Quote:The background to this build is as follows:
I am hoping to integrate as many of the different systems into my new house as possible: media, file storage/backup, security, heating, lighting and anything else I can think of along the way. At the centre of the system will be a modified HP ProLiant MicroServer.
The reason I have chosen this over other options is the price. At the time of writing it is possible to buy one in the UK for around £130 thanks to a £100 rebate from HP. I have modified mine slightly to include a 5th hard drive, it is even possible to add a 6th but I think 8TB of storage and 250GB for the OS will do for now
Having modified my box I subsequently found that it had been done already: AVForums (same as mine) and another option. Here's what I did:
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The aim is to add a 5th drive to the space where an optical disk drive (ODD) is designed to go. Since I intend to use my considerably more powerful desktop for any ripping/backup I didn't need an ODD.
So I bought a 5.25 to 3.5 drive tray caddy
It has rubber mounts to reduce noise, allows easy installation and replacement of the HDD. I also managed to amuse myself with the door-HDD eject mechanism... there is a link between the door and the metal arm with the white wheel at the back which pushed the HDD out as you open the door. The wires on the left hand side are for an LED in the front panel (I didn't bother to connect it since the server will be stuck in the eaves and I'd never notice it!)
Additionally in the box there are 4 mounting screws, an instruction manual, a power cable converter and a set of keys to lock the door.
The first step was to remove the top casing and add a SATA cable:
The SATA cable attaches to the spare connector on the motherboard...
... and is fed through a channel on the left of the ODD space. If I were to do this again I would use a SATA cable with a 90 degree connector.
The SATA and power cable are visible at the back.
Top casing before modification:
and from the inside
