What is a storage server?
A storage server is a dedicated machine whose first job is holding and moving data: backup targets, media libraries, file distribution, S3-compatible object stores, or the storage tier behind your application. Instead of renting opaque per-gigabyte cloud storage, you own the whole box.
What should you look for?
Four things: drive bays you can actually fill, real RAID (with a battery-backed cache if you write hard), enough RAM to cache hot data, and honest bandwidth economics. Storage that's expensive to fill or serve isn't storage, it's a trap.
Design the Array Your Data Deserves
Every Maple server is configured to order: mix SSD, high-capacity SATA, and NVMe across 8 drive bays at checkout, then choose your RAID level with an optional battery backup unit (BBU) so write-back caching stays safe through a power event. Need a bigger array? Custom builds scale up to 36 drives; tell us what you're storing and we'll quote it.
| RAID Level | Min. Drives | Usable Capacity | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | 100% | Maximum speed & space for reproducible data (no redundancy) |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 50% | Mirrored safety for critical smaller datasets |
| RAID 5 | 3 | (n−1)/n | Capacity with parity protection for read-heavy archives |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 50% | Performance + redundancy for databases and mixed I/O |
Prefer software-defined storage? Full root access means ZFS, mdraid, and friends are all yours. Tell us your target layout and we'll provision the drives to match. RAID protects availability, not history: pair it with real backups.
Storage Bandwidth That Works in Your Favor
Filling the server costs nothing
On our metered plans, only outgoing traffic is measured; incoming is free. Push nightly backups, sync media libraries, or migrate huge archives in from anywhere without touching your allowance. With 100 TB of monthly egress included, restores and downloads are covered too.
Compare that with per-gigabyte object storage, where every retrieval, API call, and egress gigabyte lands on the invoice. On your own hardware the economics are flat and predictable.
Serving files at scale? Go unmetered.
When your storage server's job is distribution (game content, software updates, media delivery), sustained egress outgrows any metered allowance. A True-Unmetered port from 100 Mbps to 20 Gbps turns bandwidth into a flat line item.
- Flat monthly price, no per-gigabyte meter
- Dedicated full-duplex port: ingest while you serve
- Resize the port anytime as demand grows
Dedicated Servers We Recommend for Storage
Default storage below is the starting point: every chassis configures 8 drive bays of SSD, SATA, or NVMe at checkout, with your choice of RAID and an optional BBU. Custom builds go up to 36 drives.
1 x Intel E3-1260L
4 Cores, 8 Threads, 2.40 GHz- 4,063 PassMark CPU score
- 4 GB memory (Max 32 GB)
- 240 GB SSD default storage
- 8 drive bays at checkout
A low-power quad-core that makes an ideal always-on backup target or archive box. Spend the budget on drives, not on CPU you won't use.
Configure & order Full specs & detailsDual Intel E5-2650
16 Cores, 32 Threads, 2.00 GHz- 12,870 PassMark CPU score
- 64 GB memory (Max 192 GB)
- 2 x 240 GB SSD default storage
- 8 drive bays at checkout
16 cores and 64 GB of RAM keep NFS/SMB shares, Nextcloud, and backup software responsive while the array does the heavy lifting. Expands to 192 GB for cache-hungry setups.
Configure & order Full specs & detailsDual Intel E5-2678v3
24 Cores, 48 Threads, 2.50 GHz- 24,262 PassMark CPU score
- 128 GB memory (Max 256 GB)
- 2 x 1 TB SSD default storage
- 8 drive bays at checkout
24 cores with 128 GB RAM standard (256 GB max): exactly what ZFS ARC caching and busy MinIO object stores want. Our most capable storage platform.
Configure & order Full specs & detailsNeed a specific drive layout quoted? Talk to an engineer · or see the full lineup with live pricing.
Keep the Data Safe After You Store It
SMART, RAID & Resource Monitoring
The Comprehensive Monitoring add-on watches disk health (SMART), RAID state, partitions, and system resources around the clock, so a degrading drive is a ticket, not a surprise.
Off-Site Copies, the Cheap Way
RAID survives a drive failure; backups survive everything else. Incoming traffic is free, so a second Maple server (or any external destination) makes an economical off-site copy for a proper 3-2-1 setup.
Hardware Is Our Problem
When a component fails, our data center team replaces it. Free KVM/IPMI gives you console access throughout, and your RAID level keeps the array serving while the swap happens.
Running app servers with us too? Link them to your storage tier over a private 1 or 10 Gbps LAN so backups and reads never touch the public internet.
Storage Server FAQ
8 drives at checkout, chosen freely: mix SSDs for speed, high-capacity SATA for bulk, and NVMe for hot data. Need more? Custom builds scale up to 36 drives. Open a ticket or contact us with your target capacity and we'll quote the build.
Yes. On metered plans only outgoing traffic counts against your 100 TB allowance; everything you upload to the server (backups, media ingests, migrations) is free and unmeasured. That's what makes a dedicated box such an efficient backup target.
Your call. Both are first-class here: we configure hardware RAID (0/1/5/10, optional BBU) to your spec before delivery, and if you prefer ZFS or mdraid, tell us when ordering and we'll provision the drives for direct access so your filesystem owns them end to end.
With the Comprehensive Monitoring add-on, we typically see SMART degradation before outright failure and alert you proactively. Our data center team replaces failed hardware, and your RAID level determines whether service continues uninterrupted while the swap happens. Keep real backups regardless: RAID protects availability, not history.
Absolutely. It's one of the most common uses: incoming traffic is free, so nightly pushes from any provider cost nothing in bandwidth, and 100 TB of monthly egress comfortably covers restores. Pair it with borg, restic, rsync, or your backup suite of choice, encrypted in transit and at rest under your keys.
Anything. It's your hardware with full root access. Popular picks: MinIO for S3-compatible object storage, Nextcloud for file sync and share, Samba/NFS for classic network shares, and dedicated backup stacks like borg or restic. Over 40 operating systems reinstall in minutes, and free KVM/IPMI lets you install custom images yourself.
Ready for storage you actually own?
Configure your dedicated server online, or talk it through with one of our engineers first.