QNAP vs Synology for collaboration on documents

[Islander516]

I am looking to choose between QNAP and Synology for a NAS that will be used on a job site as a mobile server for collaboration on documents, spread sheets, power points. Does anyone have an opinion on one vs the other with regards to collaboration on those types of documents?

We had previously used SharePoint where users could easily open the file in word/excel makes changes and then automatically save back to the SharePoint. Does either NAS have any type of integration with the MS programs so that you can open them, make changes and automatically save them using the web access to the drive? I believe this shouldn't be an issue for users that are able to network the NAS as a drive, however some users will only have access through the shared website. I assume in this case they will need to download the file make changes and then upload.

 

[USAFRet]

DIsclaimer:
I do SharePoint dev and admin at work, and have a Qnap TS-453a at home.

Either would work.
I have this QNAP TS-453a, but I see no reason why a similar Synology would not do the trick.

The OS in these are Linux based, and don't talk to MS files with the same deep integration as a SharePoint server would.

But the Qnap I have can easily run a Windows OS in a VM. That was one of the reasons I bought this particular one.
This could host your SharePoint instance, allowing all the same collaboration as before.

 

[Islander516]

Thanks,

I think we are looking to avoid using SharePoint altogether and just edit the files directly on the NAS. I'm the only IT'ish guy at work and from what I've been hearing and dealt with a little bit is that SharePoint can be pretty needy on the admin side.

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks,

I think we are looking to avoid using SharePoint altogether and just edit the files directly on the NAS. I'm the only IT'ish guy at work and from what I've been hearing and dealt with a little bit is that SharePoint can be pretty needy on the admin side.

Right.
SP can get a bit hairy, very quickly...
Just for reference, we have a user community of 150,000+ on our SP farm...lol.


So, the NAS box.
I just tried creating and editing a Word doc from my main system (Windows), saved on the QNAP. (Folder on the NAS as just another mapped drive letter in Windows)
Then open and edit.

The Windows system sees it as just another drive. Edits are seamless...just like if the file was on the local Windows box.
Of course, you can't have 2 people editing the same file at the same time.

This Word doc lives directly on the NAS, as a single authoritative source. And anyone with the proper permissions to that location can access, edit, save.


And you have all the other benefits a dedicated NAS box brings.
Built in RAID if desired, automated backups to another drive or a whole different NAS box.

 

[Islander516]

Awesome thanks. I assume when you access the NAS by the web address you need to download the file and then upload correct?

 

[USAFRet]

Awesome thanks. I assume when you access the NAS by the web address you need to download the file and then upload correct?

Actually, no.
Once your client Windows system is talking to the NAS box, you can map a drive letter to a particular folder in the box.
After that, your Windows system sees it as just another drive/folder.

Doubleclick the Word doc (or Excel, whatever), and it just opens natively, directly in Word.
Read, edit, save...it saves back to that location.
Windows and Office does not care that the drive/folder/file lives in a whole different system. Even if it is a Linux based box.

If you access the file through the browser based Qnap access or IP address, then yes. You'd have to download the file, do what you want, and then reupload it.

But accessing it through a mapped drive letter in Windows Explorer....just like if it was a strictly local file.
For instance, between my client systems here, a drive mapped as 'S' (S for Shared) saves to the same folder on the NAS, from whichever PC.

Backups pushed from the PC's go to the respective Z drive. Which is simply different folders on the NAS.
My Z drive is a different folder than the Z drive on my wifes system.

 

[Islander516]

Great, Thanks again.

Have a good one.