RDC? Edit : NVM, RDC turned out to be about 5th on the google list among the 7,800,000 hits. So Bindi's running WHS and it sounded like some more of you are as well - can I assume then that a server would be better suited for the home user for scalability? Reference to in having it more future proof and allowing more functions for other purposes.
well exactly. i have a server at home (tri core energy efficient athlon2, 4gb ram, 4U server case) which is my media/file server, torrent/emule box, FTP box, and i occasionally do transcoding on it if im gaming on my desktop. it all runs windows server 2008 r2 64-bit, which is way overkill but i got it free.
SO I'm gonna keep bumping this thread to get some advice+answers, sorry in advance. Can an mitx board be fast+efficient and run 1-2 websites? I was thinking I'd want to set up an FTP server, + have a home page and or email service (can you combine them?) for my friends and family to keep updated with what we do (wife+ 2 kids). If M-Itx can't do it, what's the next level - M-atx? Also, I'm fine with buying all new parts, I'd like to find something that is the optimum mix of performance coupled with silence as if it stays under the stairs, it's next to the front door in a very open area (sound will travel a bit). Theoretically I'd like to keep the server under the stairs next to the router, so the max height of any case would be 52cm. I'm guessing that being connected directly to the router itself means fastest transfer speeds? If I drop this server in the basement and connect it to the network by wireless, am I looking at a huge loss of speed? The router is something I go free from the broadband company as it's our telephone line as well - does this need to be replaced? Finally, is WHS the way to go for the OS?
WHS is no good for running websites & email. You want either linux or proper server & exchange (although server & exchange cost a fortune). itx is a fine size for 1u servers. All depends on the chip on the board & the amount of RAM you put on it. Remember you'll need a static IP, good upload speed & an ISP that lets you host websites on your broadband connection (as well as email). For the email to work you'll also need to sort out rDNS with your ISP (usually only available on business packages) or find a smarthost.
If you mean M-itx in the sense of an atom based board, then it may struggle with the amount of work you want it to perform. Considering you have got the room for a decent m-atx, then i would look into AMD athlon II like the tri core 440, or the cheaper dual core 250 i believe. Wireless sucks for anything other than laptop, this server should be hardlined with a 1Gb/s connection to the router.
