Windows Home Server — Part 3: The WSL-Free Storage & Database Stack

To store files, sync data, and manage backends on a traditional Linux/Docker server, you would deploy Nextcloud, a PostgreSQL database, and Redis. However, running Nextcloud on Windows requires an IIS web server, manual PHP configurations, and a database—introducing significant complexity.

Instead, we will build a modern, high-performance storage and database stack using compiled Go binaries that run natively on Windows with zero external dependencies. We will install OwnCloud Infinite Scale (OCIS) for cloud sync, FileBrowser for web-based file management, and PocketBase for a lightweight, single-binary relational backend.

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1. Cloud Sync: OwnCloud Infinite Scale (OCIS)

OwnCloud Infinite Scale (OCIS) is a complete rewrite of OwnCloud in Go. Unlike Nextcloud, it does not require PHP or an external database. It runs as a single, self-contained binary, performs exceptionally fast, and includes built-in WebDAV support.

We will configure OCIS to store its databases and metadata on our fast C: drive (NVMe SSD) and the actual user files on our large D: drive (SATA HDD).

Step 1: Download OCIS for Windows

Download the latest Windows binary from the official repository:

# Create directories for OCIS configs and data
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "C:\Server\ocis"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "D:\server-data\ocis-files"

# Download the executable
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://download.owncloud.com/ocis/ocis/stable/3.0.0/ocis-3.0.0-windows-amd64.exe" -OutFile "C:\Server\bin\ocis.exe"

Verify that it runs:

C:\Server\bin\ocis.exe --version

Step 2: Initialize OCIS

Run the initialization step. This will generate key configurations and prompt you to set an admin password:

C:\Server\bin\ocis.exe init

Note the generated administrator credentials printed in the console.

Step 3: Configure Environment Variables

OCIS is configured using system environment variables. We will define these in a PowerShell script that NSSM runs.

Create C:\Server\ocis\start-ocis.ps1:

# Environment configurations for OCIS
$env:OCIS_URL = "https://cloud.yourdomain.com"
$env:OCIS_LOG_LEVEL = "info"
$env:OCIS_INSECURE = "true"  # Let Caddy handle the SSL termination locally
$env:OCIS_CONFIG_DIR = "C:\Server\ocis"

# Store user data on the HDD
$env:OCIS_BASE_DATA_PATH = "D:\server-data\ocis-files"

# Start the OCIS process
C:\Server\bin\ocis.exe server

Step 4: Install OCIS as a Windows Service

Run NSSM to wrap the launch script:

nssm install OCIS

In the configuration window:

• Path: powershell.exe
• Startup directory: C:\Server\ocis
• Arguments: -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:\Server\ocis\start-ocis.ps1
• Details Tab → Startup Type: Automatic
• I/O Tab → Output (stdout): C:\Server\logs\ocis.log
• I/O Tab → Error (stderr): C:\Server\logs\ocis-errors.log

Click Install service, then start it:

nssm start OCIS

OCIS will run on local port 9200, which our Caddy Server is already configured to proxy to cloud.yourdomain.com.

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2. Web File Manager: FileBrowser

FileBrowser is a single Go binary that provides a clean, web-based interface for managing files on your server. It is perfect for accessing files on your D: drive when you're away from home.

Step 1: Download FileBrowser

Download and extract the Windows binary from GitHub:

# Create temporary folder
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "C:\Server\temp"

# Download release archive
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/filebrowser/filebrowser/releases/latest/download/windows-amd64-filebrowser.zip" -OutFile "C:\Server\temp\filebrowser.zip"

# Expand archive
Expand-Archive -Path "C:\Server\temp\filebrowser.zip" -DestinationPath "C:\Server\temp" -Force

# Move binary and clean up
Move-Item "C:\Server\temp\filebrowser.exe" -Destination "C:\Server\bin\filebrowser.exe" -Force
Remove-Item "C:\Server\temp" -Recurve -Force

Step 2: Initialize Database and Settings

We will configure FileBrowser to listen on port 8082 and point to our D:\server-data directory as the root:

# Initialize empty database file on the SSD
C:\Server\bin\filebrowser.exe config init --database=C:\Server\data\filebrowser.db

# Configure listening address and port
C:\Server\bin\filebrowser.exe config set --address=127.0.0.1 --port=8082 --database=C:\Server\data\filebrowser.db

# Configure storage root directory
C:\Server\bin\filebrowser.exe config set --root=D:\server-data --database=C:\Server\data\filebrowser.db

# Create your admin user
# Replace 'adminPassword' with a secure password
C:\Server\bin\filebrowser.exe users add admin adminPassword --perm.admin=true --database=C:\Server\data\filebrowser.db

Step 3: Wrap FileBrowser in NSSM

Create the service:

nssm install FileBrowser

In the configuration window:

• Path: C:\Server\bin\filebrowser.exe
• Startup directory: C:\Server\bin
• Arguments: --database C:\Server\data\filebrowser.db
• Details Tab → Startup Type: Automatic
• I/O Tab → Output (stdout): C:\Server\logs\filebrowser.log
• I/O Tab → Error (stderr): C:\Server\logs\filebrowser-errors.log

Start the service:

nssm start FileBrowser

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3. SQLite Database Engine: PocketBase

If you develop apps or need a backend database, PocketBase is a fantastic choice. It is a single Go binary that wraps SQLite (with real-time subscriptions), file storage, and an administration UI.

Step 1: Download PocketBase

Download and extract PocketBase:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "C:\Server\temp"
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/releases/latest/download/pocketbase_0.22.14_windows_amd64.zip" -OutFile "C:\Server\temp\pocketbase.zip"
Expand-Archive -Path "C:\Server\temp\pocketbase.zip" -DestinationPath "C:\Server\temp" -Force
Move-Item "C:\Server\temp\pocketbase.exe" -Destination "C:\Server\bin\pocketbase.exe" -Force
Remove-Item "C:\Server\temp" -Recurve -Force

Step 2: Wrap PocketBase in NSSM

Create the service:

nssm install PocketBase

In the configuration window:

• Path: C:\Server\bin\pocketbase.exe
• Startup directory: C:\Server\bin
• Arguments: serve --http=127.0.0.1:8090 --dir=C:\Server\data\pocketbase_data
• Details Tab → Startup Type: Automatic
• I/O Tab → Output (stdout): C:\Server\logs\pocketbase.log
• I/O Tab → Error (stderr): C:\Server\logs\pocketbase-errors.log

Start the service:

nssm start PocketBase

You can access the admin panel at http://localhost:8090/_/ when logged onto the server.

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4. Bare-Metal Password Management: KeePass + WebDAV

Instead of running Vaultwarden (which requires complex Rust compiler steps or heavy external dependencies on Windows), we can implement a highly secure, zero-overhead alternative: KeePassXC combined with OCIS WebDAV.

How It Works

1. Create a secure, encrypted password database (.kdbx) using KeePassXC on your primary computer.
2. Store the .kdbx database inside your OwnCloud (OCIS) folder.
3. Configure the KeePassXC app on your devices (desktop/mobile) to sync directly with the .kdbx file over WebDAV via the URL: https://cloud.yourdomain.com/remote.php/dav/files/admin/passwords.kdbx

This architecture:

• Uses 0 MB of server RAM (since it utilizes the existing OCIS WebDAV endpoint).
• Provides military-grade security (local decryption of the database on your client devices).
• Bypasses the complexity of maintaining a containerized password database.

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In the next part, we will deploy our Node.js automation and monitoring tools.

Proceed to Part 4: Automation and Monitoring (n8n & Uptime Kuma Natively) →