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Ideal File Server / 360 Media Streaming Setup (Hardware/Software)

F

Falk3r

Junior Member
I feel part of an under-served, niche market here. I have a 360 I use as my primary content provider (gaming, Netflix, disc-based media) and I've experimented with streaming media from another desktop PC in the house with limited success. I also have a need for a file-server with some level of redundancy (RAID) for file security. Why not combine the two?

My solution is to build a server utilizing mid-grade desktop components, a RAID controller card or two, and a bunch of HDDs running some software to push that content via UPnP to the 360.

Hardware Concerns:

Software Concerns:
  • What OS?
  • RAID 6

It looks like the Supermicro RAID controller requires an OS supported RAID. Acknowledging that my primary concerns are a HDD-failure-proof storage and streaming HD video/audio content through my 360, should I pursue Windows Home Server software, Windows 2000, Windows 7, Ubuntu... etc?

Alternatively, I could upgrade the $100 Supermicro controller to a hardware-based RAID controller ($500) and free up more options? Apologies, I'm a RAID newbie... any advice is appreciated.

Other Misc Info:
  • Usage: Store Securely, Stream Video/Audio
  • Budget: $2000
  • Country: United States
  • Overclocked: No
  • Schedule: 3Q 2010
 
Unless you actually have a rack, do NOT buy a rackmount chassis. It'll be large, loud, heavy, and just generally obnoxious. Get a normal tower chassis instead.

I don't really see the advantage of that card over the controller integrated into the chipset unless a "bunch" of HDDs means "more than there are SATA ports on the motherboard". Also, the Windows software RAID is horrendous. By contrast, Linux software RAID is excellent. Of course, this is moot if you buy a hardware RAID card.

You have quite a bit of a budget, but you could probably do what you want with about half of that if you go with an AMD platform, Linux, and 5 of whatever drive is the best $/GB today.

Also, and this is the most important point of the entire post, RAID is not a replacement for a proper backup solution. The purpose of RAID is to maximize availability, not to protect files. Remember, RAID only protects against hardware failure, and offers absolutely no protection against intentional, accidental, or malicious changes.

EDIT: I see now that you want to go with 8 1.5TB HDDs. That'll run you about $71/TB and 9TB usable. If you instead went with 2TB drives, you would be looking at $73/TB 12TB usable. I think you should probably go with 2TB drives, especially considering your budget. With 8 drives, you probably do want to get a controller card. Sorry I didn't see that earlier. My point about getting a hardware RAID card if you want to run Windows still stands.
 
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Yeah, I have a rack far 'n away (basement) from any living spaces so noise and bulk are of zero concern.

Yes, I've done some Windows Media Center testing... that is definitely an option, so long as WMC is based on a healthy RAID6 setup. The question posited here is... is that the BEST method?
 
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