hey, I'm going to be sorting out my home network and thinking of setting up a home server and I've been considering my options. I've also recently seen the hp windows home server thingy and I'm very impressed - it's inspired me to a mac solution. My requirements are as follows:
I don't trust hard drives so I want to make use of raid (or I'm thinking maybe a drobo), so I think that rules out time capsule.
Here's what I'm thinking...
option 1
get an airport extreme and two drobos/raid arrays. One would be for time machine and the other would be for storage. Can I connect two HDs to an aebs? and then I wouldn't be able to have itunes streamed to my macs would I?
option2
get a mac mini and use it as a home server (I would connect the same 2 drobos as in option 1). I would also possibly run os x server on the mini as there are a few features of that which appeal. I'm not sure how the mini would be able to manage the time machine backups of the other macs? would this work with standard os x? or would this only work with os x server?
A benefit of going with option 2 is that the mini could also be connected to my hdtv and used as a media player via front row - but if I did go the way of os x server, does this have front row? I doubt it! but could I install it myself? or should I just get an appleTV for that?
I'm thinking option 2 at the moment but I'd like to hear your ideas as it's potentially going to set me back a fair bit. Also, would os x server be overkill? or would it be a good idea?
what do you think?
- Time machine centralised backups for all macs on the network
- centralised file sharing
- itunes server
I don't trust hard drives so I want to make use of raid (or I'm thinking maybe a drobo), so I think that rules out time capsule.
Here's what I'm thinking...
option 1
get an airport extreme and two drobos/raid arrays. One would be for time machine and the other would be for storage. Can I connect two HDs to an aebs? and then I wouldn't be able to have itunes streamed to my macs would I?
option2
get a mac mini and use it as a home server (I would connect the same 2 drobos as in option 1). I would also possibly run os x server on the mini as there are a few features of that which appeal. I'm not sure how the mini would be able to manage the time machine backups of the other macs? would this work with standard os x? or would this only work with os x server?
A benefit of going with option 2 is that the mini could also be connected to my hdtv and used as a media player via front row - but if I did go the way of os x server, does this have front row? I doubt it! but could I install it myself? or should I just get an appleTV for that?
I'm thinking option 2 at the moment but I'd like to hear your ideas as it's potentially going to set me back a fair bit. Also, would os x server be overkill? or would it be a good idea?
what do you think?
