Microservers

[Streeteh]

Hi guys,

I've been looking into some form of RAID setup to give me more data security (at present I've no real form of protection against hardware failure). This led me to look at NAS drives, but from there i've started to look at Microservers. These seem like far better value for money to me, you end up with a system that has a larger HDD capacity, room for expansion with ram and a faster processor all bundled in. Am i right in thinking with a NAS you are simply paying extra for simplicity and ease of use?

The issue comes down to software. What are some of the more popular operating systems to set up a file server on your home network? Is there anywhere i could find a guide to help me configure it etc?

Also, i'm currently looking at the HP Proliant N36L MicroServer, it seems like a good bundle. Is there anything else that would offer better value for money? I'd like something that i can invest in two drives, but expand the number of drives at a later date without having to reformat them, is this even possible? I know so little about Raid.

Thanks for any advice that can be given.

 

[Streeteh]

Thanks gents. Will look into the NL40 instead.

Are there any good guides for running/maintaining a raid setup on Windows server 2011 or is it a matter of learn by doing?

 

[Streeteh]

At present it'll be used a storage backup and to run newsgroups/torrent overnight. In the future I will likely hook it straight up to my TV (my pc is currently in the same room, however when i move i aim to have the PC in a study) and run XBMC/similar. I'd also run a music server on it in the future.

Storage is my biggest issue tbh, as my capacity usage constantly grows. The RAID1 limitation is a bit of a concern, i was under the impression you could expand RAID5 by swapping out drives which would be better for my needs.