Should I Use My New Server for VMs and File Storage?

Honestly, if you don’t know a lot about RAID setups, it can be a bit of a learning curve. But you have enough IOPS available—long as you manage your data smartly, you should be fine. Assess whether the performance trade-offs are worth it for your setup. If you're not sure, maybe consider consulting someone more experienced or looking into newer cloud solutions, like Azure, for your file storage needs.

It's great that you're thinking this through! Storing files on a VM isn't any less secure than on physical disks, especially if you have reliable backups. The choice between RAID 6 and RAID 10 is crucial, though. With four 4TB drives, RAID 10 usually gives better performance and quicker rebuild times, which is ideal for your setup. Running both VMs and a file server on the same host is common, just be ready for that single point of failure—though it's often better than relying on much older equipment. If I were you, I'd set up RAID 10, create a file server VM, and then gradually migrate your data from the old server.

Totally understand your caution! It’s wise to move to newer equipment, but don't underestimate the old server yet. 15K RPM drives definitely have their advantages for speed. It sounds like you have a solid backup strategy, which is crucial. If you're postponing a new server, think about waiting for it to get those SSDs or better drives in place for enhanced performance in the long run. Just keep the critical data safe while transitioning!