Setting up a distributed file system in Linux: Looking for tips

[goxed]

I want to regularly backup by 24TB data array onto a 30TB distributed file system.
I want to create a 3 x 10TB distributed file system from 3 servers, which I want to mount onto my primary server which has the main data array.
Any tips would be great.

[cedivad]

Yes, use a single server with SAS expanders and so. A distrivuited network filesystem is a mess.
If you can share the files manually among the servers, do it.

[Stardust]

There are a few distributed FS into the Linux Kernel IIRC, but I haven't played with them.  If you want a centralized solution you could setup a RAID5 on the server using mdadm, and share the files with NFS or NBD (network block device).

I wonder if you could create a RAID5 with NBDs, that would be distributed.  Anyway check the all the FS in the kernel, they are there for a reason.