Looking for a stable solution for Time Machine, Plex and Owncloud or BtSync

[almarma]

Hi everybody,

 

It has come the time to build my storage server and I'm going crazy researching for different options since the last week. My network consists of:

- 3 Macs (2 Macbooks for work)

- 1 Mac Mini Server, with 3 USB Harddisk connected and OSX Server (Yosemite).

 

What I need:

- Cheap and simple mainboard and processor (I think for my environment it's and obscenity and not necessary to have an i7).

- Between 4 and 6 harddisks

- Something reliable and stable, that I don't need to keep checking or worrying about.

- I have a UPS with USB connection (APC) which I want to use on the server, so it can automatically shutdown properly and turn on again when power comes back (I live in the North of Norway, and it happens 4 or 5 times per year during the winter )

 

Software:

- Time Machine backups (unless there's a way to let the Mac Mini keep doing it, but saving the backups on the UR server.

- Plex server (again, unless I can keep using the Mac Mini as server, watching the remote folders from the UR server

- Transmission (with the same question about remote access).

- iTunes library (maybe also using the Mini as player (I also use Airplay to send music to different speakers).

 

I've been researching about unRAID and also FlexRAID. This one I think is much more complicate even when it looks easier at the first look, because I need a Windows license, and I don't like Windows as server (only making it visible on the local network and sharing a folder for a specific user and password with the other Macs is a pain in the ass, not mentioning virus, updates, drivers, and many other things to worry about).

 

But the thing that stops me about unRAID is the plugins way of doing things. Is it stable to use a plugin for Plex, Transmission, or Owncloud? Or it is better/possible to let it only server files, and keep using the Mac Mini as a server?

 

Is unRAID a good solution for me? Does anybody else has experience with this situation? Any comments or concerns I should worry about?

 

Thanks in advance!

[barakthecat]

Hopefully this isn't too late a reply for you, but I am using unRAID in a similar setup to what you are requesting. I have two MacBooks and a Windows 7 machine on my network. The two Macs backup using Time Machine to the unRAID server. I have Transmission running via Docker on the unRAID server. What I've done for an iTunes server is to run iTunes on a VM on the unRAID server under KVM. The iTunes Library and settings are run off an unRAID share so they are protected. I am not using Plex or Owncloud (I plan to start with Owncloud soon), but there are plenty of people doing so. I also have a friend with an unRAID server and we run Crashplan back and forth to each other for offsite backup of all my data.

 

I've been very happy with my unRAID system.