NAS systems don’t have to be pricey anymore - at least on Linux.
Free NAS (Network-Attached Storage) server, is based on m0n0wall and supports: CIFS (samba), FTP, NFS, AFP, RSYNC, iSCSI protocols, S.M.A.R.T., local user authentication, Software RAID (0,1,5) and has a Full WEB configuration interface. FreeNAS takes less than 32MB once installed on Compact Flash, hard drive or USB key. There is also a VMWare disk image available.
Learn more about Network Attached Storage here.