Microsoft's Best New OS (Hint: It's Not Vista)

[Capper]

A few years back, when I replaced my aging Athlon XP-based home-built PC with a faster, quieter system, I stored the old one away presuming that someday I'd do something interesting with it. Microsoft's Windows Home Server proved the perfect excuse to do just that. The end result is a highly useful, though sometimes frustratingly simplistic, addition to my home tech lineup.

Windows Home Server is Microsoft's first stab at a consumer server product that sits at the heart of your network where other PCs can access its content. Available now on hardware such as HP's MediaSmart Home Server or as a $180 software package from system-builder sites such as Newegg, Windows Home Server lets you store and stream media files, back up multiple PCs, and connect remotely via the Web. Plus, Microsoft says that add-on features such as video recording and home automation are on the way from third-party vendors.

Windows Home Server requires an ethernet connection between the server and the network (Microsoft deemed wireless networking too flaky). I installed a prerelease copy of the operating system in about 2 hours; the only snag I hit involved enabling the remote Web access features. My router turned out to be the problem, and one I wasn't able to resolve with tech support. To connect client PCs to the server, you install a simple console application on each that also lets you tweak the server's settings.
Soon, I was streaming music, photos, and standard-definition video to my 802.11g-enabled notebook, flawlessly. I experienced some stutters with a high-def test video file, but that's an 802.11g bandwidth issue. Everything streamed cleanly to my ethernet-connected Windows XP Pro PC and my Xbox 360. The 360 connection is great, as it allows me to access media where I most enjoy it: on my couch, in front of my HDTV.

Windows Home Server also lets you back up the entire contents of each connected PC to the server's hard drive, as a compressed file that it updates daily with only the changes that have occurred since the last backup. The backup feature is quite slick, and it illustrates the degree to which Microsoft has successfully simplified an often-complicated process. You can add more hard drives to the server, and even enable data duplication (essentially RAID 1 data mirroring). But the nitty-gritty settings for such features are largely inaccessible, hidden behind basic wizards and check boxes.

Simplicity is great, but I think enthusiasts like me will want access to more knobs and switches. Microsoft might envision a home server in every house, but I'm not sure the average PC user would even know what to do with one (yet). After having lived with the server for a few weeks, though, I can't imagine not having one--a clear sign that it's filling a need in my geek household. Better yet, it let me pull my old workhorse PC out of retirement.

Microsoft's Best New OS (Hint: It's Not Vista)

[gvblake22]

How many people really have a need for a home server? I've still never met one...

But I do agree with the author, home servers are not something that most people want or even know about, but most people said that about home computers too back in the day. I'm sure they will indeed become mainstream as the home theater scene gets more popular and the average person knows more about computers and data than the average person does now (not sure how long that will take though).

[Jokerswild]

I have a home server. Although the wife doesn't like it when I say that.

[Reloadron]

The author closes in saying:

Simplicity is great, but I think enthusiasts like me will want access to more knobs and switches. Microsoft might envision a home server in every house, but I'm not sure the average PC user would even know what to do with one (yet). After having lived with the server for a few weeks, though, I can't imagine not having one--a clear sign that it's filling a need in my geek household. Better yet, it let me pull my old workhorse PC out of retirement.

Sort of reminds me of rear window defrosters.

I have been in a few discussions on the home server. Mostly lurking but reading with interest what those setting up had to say. When Windows Server 2003 was released I downloaded and ran a trial version for the 360 day period. I still have a small mountain of books as a tribute to that experiment. Though it was fun learning and ran quite well I quickly figured out it sure as hell was not practical for my simple home applications. It was a matter of severe overkill, and I mean severe!

I ran it on my old workstation machine. A Dell model 530 MT with a gig of RDRAM and a pair of Xeons. Once the trial expired I removed it and ran XP Pro (pre SP1) the original OS and added a few drives. I used Cobian to periodically back up data to the old workstation. I also let it run Folding.

When the "Big Dig" began and we began major renovation to the house the computer room was shut down. Until this mess (and I mean mess) is complete things are pretty much shutdown. However, once the walls are done and new electric in the computer room is now extended to a new area and much more space. The old front porch "patio" is now part of the new computer/work room and heated as well as air conditioned. The wall between the old and new area is gone (pretty much gone).

I envision the old workstation running Windows Home Server with six drives. The first two will be RAID 1 for the OS, the remaining 4 will be RAID 5 for mass storage. I have an old Rocket RAID 8 port SATA 1 controller card that will fill the ticket nicely. All data from my laptop, my new workstation, my everyday machine and Kathy's machine will be backed up daily and automatically. Around here all machines run 24/7/365. Most machines here run RAID 1 and RAID 5 now but I worry about what I have on the damn laptop. I get tired of burning DVDs or moving files manually to make sure I don't lose them. Everything can be backed up to a home server on a regular basis.

From what I have read just about everything was good. Nothing really negative and for my purposes it looks to fit the ticket.

Just My Take...
Ron

[onebxr]

I have been doing some research on the benefits of a home server. I have an htpc that has 1 3/4 tb in it and I am quickly running out of space. I put all of my movies on it and if I want to start putting HD crap on there I am going to need alot more room. Hard drives are cheap and as far as backup goes, this would fit the bill perfectly. I am very interested in this or something like it.
Great find!
-1

[screwballl]

I would like to step into WHS as right now I just have my files shared on the network between 3 main computers... but I don't see spending that much for something that will be storage only when I can set Acronis to auto backup what I need and am planning on getting another computer setup for just this purpose with XP (or Ubuntu).
I don't care for PCWorld as all their stories and reviews tend to take a simplistic approach whereas HL takes an in-depth look into everything they review.

[stinger608]

Well here is a thread that I opened back in January, wow, almost a year ago, discussing Windows Home Server


Windows Home Server Preview

[Hitman]

I have always had a server at home. I have been using W2K advanced server. Not because I really need a server, I just like having one. I am very interested in WHS, but I can't seem to find the trial version online anywhere, so I ordered the trial version from M$ for $5.

[stinger608]

Originally Posted by Hitman

I have always had a server at home. I have been using W2K advanced server. Not because I really need a server, I just like having one. I am very interested in WHS, but I can't seem to find the trial version online anywhere, so I ordered the trial version from M$ for $5.

Cool, you will like it Hitman!!! I was in on the Beta, and man, it is really cool!!!

Once you get it installed on a system with monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and get the control software installed on another system, you just shut down, unplug the monitor, keyboard, and mouse from the box running the home server, and do everything from the computer that you installed the control software on

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by stinger608

Cool, you will like it Hitman!!! I was in on the Beta, and man, it is really cool!!!

Once you get it installed on a system with monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and get the control software installed on another system, you just shut down, unplug the monitor, keyboard, and mouse from the box running the home server, and do everything from the computer that you installed the control software on

You can do that now with Terminal Services and Remote Desktop Connection.