Okay, who wants a server at home?

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January 18th, 2007, 08:01 AM
Tuttle

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
January 18th, 2007, 01:49 PM
jdc2000

I will be looking into one for home use also, but I think it will also be very useful for small businesses as well.
January 18th, 2007, 05:05 PM
Train

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.
January 18th, 2007, 05:14 PM
liam858

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

Quote:

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.

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
January 19th, 2007, 11:43 AM
ecross

Yeah, I want one too! :)
January 19th, 2007, 04:31 PM
SirKenin

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.
January 31st, 2007, 05:54 PM
Ron Rockwell

Need More Info!

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.
January 31st, 2007, 06:29 PM
Train

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
February 1st, 2007, 06:59 AM
Tuttle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Rockwell

Can you also remove a disk and not lose data?

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:

Can you run programs from the server?

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:

Is there any software available now that even comes close?

Not that I could find. That backup thing is the killer feature for me that I can't find in anything else.
February 1st, 2007, 08:32 AM
liam858

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

Liam
February 1st, 2007, 01:17 PM
Ron Rockwell

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.
February 1st, 2007, 01:31 PM
Train

We will just have to wait and see what flies. :(
February 1st, 2007, 01:34 PM
liam858

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
February 2nd, 2007, 09:51 AM
Ron Rockwell

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.
February 2nd, 2007, 10:02 AM
liam858

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
February 2nd, 2007, 10:16 AM
Ron Rockwell

Yes I know, can't complain till it gets here. I'm looking so forward to this, it's going to be a long wait. One thing I'm hoping to do with it. I hope it's possible. Connect my weather station to the server and be able to see the data from any client. I can't figure out another way. The NAS box's won't run programs, and right now it runs on one of my clients but when it it goes to sleep the weather info is not available.
February 2nd, 2007, 07:15 PM
Tuttle

It'll be available as a hardware-bundled product and as OEM software, so you'll be able to build your own.

Pricing for the pre-built bundle is apparently going to be around the cost of a low-end desktop (19:25 - 19:55 on the Channel 9 video).
February 2nd, 2007, 08:22 PM
Train

Seems the BETA version may be out in March.
Seems HP, one of many, will be shipping Windows Home Server in the second half of this year.

MaximumPC magazine page 08
February 2nd, 2007, 09:58 PM
Ron Rockwell

Quote:

Pricing for the pre-built bundle is apparently going to be around the cost of a low-end desktop (19:25 - 19:55 on the Channel 9 video).

What range would that be?
February 2nd, 2007, 10:58 PM
Tuttle

Good question. I don't think anyone has an answer in that much detail yet. :)
February 12th, 2007, 07:27 PM
Tuttle

For anyone who's interested, they're now accepting public signups for the beta program.

Announcement: http://blogs.technet.com/homeserver/...a-2-is-go.aspx
Signup: https://connect.microsoft.com/WindowsHomeServer
Forums: http://forums.microsoft.com/WindowsHomeServer
February 12th, 2007, 08:07 PM
jdc2000

Thanks for the links.

I signed up today.
February 12th, 2007, 09:08 PM
Ron Rockwell

I finally got signed up. The site was down for a while. Thanks for the links. Hope I get picked!
February 12th, 2007, 11:28 PM
Tuttle

1 Attachment(s)
If anyone has trouble with the signup link, make sure you're not signed into Passport / Windows Live when you go there.

If anyone's interested, here's my little WHS box:
- Apevia X-QPack case
- AMD Athlon64 3200+
- ASUS M2N-MX motherboard (onboard everything)
- 1 GB Corsair PC5400 DDR2 RAM
- 2x Seagate 7200.10 400 GB hard drives
February 18th, 2007, 10:40 PM
jdc2000

I received my acceptance e-mail, and I am downloading the files now!
February 19th, 2007, 11:51 AM
Ron Rockwell

You lucky dog! How long did you wait before you got notice?

Never mind, I backed up and see that you signed up right before me. Hope I'm next.
February 19th, 2007, 11:55 AM
Ron Rockwell

Please be sure and let us know how it all goes. I've been following the WHS forum and it all looks good to me.
February 19th, 2007, 05:59 PM
Ron Rockwell

Update: A suggestion on the WHS forum was to check the "Junk Folder" for the notice. I had to check mine on my ISP's WebMail program but found the invitation there. So I'm in! I've DL'd the ISO and will begin assembling my WHS as soon as I can.
Something to think about for anyone looking for an invite, check your spam, junk folder. I thought I had the spam filter turned off at the ISP level, that's something else to deal with.
February 19th, 2007, 06:23 PM
jdc2000

I used a personal e-mail address to sign up, and I already had the ISP's spam filter turned off because it was trapping some of my legitimate e-mails. My work e-mail spam filter would probably have labeled as [BULK] but let it through, however, I didn't want to take any chances.

Now I have to finish assembling the test PC and burn some CD's/DVD's.
February 19th, 2007, 10:41 PM
Ron Rockwell

On the download site there is a suggestion to use a Checksum utility. They suggest downloading and using one of the freeware utilities. And give the Checksum Value. Can someone point me to a good one, and how to use it? I've used them before but it seems to me that I had to start the Utility with the DL and it checked it afterward. But I may be mistaken with the way they worked. Sorry if this is in the wrong forum I didn't know where else to post.
February 20th, 2007, 07:40 AM
the_scotsman

Ive been beta testing this for a few weeks now...its actually REALLY good!
February 20th, 2007, 02:02 PM
jdc2000

Free checksum utility

http://www.slavasoft.com/fsum/
February 21st, 2007, 09:08 PM
Ron Rockwell

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdc2000

Free checksum utility

http://www.slavasoft.com/fsum/

Thanks, Got it and all is good.
February 26th, 2007, 07:20 PM
SirKenin

I just received my acceptance mail as well, a few minutes ago. I'm finishing the registration as we speak and then I'll download and install on my file server. I'd also be curious to see how it runs on my print server, although it would be serious overkill for that I would imagine.
March 1st, 2007, 07:19 PM
Ron Rockwell

OK, I hate to ask, but how do I create the install disk? I've downloaded it and burned to a DVD with Nero. The disk shows that it is a 1.37GB ISO in UDF. And I'm sure the Computer is set to boot from DVD but it will not find any boot files. What do I need to do?
March 1st, 2007, 11:27 PM
Ron Rockwell

Edit, I burned the DVD with SONIC rather than Nero. I tried another and still no joy! I was able to boot from the DVD burner with my WIN XP disk, so I'm sure I can boot from the DVD drive. And I checked the download with the Checksum Utility and it was good. I just don't know how to make the ISO Bootable?
March 2nd, 2007, 10:20 PM
Tuttle

If you look at the DVD once it's burned, how many files do you see on it?

If you only see the one .iso file, you're burning it the wrong way. Your software should have a "burn as image" command or similar, which extracts the ISO (including the bits that make it bootable) during the burn process. In the full version of Nero that's Recorder | Burn Image in the menu, but I'm not sure about other apps.
March 2nd, 2007, 10:31 PM
Ron Rockwell

Thanks, Tuttle I just figured it out I had to "Burn Image to Disk" it was a completely different section of my burner software. It seemed to work though. After the burn I put it into my laptop and booted from DVD and it worked. I was able to see the WHS install startpage, of course I cancelled. I'm at work so I'll have to wait until tomorrow and try again with my WHS box! I'm sure it will work this time. Although I did order the disk from Microsoft today. Oh well I'll have it if for some reason this don't work. Appreciate the help. Ron