Couple years ago I digitized my DVD library, put it all on KODI (then XBMC).  I showed my dad, he thought it was such a great system that he's asked me to digitize his DVD library onto external USB HDD.  He still has more movies to digitize but has run out of space on the drive so he's looking to get multiple drives.  Last year I joined unRAID and really like it.  I'm considering building an unraid machine for him. My parents live in another state, I only get over there to visit every couple of years. Since unRAID doesn't require a console, I could manage it remotely. 

On the other hand, I'm only in front of the computer for a couple hours at night and already have enough computer related work to do. I'm reluctant to give myself another responsibility maintaining his system too.  Dad is basically computer competent but not to the point of ultimately managing it himself.

 

Any advise for off-site unRAID management?

Anyone managing an unRAID HTPC for anyone else?

 

PS.  THANKS to everyone who contributes to the software products that allow us to have HTPCs!  It's something I conceptually knew was possible 15 years ago but wasn't tech enough to make happen. This and other communities of programmers are REALLY appreciated by people like me who can see the opportunity but don't have the talent or drive to actually make it happen.

unRAID isn't a HTPC it's a NAS.

 

Personally, if you can only get on-site every couple of years I wouldn't do it.

 

But if you do, I would make sure the server you build has IPMI and his router has an OpenVPN server setup.  The reason I say setup a VPN server on the router is that at least then you can "get to it" even if the unRAID box is down.

Yea sorry to imply unRAID alone is HTPC.  I meant as a central storage for HTPC.

 

thanks for the VPN idea.  I'll need to look up IPMI

Teamviewer

Teamviewer

$809 for a 1 user license?

Teamviewer is free for personal use. A lot of us use it. It will let you remote control another PC on the other end and then you can do anything you would do as if you were sitting there.