[Help] FreeNAS running in a VM with 2 Raid arrays

[vini201]

Hi guys, and girls

I have a very unique situation and I will try to explain in parts

1- First my knowledge and capabilities
I'm Civil Engineer I do Cad Design, I always worked with IT, but I'm not professional

2 - My Hardware
Dell poweredge 2950
Specs: https://goo.gl/8zpovw just added more ram 16gb Total
4x500gb + 2x 1tb HDD

3 - Situation
The company has 4 or 5 old pentium 4 running windows xp, because of the account system, and no, they will not update the system, is the same person doing the same stuff for 30 or more years

The customers files (cad files) are saved in a regular computer without backup or redundancy

4 - What I did so far
I built 2 Raid arrays, A (Raid 10 4x500Gb) B(Raid 1 2x1Tb)
Installed Free VMware on Raid A
Created a VM for WinXp and a VM for Freenas

5 - What I don't know how to do
I'd like to build a storage unit with the Raid"B" so I could save the customer files there and create a Backup routine for the accountant Data base and save the backup in this separated disks
I don't know how to make the B array to be recognized by FreeNAS and then create the storage unit

I hope I could explain it properly, and I really appreciate the time you will take to help me.

Thank you

 

[kdragon75]

Take a big step back and read the user guide. There are some specific requirements for FreeNAS that are in place to ensure the safety of your data.
16GB of RAM is not enough for a meaningful AiO setup of ESXi and FreeNAS.
Dell Poweredge 2950s are old enough that they shouldn't be trusted. They can also heat a small house. Tale a look a some second hand Dell R70 servers. There dirt cheap and work well. Please, if you have no training with ESXi, get a book. There's way more to it than hooking it up to the network and added storage it's a beast.

 

[HoneyBadger]

Your hardware is completely inadequate as @kdragon75 has pointed out (although I think he means the Dell "R710" and not a "R70") and needs to be refreshed to something at least from the current decade.

This is not a home system, where "losing data" means "I need to re-download the latest episode of Game of Thrones" - it's a company, where "losing data" can mean "business shuts down and people lose their job." The desire to learn is fine and good, but you cannot afford to learn "in the field" on someone else's production system and data.

I apologize for being overly blunt here, but

I always worked with IT, but I'm not professional

The company needs to hire a professional; and by your own admission you are not one.

 

[vini201]

Thank you guys for your answer.

The thing is the company is really small, the owner bought this server before I start to work here, a couple months ago
I know the hardware is obsolete, but there is no way to him to buy other stuff, even if is cheap, is frustrating, in his mind everything is good as it is, but I know that the old computer will start to fail very soon, I'm trying to do the best I can with what I have, and it is even my job description, but I'm really trying to help and improve I little bit

There is anything I can do?

The amount of data (cad files) is minimal, like tops 100gb, and it is accessed by me and my boss only (2 computers)
The accountant system is used by 4 people
The entire office is resumed to 6 people tops

I can start from scratch if I need to, let me know if there is any option.

Thank you

 

[Jailer]

There is anything I can do?

Find another place of employment. Seriously.

 

[HoneyBadger]

@OP you said

I'm trying to do the best I can with what I have, and it is even my job description, but I'm really trying to help and improve I little bit

I'm assuming you mean "it is not even in my job description" - as in, it isn't your job to be the IT department, and by virtue of being the only one with any computer experience at all, you've become the IT department.

An IT department with old equipment, no budget to replace it, and a boss that doesn't see the severity and potentially catastrophic situation he's in. This is a recipe for disaster and you need to protect yourself, because it's quite obvious your boss isn't going to do it.

Hypothetically speaking, what happens if that old computer with all of the customer files dies? Like, totally toast. Hard drive dead, no recovery, even with professional services and a clean-room. It's dead.

How many days will the business be shut down for, and how much money will be lost? If your boss hasn't weighed that against the one-time cost of purchasing more reliable equipment, I don't know what to say.

Protect yourself. Bring in a USB drive to back up your current work if you have to. But honestly:

Find another place of employment. Seriously.