[protocol77]

Currently This is my Server




it is an Old Intel Q8400 Quad-Core and 4gb DDR3 1333mhz ram that i used to have before i upgraded around this time i started to get into xbmc and HTPC's so i decided to turn this old PC into a Server and over time have bought a few bits and pieces for it here and there but now i have run out of SATA Ports on the MOBO and on Raid Cards so looking over other peoples designs i came across one that appeared to have a bunch of external Drive Bays Holding Several Drives and Then connected via a Cable to a Central Basic PC for it to have LAN shares setup and distribute the content

now looking at a lot of these NAS Devices most are quite expensive but seeing as i don't use a RAID setup i simply do regular backups to offline Drives seen here



i looked into non-raid alternatives and then i came across some USB 3.0 HDD Enclosures and they were cheaper than the Professional NAS devices and offered me the option of RAID or NON Raid basically they are large external hard drives and work the same so i found this one



it can hold up to 8x 4TB Drives (so 32TB Of Storage )

now my current server has around 10 drives but that is because two are 1TB drives and 1x 2.5 Laptop Drive For OS

so i was thinking of getting at least one of these or even the 4 bay model which is significantly cheaper

this one in particular

http://www.hornettek.com/hdd-enclosure/3...se-4x.html

and then building a small mini-ITX PC that has a bunch of USB 3.0 Ports on it and room for additional Ports via a PCI-e Card and using that as a Media Processor and Distributer to my HTPC's (3 in total) i would run the USB 3.0 cable which is capable of speeds around 5gbps to the PC and then from the PC via ethernet to my Billion 7800n Gigabit Router (As seen in first picture) and then across my network as normal

for the Mini-Pc i am thinking maybe a Intel Core i3 3220T which is a 35w Ivy-Bridge Dual Core and 4gb DDR3 ram this i think should be sufficient


So would love to hear thoughts from people here if there is anything they would change or add to this

i am mainly doing this for a few reasons

1. I have run out of Sata Ports and SATA Power Adapters on my PSU (and the splitters don't work very well trust me i have tried them)
2. To have easier access to the drives and Hot Swapping
3. It's would be a fun project to do

[thethirdnut]

Why don't you aim for:

primary storage:
some type of RAID (or better)

secondary storage / backup:
JBOD - with those external enclosures you show if they support it

Managing all those discrete disks must be a nightmare...pooling your storage will make your life MUCH easier.

[protocol77]

Why don't you aim for:

primary storage:
some type of RAID (or better)

secondary storage / backup:
JBOD - with those external enclosures you show if they support it

Managing all those discrete disks must be a nightmare...pooling your storage will make your life MUCH easier.

actually it is not really a problem as all but 3 drives (1 Movie Drive and Two TV Show Drives) are full so i performed a final backup and they have don't need any more backing up as they are at full capacity so i basically put 3 drives total into my Docking station built in my case then run a program called FreeFileSync it scans and computers the drive on the server with the corresponding drive on the docking station that takes about 30 seconds then it displays what is new or updated or changed i then hit start and it copies over or overwrites or deletes so they both are mirrored this takes on average about 5-10 minutes per drive i usually do it whilst i am doing other things online

i perform this task every week or two depending on how much i get in one particular week so at most if the drive dies in the server i only lose one weeks worth of stuff


the idea of raid sounds okay until you have to rebuild an array or change drives in and out i believe my method is easier if one of my drives dies i buy another one then put that in the server then put the backup drive in the docking station then simply copy all the stuff back onto it and it is ready to go no reliance on any third party software or components just a simply copy and paste

[Cocophone]

Option #2

Drive fails. Go buy a large quantity of your favorite alcoholic beverage. Tell your wife (or significant other) and other family members that the server died and you must rebuild it. Enjoy your time alone for the next few days!