[bknoll22]


Hi everyone. I first want to say I apologize if I'm able to find this information elsewhere, I have been doing a lot of research and it has become information overload with all the different options available. My primary goal is to build a media server with a secondary goal of setting up a domain server (this is mainly to play around with things like group policies, roaming profiles, web server stuff). I'm a pretty good with software but when it comes to hardware I'm pretty much a beginner with the exception of having put together a few gaming PCs. so here is what I have so far. All of this is subject to scrutiny, please feel free to say some of these are stupid ideas or lead me in a new direction.

 

• Main Goal (Media Server)
  • Currently have 3 3-TB HDDS  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148844
  • Planning on Raid5 (Going to put OS on separate drive)
  • Have Raspberry Pi as client
    • using XBMC (can be swayed)
  • Need to be able to stream blu-rays with wired connection

 

 

• Secondary Goal (Domain Server)
  • Thinking Windows Server
    • Have Media Server be a virtual server running off Windows?

 

If more information is needed let me know. I having about a hundred options running through my head and so I wanted to sound like a raving madman. Any help for hardware and software will be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks!

 

[funhouse69]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bknoll22  /t/1520193/need-help-building-a-media-server#post_24418860

 

Hi everyone. I first want to say I apologize if I'm able to find this information elsewhere, I have been doing a lot of research and it has become information overload with all the different options available. My primary goal is to build a media server with a secondary goal of setting up a domain server (this is mainly to play around with things like group policies, roaming profiles, web server stuff). I'm a pretty good with software but when it comes to hardware I'm pretty much a beginner with the exception of having put together a few gaming PCs. so here is what I have so far. All of this is subject to scrutiny, please feel free to say some of these are stupid ideas or lead me in a new direction.

 

• Main Goal (Media Server)
  • Currently have 3 3-TB HDDS  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148844
  • Planning on Raid5 (Going to put OS on separate drive)
  • Have Raspberry Pi as client
    • using XBMC (can be swayed)
  • Need to be able to stream blu-rays with wired connection

 

 

• Secondary Goal (Domain Server)
  • Thinking Windows Server
    • Have Media Server be a virtual server running off Windows?

 

If more information is needed let me know. I having about a hundred options running through my head and so I wanted to sound like a raving madman. Any help for hardware and software will be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks!

Not really sure what you are asking here... Do you already have a system that you are going to use as the Server / add the hard drives to?

 

What type of Operating System are you planning on using? If you want to set up a Windows Domain you need to get a version of Windows Server which is expensive especially for home use. I am not sure if Windows Home Server supports domains and the OS itself was discontinued by Microsoft many years ago although you can still get it through distributors.

 

How do you plan on implementing your RAID through Software or Hardware?

 

You won't really be "Streaming" your media to your player you will just be serving it to your client(s) through a Network Share which can be done with pretty much any operating system and does not need to be a "Server". Streaming would be encoding it to a different format for the clients / players.

 

If you've built some gaming systems you have pretty much already built servers, the only difference would be the operating system. Sure you can get in to more robust hardware like redundant power supplies, hotswap drive bays and Error Correcting Memory but none of that is needed for a Home Server unless of course you want it / can afford it.

 

Any even remotely recent system will be able to store / play blu-ray files over a network connection to several players without issue. I would strongly recommend a wired network as wireless is great but so many things can interfere with it / take away from the reliability of the connection.