A couple of years ago, I'd tried out
Windows Home Server (WHS) and used it in a similar configuration to that proposed (single multi-function box to manage data storage and playback).
I liked it at the time and the main reason I moved away from it (to
unRaid) was because it could not be easily configured to store OSX Time Machine backups. (UnRaid offers this capability through full AFP support).
The release of
Windows 8 consumer preview caught my attention with the addition of the Storage Spaces feature. Reading on this led me to
Server 8 Beta and the additional features such as ReFS etc.
The main reasons for considering server at this time are;
- Robust OS for maximum uptime
- Storage Spaces Support
- Hyper-V architecture facilitating compartimisation (and stability of core system)
- Windows versions of all apps and drivers for hardware I intend using are available
- Extensive system reporting facilities
It's likely that even if this all works, cost will become a factor when Server 8 is eventually released. Will I be willing to fork out €600 or more?
Maybe an updated version of WHS will be announced but in any case, it's a consideration for the future.