Noob need helps with its all-in-One server design


mika91

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I'd like my server to offer these following features:

  • File Server
  • Schedule Parity disk (fiable, robust with checksum verification for avoiding silent data corruption)
  • Homegroup Laptop backups
  • DLNA Server
  • uTorrent and/or mldonkey server
  • couchpotato/Sickbeard
  • Plex Media Server (maybe)
  • FTP Server (maybe)
  • XBMC with GPU Hardware Acceleration
  • PowerDVD for bluray playback
  • Light Gaming

 

unRaid with be my FileServer and I'll use windows 7/8 for xbmc and gaming box.

For others servers (DLNA, utorrent, sickbeard, ftp) I have to define where they will best run. (unraid, windows or maybe a small linux?)

 

So let's go with my questions:

[*]Many of you seems to be interrested in ESXi virtualization, but are Llano APU compatibles with ESXi

[*]If I virtualize windows 7, will Video Hardware Acceleration (DXVA) work ? Same with Bluray Software Player?

[*]What about running windows natively, and unRaid as a virtualbox guest?

[*]What is the best: ESXi with unraid and windows virtualized, or native windows with unraid virtualized?

[*]Any performance or consumption significant penalities using virtualization?

[*]Does UnRaid supports "add-ins" and offers DLNA, FTP, Utorrent or other features ?

[*]If not, what is the best approach: add a linux virtual machine providing these services?

 

Any help or advices are welcome.  ;)

thanks

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You are going to have to do some serious research on getting hardware exceleration for gaming in an ESXi machine.

 

I think/know if can be done.  We (Greenleaf) looked into it a while back as a server offering but the market is to small to make it feasible right now and the hardware list was pretty specific if i remember correctly.

 

You should probably be looking at an intel setup with AMD graphics card that can be passed through to the windows guest.  unRAID can be used as a pure file server and you can put everything else under a linux distro of your choice.

 

Your biggest hurdle is going to be the windows 7 gaming and XBMC machine and that is where your research will have to be done.

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Honestly.. I do not think it will be worth the PITA it will take to get it up and running.

I have seen it done. I have talked with the greenleaf guys in the past about this. it was still a bit of a pain. you will also need a second PC to set it all up (nothing fancy).

By the time you get the specific hardware you need, you could almost  build 2 smaller PC's (using what you already have plus new bits)... 1 game/HTPC and one small server.

 

Another option to look into might be windows8 with storage spaces for an all-in-one.. So far I am not impressed with it. but for your needs, it might work.

 

You could also try converting Server 2k8 or 2012 into a workstation and put unraid into a hyper-v session.

some games might not install on 2008 (if its coded to check platform) even after you put all the patches into server to make it work like 7.

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