How are you using unRAID Server?

[srj.1209]

HTPC:

Windows 7 + XBMC on a core i5 hp8440p laptop with 4 GB memory is my choice for HTPC. This has NVidia 3100M graphics and connected to a Pioneer SC 1222-K receiver.

 

Data Streaming:

Plan to use a server to stream movies, music, home Videos and pictures to HTPC. Also want to use this as a backup solution to other laptops and desktops in the house. I will also backup my home videos and pictures to blu-ray media and store it off-site.

 

Server Hardware:

I have a core i3 2120T processor + 8 GB memory (can expand up to 16 GB); EVGA motherboard for P67 chipset (supporting Sandy Bridge processor) with 2x 1GB built-in LAN ports. Network including switches and router are all 1GB level.

 

I plan to buy 2x or at the most, 3x 2TB hard drives (WD NAS a.k.a. Red) to start and if and when I fill them up, go for new ones. Since they are just movies, I can afford to have problems but like to avoid recreating all those images (2 TB worth), if a drive goes bad.

 

I am experienced in various flavors of Unix and Linux, but am not sure which one to use as an OS for a home Server. Currently the options I am considering are -

1. unRAID

2. FreeBSD + ZFS with Raidz1

3. FreeNAS + ZFS with Raidz1

4. Windows8

I have gone through many threads throughout the web and the discussions get quite hot even to the point of abuse, but there is no clear discussion as to pros and cons of each of these OSs for home NAS for the above purpose.

 

I would very much appreciate if you gents can help me out with this decision. I am stuck with the hardware as I already have this, but can change either the HDs, OS or both.

[badboyz]

HTPC:

Windows 7 + XBMC on a core i5 hp8440p laptop with 4 GB memory is my choice for HTPC. This has NVidia 3100M graphics and connected to a Pioneer SC 1222-K receiver.

 

Data Streaming:

Plan to use a server to stream movies, music, home Videos and pictures to HTPC. Also want to use this as a backup solution to other laptops and desktops in the house. I will also backup my home videos and pictures to blu-ray media and store it off-site.

 

Server Hardware:

I have a core i3 2120T processor + 8 GB memory (can expand up to 16 GB); EVGA motherboard for P67 chipset (supporting Sandy Bridge processor) with 2x 1GB built-in LAN ports. Network including switches and router are all 1GB level.

 

I plan to buy 2x or at the most, 3x 2TB hard drives (WD NAS a.k.a. Red) to start and if and when I fill them up, go for new ones. Since they are just movies, I can afford to have problems but like to avoid recreating all those images (2 TB worth), if a drive goes bad.

 

I am experienced in various flavors of Unix and Linux, but am not sure which one to use as an OS for a home Server. Currently the options I am considering are -

1. unRAID

2. FreeBSD + ZFS with Raidz1

3. FreeNAS + ZFS with Raidz1

4. Windows8

I have gone through many threads throughout the web and the discussions get quite hot even to the point of abuse, but there is no clear discussion as to pros and cons of each of these OSs for home NAS for the above purpose.

 

I would very much appreciate if you gents can help me out with this decision. I am stuck with the hardware as I already have this, but can change either the HDs, OS or both.

 

I picked unRaid because you can mix drive sizes and add just 1 at a time.  FreeNAS you have to add at least 2 drives at a time and they have to be all the same size or your wasting space because its limited to the smallest drive in the array.  I havent looked at freebsd and windows just seems like a bad idea...

 

[Output]

Im running my unraid server in a exsi environment, this way I kan keep unraid more or less stock (got unmenu 1.6 on it), and any other features I run in another VW since I want unraid to be rock solid. 95% is ripped dvd and blueray movies but I also keep documents, music and photos on it. For me robustness is more important than features.

[redlaws]

media server & backup

[nacat78]

Currently using as a NAS media server for WDTV Boxes, Smart TVs, and Ipads -  looking at virtualizing it and getting a 24 drive enclosure to add more hardware and drives. 

[zachgotnosauce]

I use it as a headless crashplan server and a storage system.  And that's about it.

 

I'd love to use it against HTPC stuff but honestly I don't have the time or value my time enough to stay on top of that mess.  I used to have a NES box with a pc stuffed in it but donated that to a church - it has been their active directory server for nearly 8 years!

 

I do have XBMC on a raspberry pi that can technically play media resources from it, but hardly ever do.  Same for the PS3 / plex approach.

 

I would love to see owncloud get some love or that plugin for it reappear so I could integrate.  Seems like a great frontend for my files.  Windows doesn't want to index these drives and my computers are to mobile anyway to do such a thing.

