Home Server and WEB server?

[PRVRT]

I know very little about a home server or web server. I do have a LAN setup right now for my 4 pc's with a WRT54G. I want to build a HOME/WEB server. This is my idea, not sure it is possible.

1. I want to setup a home server for file sharing and backing up pc's to one place. Thinking 3 Drives, 2 drives in Raid-1 for backup, 1 for OS and web Server.
2. I would like to setup a web server for a personel website, remote web access, possible ventrilo server. Looking at Abyss Web Server. Not sure if it will do what I a looking for.
3. I would like to limit bandwith to certain home users, not sure this is possible and I know my router will not do it.
4. Want to run F@H 24/7 on this server.

Sketch of what I am thinking --->Server

Now the questions:

1. Can I do both on one server?
2. What kinda OS would I need?
3. If I run something like Windows Server 2003, can you still run other programs on this OS like F@H? IE7?
4. I know how the internet gets into the server (CAT5 cable to RJ45 LAN Port), but how do you get the internet out of the server? 2nd LAN Port?

I plan on building this server, but depending on what I can do depends on what I build. I am looking for a way to localize everything in one place. I hate when I use other pc's and have to go through my LAN and access my other pc's to find the file I want. USB drives are a pain. All my pc's backup to their existing HDD, good if you need to restore, not so good if that drives crashes. Any help for this noob would be appreciated.

 

[Greg]

1. Can I do both on one server?
2. What kinda OS would I need?
3. If I run something like Windows Server 2003, can you still run other programs on this OS like F@H? IE7?
4. I know how the internet gets into the server (CAT5 cable to RJ45 LAN Port), but how do you get the internet out of the server? 2nd LAN Port?

1. Yes
2. Windows or Linux (or BSD, or OS X if you really felt like it)
3. I don't know anything about Windows Server
4. Just hook the server into your router with the rest of the computers. From there you can forward the port for web access while still allowing your other networked computers to access it.


You could just use XP and VNC into it to run F@H and junk. Apache would work as the web server, or there's probably some other crappier ones for Windows. SMB file sharing would function as normal.

Or use Linux. Ubuntu Server would work. SSH in to run F@H and do maintenance. Here you would use Apache as well. SMB shares shouldn't be too difficult to set up, either. I've never screwed with RAID in Linux, though, so I'm not sure how this would work out. Could be great or really painful, I have no idea.

 

[mBernhardt]

RAID in Ubuntu can be setup during the install using LVM. I had a box that was running RAID-0 for a while. (I was very fortunate it never failed on me!)

It can take a time or two to get the RAID correct if you haven't done it before. Just be patient and use Google.

There's an article floating out there on how to set up an $80 fileserver in 45 minutes that is an excellent resource if you want to use Ubuntu. Just ignore anything you don't want to use.

The Ubuntu route is very secure and very manageable. And, there are a lot of people out there who can help you with issues. Not to mention its free!

 

[PRVRT]

OK, so,
Question 1: I can do both, that is good. Raid 1 seems the way to go.
Question 2: Looks like I should stick with Windows since I have no experiance with other OS's. Which Windows OS tho? Window's Server or XP or Vista?
Question 3: Still looking for an answer.
Question 4: Somewhat answered. I knew I could just connect it to the router. Was not sure this was the best way for security. Still not sure if I can run the server before the router tho and run the internet through this server then into the router. Not even sure this would gain me anything. Just seems logical to me for security reasons, but then again I am the noob.

 

[bla!!]

1. Yes
2. You can use any flavor of windows from w2k and up. Go into Add/Remove Programs. Click add/remove windows components. Click on Applicaion Server and Check IIS. You'll need your windows cd for this. This is also where you would add any server extensions you want installed (ie ASP) From there google about setting up a website with IIS and post if you have more questiosn.
3. Yes, server 2003 can run 99.9% of the same apps as Windows XP.
4. Yes, you will want to run the server behind the router and forward the port. To put it before the router you're going to need 3 IP's from your ISP not just 1. (1 for each nic in the server and 1 for the router).

 

[PRVRT]

Excellent info, just what I was looking for, thank you very much.

 

[CalcProgrammer1]

1. Can I do both on one server?
2. What kinda OS would I need?
3. If I run something like Windows Server 2003, can you still run other programs on this OS like F@H? IE7?
4. I know how the internet gets into the server (CAT5 cable to RJ45 LAN Port), but how do you get the internet out of the server? 2nd LAN Port?

1. Yes, if the PC hosting is good enough.
2. Windows (as old as 95 have network shares) if you want to use Abyss, Linux is nice but hard to set up servers on.
3. I would just use basic Windows XP Home or even older ones like Win2k work fine.
4. Put the server on a router, just like your other PC's. The server will send requests through the router to local PC's (home server) and Internet (web server). You'll need to forward port 80 (HTTP) or 21 (FTP) for your Internet server, so that connecting through HTTP will work outside your local network.

I don't have all my stuff running from one PC though.

Cable Modem
|
V
Router -> Parents' Desktop; -))) (((-My Laptop [WiFi]; My PDA [WiFi]
|
V
5-Port Switch -> Pentium 133MHz Win95 Web Server
|
V
Pentium MMX 200MHz FTP Server; My Room Desktop (also acts as my "home server" as it has a big 120GB storage hard drive); My Basement Desktop (Compaq, runs FAH and probably my main PC)

I recommend getting a domain at No-IP - Dynamic DNS, Static DNS for Your Dynamic IP for your web server, this gives you an actual .com address instead of just your IP. I have a 2-PC server setup (both old Pentium 1's). One runs Abyss Web Server on Windows 95 (CalcProgrammer1's Web Page) and the other runs a private FTP server (War-FTP daemon server).

 

[PRVRT]

For the server, now I know it is possible to do what I want, I will build a Q6600, with 3 HDD. 1-80G for OS/Web Server and 2-250G in Raid 1 for Backup of all pc's. I want to use the Q6600 for F@H. Also looking into using the server as an entertainment center and for storing movies and music which I may add 1 more HDD. I plan on getting a domain name, been checking on ideas for names lately. I have a P4 2.66MHZ, but am selling it to a friend and will use the $ to start the new build. Thanks for the help.

Is there a limit other than Sata connections for the amount of HDD's that can be put in a PC?

 

[bla!!]

The two considerations would be SATA connections, Power Supply Size and cooling. When you put multiple drives in a system they get quite hot.

I haven't folded in a few years, but does it now allow you to control how many resources are used by it? Once concern with folding all the time in my mind is server performance.

 

[CalcProgrammer1]

Folding@Home ONLY uses idle time. If the server is actively doing something, anything, it's using a higher priority than F@H is, and will not lag. I run F@H on my PC's and it doesn't lag them down.

The HDD's are limited by power, SATA/IDE connectors, and heat. You could add as many as you want, provided you add additional SATA/IDE cards and keep the case cool and have plenty of power.