Building a scalable system for a robust distributed storage is a challenge. It is an iterative process.
What could you use for a first prototype for a distributed storage system? We had a shoe box laying around and started experimenting with. The result was a first proof of concept made out of a cardboard box and a lot of zip ties. Our goal was to build a system not larger than a shoe box and to use easily available, consumer grade equipment .
A cardboard box is not robust and long lasting. So we started designing our next prototype by leveraging Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools. With our drawings we played around with 3D printing and metal sheets. The goal was to have a producible design, which fits our needs. However, cutting metal sheets yourself is a tedious and error prone process. Another drawback of this design is the slow 3D printing. With these learnings we changed to new material and different layout.
Would could go wrong by buying wood planks and then cutting them in predefined sheets? This sounds good at the beginning. Wood is a sturdy and relatively easy to process. However, temperature differences and moisture caused the wood to bend. It is natural product and has its drawbacks. The inside of this prototype is made of 3D printed components to hold the HDD drives.
Our current prototype is completely designed in CAD and cut with a laser cutter from an acrylic sheet. The goal is to reduce special components like screws and electronics. All plates of this prototype are either connected with one screw type or magnets.