Private NAS solution (long)

Hi all,
looking for some net wisdom:

For my private data (approx 100GB growth expected 20- 50 GB/year) I would
like to use a used industry grade solution (HW RAID, independent
microkernel os, hot swap, no windows) SAN like the Dell PowerVault 6XX or
equivalent to run silently in the cellar and from time to time if a disk
goes bad simply plug in a (used) new one.

I am an engineer for electronics and have written SW and administered VAX
clusters during my university time, I am not afraid of config complexity.

I could get a PV 650F for approx. EUR 300 with 3x36GB inside, no other
sleds in the box (dual spa, dual llc, dual power, no cables and SW come
with it)
I would like to direct attach this via optical FC and a HBA to my PC. (is
this smart?)
Total initial budget EUR 1000.

Over the years I could buy one cheap disk cabinet (PV 630F or 224F w/ PV
660F) after another and expand this storage.


QUESTIONS:
1.) Is this completely weird ?
2.) FC disks are expensive, should I wait for SATA solutions becoming
reasonably priced?
3.) Can I use alternate sources for disks or do I have to buy Dell stuff
(formatting, drive firmware etc.) ?
4.) Can I expect to get what I need (disks, power supplies, cables, HBAs
etc) on the used market over a couple of years?
5.) Are there better/more elegant solutions on the HW side?
6.) Will there be support for FC solutions or is this bus obsolete?
7.) The PV 650F is a rebadged EMC Clariion FC4500, are there any
restricitions (runs only with DELL servers, has to use special formatted
harddisks with DELL firmware etc.)?
8.) Can you point me to good NAS/SAN resources?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Markus

"ML" wrote in message
...
Hi all,
looking for some net wisdom:

Well, good luck.

Meanwhile, if it were I, I'd just use Gigabit Ethernet and a RAIDed NAS
unit, with a TOE at one or both ends if processor load was a significant
consideration - if for no other reason that the possibility that someday I'd
want more than one client connected to it (ever think that you'd like to
take a wireless laptop outdoors on a nice day?).

- bill