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==Interface==
==Interface==
{{anchor|Home Server Console}}While the underlying operating system is built on [[Windows Server Small Business Server 2003]] [[Windows_Server_2003#Service_Pack_2|SP2]], the configuration interface is designed to be user friendly enough that it can be set up without prior knowledge of server administration. The configuration interface (called the ''Home Server Console'') can be accessed from any Windows PC on the home network and is delivered as an [[Remote Desktop Protocol|RDP]] application. The server itself requires no video card or peripherals; it is designed to require only an [[Ethernet]] card and at least one other [[Windows XP]] or [[Windows Vista]] PC.
{{anchor|Home Server Console}}While the underlying operating system is built on [[Windows Small Business Server 2003]] [[Windows_Server_2003#Service_Pack_2|SP2]], the configuration interface is designed to be user friendly enough that it can be set up without prior knowledge of server administration. The configuration interface (called the ''Home Server Console'') can be accessed from any Windows PC on the home network and is delivered as an [[Remote Desktop Protocol|RDP]] application. The server itself requires no video card or peripherals; it is designed to require only an [[Ethernet]] card and at least one other [[Windows XP]] or [[Windows Vista]] PC.


==Technology==
==Technology==

Revision as of 14:16, 21 October 2007

Windows Home Server
File:Windows Home Server logo.png
File:WindowsHomeServer (Server Storage).png
Screenshot of the Windows Home Server Console
DeveloperMicrosoft
OS familyMicrosoft Windows
Released to
manufacturing		July 06 2007
Latest releaseWHS 1.0 / July 06 2007
Official websitewww.microsoft.com/windows/

Windows Home Server is a home server operating system from Microsoft. Announced on January 7 2007 at the Consumer Electronics Show by Bill Gates, Windows Home Server is intended to be a solution for homes with multiple connected PCs to offer file sharing, automated backups, and remote access.[1][2] It is based on Windows Server 2003 SP2.[3]

Windows Home Server was released to manufacturing on July 16 2007, with expected support availability on August 27, 2007.[4] According to listings on such websites as Amazon.com, PCMall.com and onSale.com, Hewlett-Packard Co.'s MediaSmart Home Server will be sold in two models at prices of US$599 and US$749. The pair are identical with the exception of the amount of included storage: the US$599 server contains 500GB, while the US$759 unit offers 1 TB. Amazon first reported that the HP MediaSmart Server would be available on September 15, 2007. [5]

Features

  • Centralized Backup - Allows backup up to 10 PCs,[6] using Single Instance Store technology to avoid multiple copies of the same file, even if that file exists on multiple PCs.[7]
  • Health Monitoring - Can centrally track the health of all PCs on the network, including antivirus and firewall status.[7]
  • File Sharing - Offers network shares for computers to store the files remotely, acting as a network-attached storage device. Separate categories are provided for common tile types like Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos.[7] The files are indexed for fast searching.[8]
  • Printer Sharing - Allows a centralized print server to handle print jobs for all users.[7]
  • Previous Versions - Takes advantage of Volume Shadow Copy Services to take point in time snapshots that allow older versions of files to be recovered.[9]
  • Headless Operation - No monitor or keyboard attached to the device itself, much like a firewall or router.[7]
  • Remote administration - Provides a client UI to remotely perform administrative tasks. Also allows Remote Desktop connections to the server.[10]
  • Remote Access Gateway - Allows access to any PC on the network from outside the home.[10]
  • Media Streaming - Can stream media to a Xbox 360 or other devices supporting Windows Media Connect.[7]
  • Data redundancy - Guards against a single drive failure by duplicating data across multiple drives.[7]
  • Expandable Storage - Provides a unified single and easily expandable storage space, removing the need for drive letters.[7]
  • Extensibility through Add-Ins - Add-Ins allow third-party developers to extend the features and functionality of the server. Add-Ins can be developed using the Windows Home Server SDK, to provide additional services to the client computers or work with the data already on the server. Add-Ins can also be ASP.NET applications, hosted in IIS 6 running on WHS.[8]

Interface

While the underlying operating system is built on Windows Small Business Server 2003 SP2, the configuration interface is designed to be user friendly enough that it can be set up without prior knowledge of server administration. The configuration interface (called the Home Server Console) can be accessed from any Windows PC on the home network and is delivered as an RDP application. The server itself requires no video card or peripherals; it is designed to require only an Ethernet card and at least one other Windows XP or Windows Vista PC.

Technology

Windows Home Server is built on the same codebase as Windows Server 2003 Small Business Server SP2. It includes almost all technologies found in Windows Server 2003 Small Business Server SP2 but has been limited in some areas to remove un-needed complexity or limit its uses. It also includes some new capabilities not found in Windows Server 2003 Small Business Server SP2:

Windows Home Server Drive Extender is a file-based replication system that provides three key capabilities:[11]

  • Multi-disk redundancy so that if any given disk fails, data is not lost
  • Arbitrary storage expansion by supporting any type of hard disk drive (Serial ATA, USB, FireWire etc.) in any mixture and capacity
  • A single folder namespace (no drive letters)

Users (specifically those who configure a family's home server) deal with storage at two levels: Shared Folders and Disks. The only concepts relevant regarding disks is whether they have been "added" to the home server's storage pool or not and whether the disk appears healthy to the system or not. This is in contrast with Windows' Logical Disk Manager which requires a greater degree of technical understanding in order to correctly configure a RAID array.

