Okay, who wants a server at home?

I couldn't decide which Windows forum to put this in, so I'm using Networking instead. :) Windows Home Server.

Linkage:
http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/whs_preview.asp
http://on10.net/Blogs/jesse/windows-...***-your-life/
http://channel9.msdn.com/showpost.aspx?postid=270965

Highlights:

• It automatically backs up all your PCs, presenting restore options as both files and full system images.
• It handles redundancy across hard drives for the stuff you put on it. No messing with RAID arrays, and you can add/remove disks over time.
• It automatically backs up all your PCs.
• You can log into the server over the Internet and get at your shared data.
• You can log into the server over the Internet and remote control your PCs.
• It automatically backs up all your PCs and lets you restore individual files and full system images.
• At the moment they're saying it'll be available off-the-shelf and as OEM software so you can build your own.

As someone who was about to build a file server here and then try to build in a backup system I could get my parents and brother using, this is so incredibly cool. I want one. Just had to share. :D

I will be looking into one for home use also, but I think it will also be very useful for small businesses as well.

Looks like it is a go.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=190

HP rip off again it seems.
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/e...docs/WHSFS.doc

You might find this video interesting on the Home Server.
http://channel9.msdn.com/showpost.aspx?postid=270965


I'd sure like to get a hold of the OS and install it on MY build.

I'd build my own too, this one doesn't sound too nice:

Quote:

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Microsoft is announcing Windows Home Server at CES 2007 on January 7, 2007. The product will enter a private beta in late February or early March 2007 and will be released publicly in the second half of 2007. Microsoft will make WHS available in two ways: Bundled with new WHS hardware and software-only, the latter so that enthusiasts can install the system on the hardware of their choice.

That said, the WHS-specific hardware I've been briefed on looks quite exciting. HP will demonstrate a tiny home server at CES that features a sleek micro-tower design, four externally accessible, hot-swappable SATA hard drive bays, and 4 USB 2.0 ports. It utilizes a low-end 64-bit AMD Sempron processor running at 1.8 GHz and features 512 MB of RAM. You can connect a printer and share it out to other systems on your network. HP is extending the WHS experience with media sharing solutions of its own and by styling the machine to match its entertainment PCs and notebooks and other products. More PC maker partners will be announced at WinHEC this spring.

If you're building your own home server, Microsoft requires a 1 GHz processor or better, 512 MB of RAM or more, and as many disks as you think you need. The company will support multiple home servers on the same network, but it's still murky how that will work.

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That's why i'd rather build my own, hopefully the price of the OS alone will be like MCE(£70 OEM), hopefully they'll do a retail package though.


Liam

Yeah, I want one too! :)

I have three servers running here. A file server, AD/DNS server and a print server. I wouldn't part with them for anything in the world.

This looks like the best thing since WIN XP to me. I'm very excited, I need more information.
I love the idea of being able to add disks at will and simply expand storage.
Can you also remove a disk and not loose data? Can you run programs from the server? It looks like backups will be automatic on all clients on the LAN and only 1 copy of each file. Saving tons of space, wow!
Is there any software available now that even comes close? I'm using FreeNas on one of my NAS boxes and really like it but it is not nearly as functional as Home Server promises. I also have a D-Link Wireless with NAS it's ok but basically just a NAS with Wireless Access Point.

Can you also remove a disk and not loose data?

Sure can! Why I like harddrive trays. http://www.newegg.com/ProductSort/Su...ve-Accessories

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ron Rockwell

Can you also remove a disk and not lose data?

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Yep, but you lose the redundancy for any data that was on that disk until you replace it. So over time it's possible to replace all the hard drives in the machine one by one to increase storage.

Quote:

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Can you run programs from the server?

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If you mean the files on the server and executing on the PC, you can do it if you could do it with a normal share on a machine. I haven't read anything to suggest terminal services functionality though.

Quote:

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Is there any software available now that even comes close?

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Not that I could find. That backup thing is the killer feature for me that I can't find in anything else.

A recent article: http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/guide-200701.ars/1


Liam

What do you think, will the software be available or will we have to buy a manufactured product? I've read it both ways. I want to buy the OS and be able to DIY giving me full control of chosen hardware.

We will just have to wait and see what flies. :(

Hopefully it will be released like MCE was, OEM and with a altered recommended specs list.(Certain hard drives/RAID etc) ...Around the same price would be nice too.


liam

What about price, any guess's? Maybe it's the times, I know everything goes up in price. But it seems to me that they have jacked the price on Vista.

Just be glad you're paying for Vista in dollars and not pounds, i think retailers did a switcheroo on the sign and thought we wouldn't notice.

I don't have a clue on price for this, as i said, hopefully around the price of MCE, maybe £100 ish OEM.

Liam