Thanks for the response and the metaphorical welcome basket 
.
Yes the storage is for the the EXSI's hosts datastores, but in addition they will be accessed from outside the network.
If i were to include the storage for the raid server inside the ESXi machine, wouldn't that make it more difficult to expand on that storage later on? I plan to run either raid 5 or 10 with 4 hdd's to start. I am unsure if i should go with: Sata or SAS and in which size (2.5" or 3.5"). I have been reading, and it seems the SAS are a bit faster and more reliable (assuming both are industrial grade). I hesitate due to the increased cost of running a SAS system. If i go with a SAS setup i will be forced to run a SAS controller instead of being able to start with the native raid controllers on the motherboard until i upgrade the system later on. I am trying to decide if the extra costs is worth it for the end result.
Thank you for moving the post into the proper location.
Thank you again