[bigernie71]

Unraid server for Video, Picture, Music, documents, and backup to/for:

Ununtu 13.10 (XBMC)

Windows 8.1 (XBMC)

Android Nettop (XBMC)

Music / Video to various phones/computers using Subsonic

Music to Android phones and tablets using Squeeze server

 

 

[megz]

 

 

I am experienced in various flavors of Unix and Linux, but am not sure which one to use as an OS for a home Server. Currently the options I am considering are -

1. unRAID

2. FreeBSD + ZFS with Raidz1

3. FreeNAS + ZFS with Raidz1

4. Windows8

I have gone through many threads throughout the web and the discussions get quite hot even to the point of abuse, but there is no clear discussion as to pros and cons of each of these OSs for home NAS for the above purpose.

 

I would very much appreciate if you gents can help me out with this decision. I am stuck with the hardware as I already have this, but can change either the HDs, OS or both.

 

its a tough one, but remember that ZFS as much as it kicks ass.. it can kick you in the ass too. If for some reason the pool is messed up your screwed,if you want to add drives they have to be same size (not a problem for me) but you need to create new pools as you expand, again not a big deal but then you have two pools or perhaps three..and if things go wrong which physical disc resides in which pool? which one do you pull from the server..

 

ZFS are for pro's in some senses, people with a proper grasp and management of all aspects of a server build. Not knocking that, but i tend to live in a less clean world where things go wrong like usb pens dying and discs somehow i pull the wrong one by mistake.

 

in the end unraid for all its currently limited feature set is so blindingly simple its actually dull ! just put the pen in the drive add the discs and add a parity, if all fails..

 

motherboard,

ram,

disc,

pci card,

usb pen,

 

you can STILL get your data by booting into a compatible linux distro and copying the raw visible files to new discs manually.. which is its single greatest feature.

 

the last thing you want is to be sat at an inevitble flashing command screen with some obscure bsd,linux message and not a cats chance to understand it when all you wanted to do was stream so movies and music.

 

go large.. but keep it simple..  because im stupid     

 

[BobPhoenix]

you can STILL get your data by booting into a compatible linux distro and copying the raw visible files to new discs manually.. which is its single greatest feature.

While completely true I would just boot up the free version of unRAID and mount up to 2 disks at a time to access the data.  Also there are programs for Windows that can be used to read a reiserfs disk as well.  All this assumes I can't just wait for a replacement key from limetech to be emailed/delivered.

[megz]

you can STILL get your data by booting into a compatible linux distro and copying the raw visible files to new discs manually.. which is its single greatest feature.

While completely true I would just boot up the free version of unRAID and mount up to 2 disks at a time to access the data.  Also there are programs for Windows that can be used to read a reiserfs disk as well.  All this assumes I can't just wait for a replacement key from limetech to be emailed/delivered.

 

true.

 

 

 

 

[o9r1sh]

I've only just begun using unRAID about 3 months ago. I pretty much store everything on it.

 

Movies

Music

TV Shows

MMA Figths

Documentaries

Pictures

Game Roms

 

All being served up to 4 XBMC installs.

 

I also install all my PC Games to the server so they can be accessed and played by anyone on the home network without the need to install.

 

Same goes for my emulators.

 

I was very surprised how well streaming games from unraid works. Even a beast of a game like Wolfenstein which weighs in at over 40 gigs play flawlessly.

[RageInvader]

Using mine for Plex Media server running on a Mac Mini, with plexconnect serving 4 apple tv's.

[Dallas.toth]

Free Cloud Sync work around. I don't need the entire Setup in the cloud only some items that are very important like Pictures (in-case of Fire).

I have UNraid with BTSync to a folder on another Computer on my network with read/write.. Then I Cloud Sync that folder on my workstation to Tencent Micro-Cloud free 10Tb.

[EvilSpice]

1. Plex Media Server, hosting all my video and music collections, and streaming them in the home to my PS3 in the living room and an android TV dongle in the bedroom. Also streaming to mobile devices (i have a plex pass subscription)

 

2. store my picture collection

 

3. backups of my pc's

 

4. run a copy of windows 8.1 on xen, plan to use as my desktop once i get a radeon card to passthrough

 

5. Transmission torrent downloads - using a chrome extension i can one-click start a torrent download from magnet links. it's awesome. (Remote torrent adder)

 

6. owncloud (planned, eventually i'll get it to work)

 

7. ubooquity - ebook and comic books server

 

PS

 

Love v6. what an improvement.

[ChuckTSI]

Unraid gave me the oppotunity to work on a cool big case:

 

 

Until Unraid 6, it was pretty bare bones.  The new setup does a little more using docker.

 

Main Function:  Storage for Snapshots of Project Work, Backups and Media.  (@ 23TB w/ 8 slots left )

New digital cameras are using 200Gigs of Photos / wedding >.<

 

Seeing this box is on 24/7, made sense to:

Secondary Function (Dockers): ruTorrent (seeding only), Plex media server, MariaDB server (for xbmc media found on localhost), ownCloud.

 

I was going merge every service I have running into Unraid, but I realized it if ever went down, I didn't want critical services like hosting, custom scripts for remote syncs and VMs to go down with it.

 

My new plan is getting an offsite unraid mirror set up.

Also, with drive sizes getting larger. Maybe fit 40TB into this instead.

[carolyn6]

media server