Personal-Cloud-Storage

Overview

This project aims to create a personal cloud storage server for a firm, solving issues such as accessing important files after hours and preventing data loss due to corrupted or multiple drives.

Problem Statement

The firm faced the following challenges:

• Accessing Files After Hours: Employees needed to retrieve important files from office computers after office hours or late at night.
• Data Loss: Files were occasionally lost due to drive corruption or issues with multiple drives.

Solution

The solution involves setting up a personal cloud storage server with the following steps:

1. Initial Setup:

   • Used an old PC from the office.
   • Installed Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS.
   • Set up Nextcloud for file storage and management.
   • Installed MariaDB as the database server.
   • Configured Apache or Nginx as the web server.

2. Enabling Remote Access:

   • Initially, the server was only accessible within the local network.
   • The ISP provided a dynamic IP, and the router/modem did not support port forwarding.
   • Used Cloudflare Tunnel to enable external access without requiring VPN or similar services.

3. Optimization and Improvements:

   • Docker Integration:
     • Transitioned to using Docker for containerization.
     • Implemented Docker Compose to manage Nextcloud, Cloudflare, MySQL, and the web server.
   • Enhanced Server Management:
     • Switched to TrueNAS for a user-friendly GUI.
     • Configured TrueNAS to be accessible outside the local network using Cloudflare Tunnel, allowing remote server management.

Results

This project successfully provided the firm with:

• A reliable personal cloud storage solution.
• Remote access and management capabilities.
• Improved server performance and management.

Future Enhancements

Potential future improvements include further performance optimization and exploring additional features in TrueNAS.

Installation and Configuration

For detailed setup instructions, refer to:

• INSTALLATION.md

Contributing

Interested in contributing? See CONTRIBUTION.md for guidelines.

Project Status

Track the current state of the project and planned future work in STATUS.md.

References

• Nextcloud setup guide: LinuxLearnTV
• Official Nextcloud AIO Docker Compose file: Nextcloud AIO