Need help figuring out how to setup a server for a specific task

Hi guys. I'd like to make a server that I will backup and archive my SD cards to. I want it to be accessible via my windows PC on my network so that I can easily look through the folders using file explorer, that way I can dump my footage to the server to back it up (I will be using raid on this server... so it should be secure enough) and then copy any footage that I'll be using to edit with to an SSD on my main PC. I'm quite geeky but I'm also a novice. I'm sure I can learn how to do this and I'm willing to learn but try to avoid Jargon when giving me tips, Thanks :)

What would be the best (and cheapest) way to do this? I'm open to a linux solution but I don't know how well it will communicate with file explorer and i've never used linux before.

I need help with:

  • Deciding what OS to use

  • Getting File Explorer to recognise the machine through my local network (I'll be using ethernet and a network switch)

  • figuring out how to setup an SD card reader so that the machine automatically creates a folder with the date and time that you plug a card into it and copies the data from the card to that folder (I would prefer multiple SD card readers so i can plug them in all simultaneously to speed up the process but I'm not sure if that would slow the read speed down too much to be worthwhile).

  • (If possible) making it so that it won't communicate with devices I don't want it too.... I'm not about adding to the IOT bot army or getting extorted because someone encrypted all my data.

Thanks for any input you have!