Server OS
Server OS
You're looking for a setup that meets several needs: a fileserver, Windows SQL databases, media streaming, web apps, and TV connectivity. Considering your requirements, Windows Server 2019 or later seems most suitable. It offers robust support for both file sharing and web services. For the media center and streaming, you could use Windows Media Center or integrate it with third-party solutions. If you need virtual servers, consider using Hyper-V or VMware. Since you have access to Windows Server editions at university, leveraging those would be ideal. For a Linux fileserver, you might explore options like Proxmox or Docker containers running lightweight Linux environments.
I would personally utilize ESXi or any other hypervisor of your selection and operate VMs for each requirement.
It was mainly a recommendation. I understand that future versions offer improved speed, but this setup was straightforward and worked well for the server.
Using Dreamspark Premium we can deploy Windows Server 2012 R2 with virtualization or hypervisor capabilities. It's feasible to run a virtual machine on the server and utilize it as your media center while having a Windows Server or FreeNAS operating in the background. For the operating system, Ubuntu or ESXi are recommended options. Hyper-V could also achieve similar results. Do you have access to these tools?
Ubuntu is also quite straightforward to configure. You can launch the desktop with a single command, which means you don’t have to rely solely on the command line. Alternatively, you could install the desktop edition and then add server packages later, though most guides suggest starting with the server OS for optimal results. Ubuntu will handle these challenges without requiring virtual machines. The installation and upkeep will be much simpler, and the support network is exceptional—there’s plenty of documentation and online assistance available.
These recommendations include ESXi, CentOS, and similar OSes. They range from standard operating systems like Ubuntu and Windows to virtualization platforms such as Parallels or VirtualBox. Some virtual machines even support booting directly into the guest environment, including options like Unraid. However, I don’t have access to a setup with three GPUs in my rack.