[SLL] Hardware Recommendation

[Dave Pfaltzgraff]

Hi all,

After around 10 years of providing reliable service, I'm afraid that my
home server may be dying on me. Configured back then with Slackware ?.?, I
had implemented software RAID using some 3G SCSI drives. Since this system
is used to backup critical files, the RAID function is important. My PC
vendor is suggesting I go to a system with an Intel DQ35JO motherboard
because it has hardware RAID capability. I'm not sure which chip sets are
used and subsequently wether or not I would have Linux support.

I should comment that when I originally built the system the fact that it
was Linux was important, but recently it sole use has been for the RAID
storage. Although I am definitely pro-Linux, I am no longer involved with
it on a day-to-day basis. My concern is (semi)automatic backup of critical
files.

I know I may be opening a can of worms but I'd be interested in
recommendations from the group. Some of my options are:

1. Forget doing it myself and utilize an off-site backup service.

2. Go to some form of NAS - say from DLink or Linksys.

3. Go ahead and build up a new system (and I have the above headache!)

Note that one requirement is easy (preferable invisible) access from
Windows systems. The original implementation did this by putting the SAMBA
share on the RAID.

Thanks,
Dave