I was very lucky. Someone on a forum I'm active on was offering a free server and I was going to be in the area the next day. I took the train an extra station and picked up the HP Proliant ML110 G7. I almost broke my toe trying to carry the server in one hand and a coffee in the other but it was worth it. I've been looking at FreeNAS ZFS, OpenMediaVault, unRAID and XPEnology. I have the hardware for FreeNAS but I'm not sure it is suited for my needs. Also, a RAID array seems like it is difficult and slow to expand. I'm thinking that OMV and unRAID are probably the two best choices.
I have 3x3TB DT01ACA300 in my main rig. I will be moving two or three of these into the server after it is set up so I can move my desktop into an ITX case. My plan is to gradually expand its storage capacity as 5-8TB externals go on sale and I can afford it. I need a flexible system that will pool the drives into a single volume and allow me to swap individual drives for larger capacities. I can't afford parity right now and will back up important data to an external. Most data is not that important. I have a SanDisk Ultra Fit 32GB, a Transcend Ultimate 32GB SDcard (which can plug into the MB) or I can pick up a cheap SATA SSD 64-128GB with TRIM if needed.
Specs: Xeon E3-1220@3.10GHz, 16GB ECC, 2x 300GB SAS & x2 250GB SATA, P410
Why I want a server:
- move torrent seeding off my desktop because seeding a massive bank of torrents is resource intensive.
- share files to my wife's Macbook pro because it doesn't like Windows file sharing and her external keeps disconnecting.
- share kids show to the TV so that I don't need to run them from my desktop with extended display mode.
Wants/Needs:
- low maintenance
- easy to use GUI
- headless operation after initial setup
- easy to expand capacity
- support for Sonarr, transmission/rtorrent, PLEX and headphones
- reliable file share with Windows 10 and OSX
I know that the Xeon E3-1220 and 16GB ECC give me a lot of options ... too many options. Have built computers and I'm moderately savvy with windows and basic networking. I will be picking up an 8-port unmanaged switch for the servers dual ethernet ports. I've been trying to read up on comparisons but I can't follow most of the discussion and it seems that the information can quickly become outdated.