Mac mini as NAS - suitable disk enclosures & disk spin down and app (S/W) availability

[jingo_man]

I am investigating my next home computing solution.

Currently I have an old HP Microserver (might even be Gen1, maybe Gen2!), running Ubuntu, which has been brilliant. It runs home server functions, like DNS, DHCP and stuff. The 4-slot disk bay is full of WD Red disks, and is split between a "Data" and "Media" partition. It runs a number of different applications - a typical MySQL DB used as a general store for anything that needs it and the other big platform is a single instance Docker, with a whole bunch of containers of mostly pre-defined functions such as my Calibre book library, downloading agents, custom written websites as NGINX or Apache containers, a VPN server container, etc. I also have an open source "sync & share" object file system, Seafile, with a container front end, MySQL backend and a middleware app running natively on the Ubuntu O/S. These all use the "Data" disk partition. "Media" is very large with all the iTunes library as well as a Movie & TV store for OSMC / Kodi / Apple TV usage and is not much more than a typical network file share.

Options are:

1. New HP Microserver - Gen10 looks very interesting, like the form factor, runs fairly efficiently. But Ubuntu, or any other O/S, requires maintenance.
2. Synology NAS - likely simpler management than Microserver, but unsure about the availability and suitability of all apps I need. If an app is available (MySQL or Docker in particular), what version and configuration is available through packaged apps? Anything needed to run natively, is there an app available? Are the Synology-native equivalent of the apps any good? i.e. it has the Diskstation or Cloud Station to replace Seafile.
3. Mac mini (M1) - like this idea as would solve some other problems for me, such as an Xcode platform for app dev work I attempt. Plus all the above. But has its own maintenance overhead. And complications with the ARM transition for the apps available.

But with a Mac mini, what options are recommended for attaching a large disk configuration? It would likely be placed in my home office where I regularly work, but has the large screen, etc. Concerned about the noise of any external disk enclosure(s) and the efficiency of this kind of setup. Also considering if 2x 2-bay units would be better, 1 each for Data and Media partitions, but would it spin down the Media disks (and be quieter) if they weren't in active use by a media player? The file share would always be available of course.

What options would it have for the applications I need? Docker is available, but it would be limited to ARM-based containers. MySQL seems possible, via Homebrew, though not officially supported(?). Are there file sync & share options available? What about remote access / VPN options?