Server Setup Suggestions OS and hardware choices are crucial for reliable backup systems.
Server Setup Suggestions OS and hardware choices are crucial for reliable backup systems.
Regarding family matters: I don’t notice any relatives working in the IT field. One is studying psychology, another is a doctor or medical professional, and the third is a girl—sorry, that’s a stereotype.
For a NAS/server you might want OpenMediaVault. It offers a pleasant WebUI and numerous helpful plugins with dedicated interfaces (including official and via the omv-extra repo). You can explore their forums for guidance on setting up backups.
FreeNas and OMV are NAS options, perfect for backups but require another device with web UI access. I've used FreeNas versions 0.6 and 0.7 for five years without much effort. I configured all client document locations to the NAS drive, which lacks hardware RAID, so you'd need to rely on software RAID instead. It doesn't really matter. I recommend starting with WHS and conducting thorough tests and trials based on your client needs. The most frequent issue is improper usage—like turning off the computer during a backup process.
Operating System: Choose Ubuntu Server LTS (with or without DE). Suggest upgrading to an SSD for speed. Benefits include clear documentation, fast server setup tools like tasksel, and ZFS support for robust drive management (e.g., 3 x 1TB drives = 2GB usable space). This setup handles a single hdd failure and simplifies future upgrades. You can expand storage later by adding more drives. Reason: Ubuntu offers extensive resources to quickly configure servers, and ZFS provides resilience against hardware issues. Upgrading to an i5 processor with 16GB RAM enhances performance for virtual environments like KVM, making the system adaptable for future changes. Consider using a PCIe Ethernet card to support regular snapshots, ensuring reliable backups via onboard LAN.