Shared Folders have a name, a description, permissions, and a flag indicating whether duplication (redundancy) is on or off for that folder.

If duplication is on for a Shared Folder (which is the default on multi-disk Home Server systems and not applicable to single disk systems) then the files in that Shared Folder are duplicated and the effective storage capacity is halved. However, in situations where a user may not want data duplicated (e.g. TV shows that have been archived to a Windows Home Server from a system running Windows Media Center), Drive Extender provides the capability to not duplicate such files if the server is short on capacity or manually mark a complete content store as not for duplication.

Windows Home Server Computer Backup automatically backs up all of the computers in a home to the server using an image-based system that ensures point-in-time-based restoration of either entire PCs or specific files and folders.[12] This technology uses Volume Shadow Services (VSS) technology on the client computer to take an image based backup of a running computer. Because the backup operates on data at the cluster level, single instancing can be performed to minimize the amount of data that travels over the network and that will ultimately be stored on the home server. This single instancing gives the server the ability to store only one instance of data, no matter if the data originated from another computer, another file, or even data within the same file.

Remote access

Web Interface showing the shared files UI

The system also offers an SSL secured web browser based interface over the Internet to the shared file stores.[13] The release version promises access to the web interface via a free Windows Live-provided URL. The web interface also allows the uploading to and downloading of files from the content stores.[10] However, there is a limit of 2 GB for a single batch of upload.[14]

The system also acts as an RDP gateway, allowing remote control over the internet of supported internal machines on the home network over the internet.[13][14] Currently supported systems are those which would normally support Remote Desktop: Windows XP Professional, Tablet and Media Center editions and Windows Vista Business and Ultimate editions. The web interface also supports embedding the Remote Desktop ActiveX control, to provide remote access to home computers from within the web interface directly. Remote sessions can also connect to the Home Server console to configure the server over the internet.[14]

Compatibility

Windows Home Server features integration with Windows XP and Windows Vista through a software installation. Files stored on Windows Home Server can also be available through a Windows share, opening compatibility to a wide variety of operating systems.

Windows x64 Systems (XP x64, Vista x64, 2003 x64) are currently not supported for backup with Windows Home Server, but Microsoft has stated support will be considered after Windows Home Server is released.

Minimum system requirements:

The following minimum specs are needed:

Additionally, the following are required for software installation only

Third-party pricing and availability

Windows Home Server will not be sold in boxes at retail stores. Instead, Microsoft partners will release their own servers which run Windows Home Server. The most popular is HP's MediaSmart Server.[15]

HP will release a Home Server (currently called the "HP MediaSmart Server"). It features a 64-bit AMD processor under the AMD Live! brand, and can be expanded to include as much as 6 terabytes of storage space. It also includes four internal HDD bays and four USB 2.0 ports.[16]According to listings on such websites as Amazon.com, PCMall.com and onSale.com, Hewlett-Packard Co.'s MediaSmart Home Server will be sold in two models at prices of US$599 and US$749. The pair are identical with the exception of the amount of included storage: the US$599 server contains 500GB, while the US$759 unit offers 1 TB. Amazon first reported that the HP MediaSmart Server would be available on September 15, 2007. [17]

While Windows Home Server will not be released in retail stores, it is possible to obtain a copy of the System Builder version using one of the following SKU's:

  • English – CCQ-00015
  • French – CCQ-00016
  • German – CCQ-00017 / CCQ-00038
  • Spanish – CCQ-00018

The pricing of this System Builder Version (OEM Version) is in sub $200 range. It is available at Buy.com for $178 and Newegg.com for $190. [18]


See Also

References

  1. ^ "Microsoft press release announcing Windows Home Server". Microsoft. 2007-01-07. Retrieved 2007-01-08.
  2. ^ "Bill Gates keynote at the International Electronics Show 2007". Microsoft. 2007-01-07. Retrieved 2007-01-08.
  3. ^ Dan Fernandez (January 28 2007). "Windows Home Server for Hobbyist Developers". MSDN Blogs. Retrieved 2007-05-29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Windows Home Server coming August 27th?". Engadget. 2007-08-18. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  5. ^ "Amazon leaks price, date of first Windows Home Server box". Computerworld. 2007-08-21. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  6. ^ "Windows Home Server Blog : Speaking of the number 10". Microsoft. 2007-05-04. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Paul Thurrott (2007-01-07). "Windows Home Server Preview". Windows SuperSite. Retrieved 2007-01-08.
  8. ^ a b "Windows Home Server in depth: Remote Access and SDK". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
  9. ^ Nathan Weinberg (2007-01-07). "Windows Home Server In Detail". InsideMicrosoft. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  10. ^ a b c "Remote Access to Files and PCs". Windows Home Server Team Blog. 2007-02-28. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  11. ^ "The Death of the Drive Letter ..." Windows Home Server Team Blog. 2007-02-15. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  12. ^ "Home Computer Backup". Windows Home Server Team Blog. 2007-02-08. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  13. ^ a b "Microsoft Windows Home Server CTP Privacy Statement". Microsoft Connect. January 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  14. ^ a b c "Technical Brief for Windows Home Server Remote Access". Retrieved 2007-10-04.
  15. ^ "Windows Home Server Getting Started Guide" (PDF). Microsoft. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  16. ^ "HP MediaSmart Server". HP. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
  17. ^ "Amazon leaks price, date of first Windows Home Server box". Computerworld. 2007-08-21. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  18. ^ "OEM pricing for Windows Home Server comes into focus at below $200".
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