Kolmogorov
Well-Known Member
I need some advice setting up a media server that can double as a backup server for personal data, photos, videos, etc.
Bought my old work PC to do this. Specs are:
Lenovo ThinkCentre M91p (link)
CPU: Intel Core i7-2600
GPU: AMD Radeon 5450
RAM: 8GB
HDD: 1x Seagate 500GB; 1x WD 1TB
PCI: 1x PCIe x16; 1x PCIe x1
PSU: No name 280W
OS: Windows 7 Pro (upgraded to Windows 10, although not officially supported)
Made a couple of changes to the PC. Removed GPU (noisy fan and don't need it for the server), added USB 3.1 PCIe x2 card in the PCIe x16 slot (mainly to connect external HDD's that I want to backup the server data to and keep offsite). Added TP-Link T4UH for wi-fi (wired LAN not possible at the moment). Both the current HDD's are dodgy. Will clone OS drive to a spare 2.5. HDD.
My first issue is adding storage. I have 3x WD Red 4TB drives. Unfortunately the MB only has 4 SATA slots (2x SATA3, 1x SATA2; 1x eSATA - I think the eSATA can be used as a normal SATA port). So, do I:
a. Move the OS HDD to the SATA2 port. Add 2x WD Red HDD's to the SATA3 ports and keep 3rd WD Red as a backup should one of the other 2 fail. Add DVD drive to eSATA port to rip CD's/DVD's.
b. Add an expansion/controller card with additional SATA3 ports and connect all 3 WD Red HDD's to it.
The next issue is what type of storage management to get some level of redundancy:
c. Use Windows Storage Spaces (SS). If I go with (a) above, set up SS in mirror mode and get 4TB effective space. My current data sits at about 1TB (photos, series/movies, music), so 4TB should suffice for the next few years. If I go with (b), that means setting up SS in parity mode and get 8TB, but take a hit on write performance.
d. Use on-board RAID controller if I go with (a). Or if I go with (b), RAID5 using the controller card (but from what I read I shouldn't really consider RAID5).
e. Something else (e.g. StableBit Drivepool, FlexRaid), but preferably free and not too difficult to configure.
As to the media server part, I'm pretty set on using Plex. Streaming will be to Android phones/tablets and Chromecast connected to the main TV. Any links to a good setup guide would be appreciated.
Lastly, I'm looking for a way to backup data from Android phones/tablets and other Windows laptops to the server. BitTorrent Sync looks like a good option. Any other suggestions?
Anything else I should consider?
Bought my old work PC to do this. Specs are:
Lenovo ThinkCentre M91p (link)
CPU: Intel Core i7-2600
GPU: AMD Radeon 5450
RAM: 8GB
HDD: 1x Seagate 500GB; 1x WD 1TB
PCI: 1x PCIe x16; 1x PCIe x1
PSU: No name 280W
OS: Windows 7 Pro (upgraded to Windows 10, although not officially supported)
Made a couple of changes to the PC. Removed GPU (noisy fan and don't need it for the server), added USB 3.1 PCIe x2 card in the PCIe x16 slot (mainly to connect external HDD's that I want to backup the server data to and keep offsite). Added TP-Link T4UH for wi-fi (wired LAN not possible at the moment). Both the current HDD's are dodgy. Will clone OS drive to a spare 2.5. HDD.
My first issue is adding storage. I have 3x WD Red 4TB drives. Unfortunately the MB only has 4 SATA slots (2x SATA3, 1x SATA2; 1x eSATA - I think the eSATA can be used as a normal SATA port). So, do I:
a. Move the OS HDD to the SATA2 port. Add 2x WD Red HDD's to the SATA3 ports and keep 3rd WD Red as a backup should one of the other 2 fail. Add DVD drive to eSATA port to rip CD's/DVD's.
b. Add an expansion/controller card with additional SATA3 ports and connect all 3 WD Red HDD's to it.
The next issue is what type of storage management to get some level of redundancy:
c. Use Windows Storage Spaces (SS). If I go with (a) above, set up SS in mirror mode and get 4TB effective space. My current data sits at about 1TB (photos, series/movies, music), so 4TB should suffice for the next few years. If I go with (b), that means setting up SS in parity mode and get 8TB, but take a hit on write performance.
d. Use on-board RAID controller if I go with (a). Or if I go with (b), RAID5 using the controller card (but from what I read I shouldn't really consider RAID5).
e. Something else (e.g. StableBit Drivepool, FlexRaid), but preferably free and not too difficult to configure.
As to the media server part, I'm pretty set on using Plex. Streaming will be to Android phones/tablets and Chromecast connected to the main TV. Any links to a good setup guide would be appreciated.
Lastly, I'm looking for a way to backup data from Android phones/tablets and other Windows laptops to the server. BitTorrent Sync looks like a good option. Any other suggestions?
Anything else I should consider?
