's possible to get min 10TB in a laptop. I understand why this would be her preference. Whist in the office backups can run to the NAS.
3) Desktop with lots of disk capacity, lesser spec laptop and cumbersome workflow to transfer files. NAS for backups. Would work well for when in the office, but need a way to transfer to the Laptop
I saw your review and am pretty sold on the QNap TS464-4G.
I guess I'm wondering if you've had any experience with this kind of thing? The data management?
Thanks
Dave