Need idea's on an "iso server" of sorts (corporate media, not stealing software)

[Caldezar]

So I'm looking for help with a rather unique setup. First of all, it's going to be a corporate setup, with very... "simple" users... so functionality is key.

So in a specific department, they quite often get in CD's/DVD's with video, software or whatever on them. Currently, they have something in the way of a 'sign out' system. But people then have to wait for access to the disk, sometimes they go missing, and sometimes the disks get ruined. What I want to set up for them is a server of sorts, where they can put the disk in, and have it create a disk image and upload to the network as a accessible 'drive' in as little (and easy) steps as possible. None of the disks should have any kind of protection on them as their mostly internal media and software.

I remember their used to be similar setups years ago before blank media was so cheap and the popularity of mounting iso's. I'm wondering if anyone knows of any hardware/software that would accomplish this? The kicker being that it has to be fairly easy to do. Think "one-touch backup HDD's", but in reverse.

[Jack Rabbit]

DiskXtender would do it though it would be a bit backwards.

EMC DiskXtender Family - File system archving, HSM

It would also cost a mint.

Are you looking at a Windows or a Linux based solution. Why not just have a secretary copy the files to a share?

[Caldezar]

It's a Windows based system, and DiskXtender is completely thwrong way round. I want to get disks on to the network, not transfer files to run from disk.

As for having a secretary do it, the shear volume of the disks negates this. The department cycles through new stuff all the time, so they basically need to maintain it themselves, and they need it to be simple as they're relatively computer illiterate.

[Jack Rabbit]

"create a disk image and upload to the network as a accessible 'drive'"

Can you elaborate on this?

Does it have to make an image? If the users want to see the files then why not just have a folder in a share with all the files in it? If there is an image on the server how will the users access the files?

Does your "iso server" have to make the image and upload it to another server or can the "iso server" serve the files itself?

[Caldezar]

These disks come from all over the place with all sorts of stuff on them. In some cases it's video or files, and in other cases it's actual programs, etc. I don't want this data all lumped together, it's imperative that it all stays organized so that we can cycle it as needed. (IE: keep the last 6 months of received disks on hand all the time.) I was looking for a way to virtually mount the iso's as network accessible drives so that they could just dump the old drives as they need to. I also wanted this to be a relatively simple procedure.

As for just creating folders of the disk contents, there's a huge issue with this: the people maintaining the folders. Asking them to add the contents of a disk to a folder on the network so everyone can access it would make their head explode. And troubleshooting them screwing this procedure up would take more of my time than doing it myself. But I really don't have time to maintain yet another server. Not to mention I don't want people whining to me at all times of the day about how they got another disk in that they 'need' to put on the server now. The problem is, that I have people whining to me at all hours of the day that they 'need' a copy of a disk made because several people want continuous access to it. But I do most of my work for them remotely. So it's a huge pain in the a$$.

I just want them to have a one-touch solution (or as close to it as possible) to getting the info to a location on the network that can be easily maintained. It doesn't matter if it's storage currently on the network, or if I have to build a separate unit and place that on the network. Either would work.

The thing is, I remember that years ago, they had stand alone units that would do this, I just can't remember what they were called. I was hoping that I would post on here and one of the 'wise and aged' server admins from years far gone would say something like: "Oh yeah, I remember those! What you're looking for is called ......"

[Jack Rabbit]

Sorry, I do not have an 'oh yeah' answer for you.

I have used DEX quite a bit and, unless EMC has changed it a lot recently, DEX would do the job. This is not the normal way the software is set up but DEX is old and feature rich enough that it would not be hard to do what you want. It would not be a one click solution but it is not that hard.

Another product you can look at is K-Par Archimedia. Archimedia will also do what you want. The normal UI is not one click, either, but it is simpler than DEX. They also have a wide selection of command line utilities that you could use to roll your own system with a script, VB, or web based app. K-Par is a Canadian company out of Calgary; you might want to call them and explain what you want. They might be able to put you on to one of their OEMs if someone has a product that will fit the bill.

Good luck. I hope someone else has a better answer for you.

[Perineum]

Why not have Daemon tools on each client machine, and a shared drive on a network server with the image on it? I can't think of an easier way than that and I do that now at home.

[Caldezar]

Originally Posted by Perineum

Why not have Daemon tools on each client machine, and a shared drive on a network server with the image on it? I can't think of an easier way than that and I do that now at home.

This is exactly the solution I had come up with as well, and may very well be what I implement. But I'm still stuck at the Library hosts being able to take a disk, create an iso from it, and upload it to the network. I could do this, but it's a huge pain.

@Jack Rabbit - Archimedia looks interesting. Gonna look in to it a bit. Good tip.

[JD]

I'd run VirtualCloneDrive on all the machines that need to access the ISOs. It integrates flawlessly with the OS and is extremely simple to use. They merely need to double click the ISO and it mounts itself. Also it's a totally free program with 0 bloat.

As for getting the discs to ISO, what about Alcohol 120% or PowerISO or something along those lines. They're all fairly simple.

Though if you want to use one of the programs mentioned with a difficult UI, then create an AutoIt script to perform all the necessary clicks.