NAS/Homeserver setup suggestions needed

[White_Helix]

Hi all,

I have a currently running system and would like to change a few things. Im just not that sure what to do where in the best case. My current setup consits of the following:

 

•  Dell Optiplex Micro with a  i5-10500T and 40GB RAM (32+8)
• 120GB SATA SSD on which is Proxmox installed
• 1TB M.2 SSD as storage for the Proxmox VMs
• a Ubuntu Server LXC which hosts a SMB share as "NAS"
• running 24/7 for selfhosted services, HomeAssistant etc.

 

For more storage, backups of the VMs/LXCs, movies etc. there also is a off the shelf NAS

• QNAP TS251A
• 2x 10TB Seagate Ironwolf 3.5"
• only running on WoL and turned on if needed for backups and/or streaming of the NAS storage

 

Now I would like to condense my setup and get rid of the QNAP as device itself completely. On Proxmox I also run a Jellyfin server with the media hosted on the QNAP. It...works more or less that way, though I sometimes have to mount the NAS again at the Jellyfin LXC if the NAS was in sleep. Im also not a big fan of the two different data stores on different devices. My idea of the setup would be the following:

 

• the OptiPlex running Proxmox as it is right now
• the Seagate HDDs attached to the Dell host directly
• a to be decided storage/NAS system running inside of Proxmox which handles storage on the HDDs
• the 1TB M.2 SSD as root drive for the VMs
• storage of the rest of the data, movies, documents for paperless, etc. on the HDDs 
• also a to be decided file system for the HDDs

 

Whats your take on this? Any suggestions on the software side? Also what Im not that sure of right now, is the hardware setup for the 3.5" HDDs. USB-to-SATA storage? Using the M.2 slot of the no longer existing WiFi card with some AliExpress M.2 to SATA adapters? Also, I have two WD Reds laying around here, which I maybe would integrate in the setup if possible. Well, at least that was a thought with an USB enclosure to go for 4-Bay instead of 2-Bay. Though Im currently using about 3TB on the Seagate drives, so not really a storage space issue. 

 

[OddOod]

Everyone is different and has different tradeoffs, but I like to separate my concerns. I keep storage separate from compute as much as possible. 
I also *hate* off the shelf NAS'
My system has a bare metal truenas box (salvaged enterprise workstation) with just a boot drive connected to a (home built) disk shelf via an LSI HBA with a 5Gb pipe to the switch. Then I have an Unraid box (first gen threadripper I built) which handles all my virtualization which has Plex/Jellyfin etc. dockers and also has a 5Gb pipe to the switch.