Hi,

 

I'm wondering about a very specific application:

 

Would it be possible to put unRaid on a large enough USB key, so that the Host OS AND the storage are all contained on the same Key?

My scenario:  I know a guy that works at a computer/electronics/parts reseller operation, so I presume they have constantly shifting inventory.  Currently, the guy puts movies on micro-USB keys so they can be displayed on their showroom TVs.

My thought was:  What if you could have a NAS that was wholly contained on a USB key, including 1 or 2 .mp4 movies?  Then, as inventory is sold, and new inventory placed on the floor, all they have to do is plug in the USB Key, and turn it on, and walla, NAS is back on line, independent of what hardware (laptop/desktop) they have it running in.  With a 32GB or 64GB USB Key, I would think you could have quite a bit of storage available.

 

Any thoughts or pitfalls/gotchas would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

This makes no sense.    First of all, 32GB or 64GB (or even 128GB or 256GB) is a TRIVIAL amount of storage relative to hard drives.    Second, if the goal is simply to have a few movies on a USB key, just put them there (as they apparently already do).    Third, even if you could have both UnRAID and the storage for it on the same flash drive (you can't), you'd still need a computer to run the UnRAID OS -- which is NOT needed for the application you outlined.

 

Would it be possible to put unRaid on a large enough USB key, so that the Host OS AND the storage are all contained on the same Key?

 

It's possible. Not sure if it's the best way to go.

You would definitely have to customize the go script and/or flash since it's designed to mount 'other' drives.

The flash could be partitioned into two parts, boot flash, data area.

Mount the data area on /mnt/disk1 manually and you are good to go.

 

If these TV's accessed the NAS via something like DLNA, then it might not matter so much as long as there are not allot of writes to the flash, thus wearing it out.

 

If you are using DLNA, then it's possible to leave everything on the flash as long as it's under 4GB files.

If the files are larger then 4GB you need to have a partition capable of handling the size you want.

Might be better off using two flash keys, One for boot and another for disk1.

 

You still need a computer to be the NAS.

A small HTPC with a 2.5" drive or even an older laptop with some msata drives would work too.

 

Using something like this, you can have 2 msata drives for data and usb boot.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817998231

 

What makes me wonder though is why do it this way.

If all they have to do is plugin in a micro usb to the TV, why bother with a USB bootable NAS?

 

What are you trying to save?

... Using something like this, you can have 2 msata drives for data and usb boot.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817998231

 

... but you still need a computer with a SATA interface to use it

 

 

... What makes me wonder though is why do it this way.

If all they have to do is plugin in a micro usb to the TV, why bother with a USB bootable NAS?

 

Exactly.  Which is why I said it simply doesn't make sense.

 

 

... What are you trying to save?

 

A good question.

 

 

 

I guess I wasn't as clear as I should have been in my explanation.

 

I was envisioning being able to use a desktop or laptop of some kind.  That being said, I was also envisioning that the USB key would be plugged into any PC/laptop on the floor.  My main concern is that any piece of equipment that the USB key is plugged into COULD be sold at any time.  This was the driver for a completely portable, encapsulated environment.  So, if the "host" gets sold, they unplug the USB key, plug it into another PC/laptop, boot it up, and it's back online. 

 

Basically I'm thinking out loud here.  I just wanted to know if some thoughts I had were even feasible. 

It's feasible, Either with a specially partitioned boot key and modification of the config go script.

Two flashes and modification of the config go script.

or an old laptop with an internal drive that can be reformatted.

 

not sure if it's worth it.

 

Frankly, I wouldn't bother doing it with some piece of hardware that could be sold.

I would do it with some older laptop that has lost it's usefulness as an interactive desktop unit but still has a decent amount of umph and modern hardware.

 

Example: used Dell D630's can be had for a song and a dance.