More info on Windows Home Server

Posted By: Larry Larsen | Nov 6th, 2007 @ 2:52 AM

Gizmodo has an interesting post that mentions a couple points often overlooked about Windows Home Server. Windows Home Server only backs up one instance of a file that appears across your system. So think of it this way, if you are using WHS to backup your 5 Dell XPS laptops (lucky you), each freshly formatted with Vista and holding all of your MP3s, the amount of storage required to back them up isn't going to be much bigger than the amount of space required to backup one of them. Read more about the disk system here (pdf). Another cool feature with Home Server is sharing the printers across your home network. Seems like I could run a small Kinko's out of my house and I was always at the wrong computer to print what I needed; text at the photo printer, pictures at the laser printer. Now all my printers are shared across the network - even available to visitors.

In the Gizmodo comments, DJ Anakin asks: "My plan for the near future has been to build a computer running Windows Media Center, then use it as a NAS/backup machine. I plan to be able to rip all my DVD's to the machine then just watch them on the TV. Essentially it would be an expanded HTPC. Will Windows Home Server be able to play media ala WMC?"

Media Center and Home Server are two distinct products with two different uses, but they work together. Your Media Center PC can play content from your Windows Home Server, and any extender can be used to play content from either (BTW: out of all the V2 extenders to date, the best value is the Xbox Arcade - with HDMI output.) Of course you could always plug a USB TV Tuner to the HP Home Server (but I wouldn't do it).

Remember, Windows Home Server is available as an OS so you can build whatever you want. You might want to use your Home Server for security with a 4/8/12/16 port DVR card to capture from cameras around your house. Just make sure the capture device works with Windows 2000, the supporting foundation under Home Server. While the HP Home Server doesn't have a monitor output jack on it, you might build one with this in mind. My main TV at home has a VGA input on it, I could hide my Home Server behind it, use a Media Center wireless keyboard, and basically create what DJ Anakin is talking about.

Tags: Extenders, Windows Home Server, Xbox

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Comments (6)

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catto

Hey Now Larry,

This is a really interesting product, I thank you for informing me about it.

Catto

RodSpina

In reply to catto

#Nov 6th, 2007 @ 8:14 AM

hey, I have Beta tested WHS, and now have the OEM version running back at home and still feel that it kind of needs more add-ins. HERE you can find the most updated list of available add-ins (which are still not that many).

Although I feel that the OS itself should have had some interface to "dump" or "purge" some data out of the server to DVD's. I mean, even with the price of harddrives getting more affordable by the day, there are so many you can hook up to your machine (and i have built mine with that in mind).

Anyone knows how to do that ?

Larry

In reply to RodSpina

#Nov 6th, 2007 @ 10:33 AM

If you built your own, you could always drop in a DVD burner. For most of us, though, it's not an option. I've got a LOT on my home server. Some of the files (uncompressed video capture) are too big to even fit on a single DVD.

There are options to backup to the cloud, which is probably the best option since if your house burns down it's probably going to get your WHS and your DVDs. But again, with a lot of data, that's not really an option either.

What I've been doing is using old hard drives as a last-ditch storage system and keeping them in a fireproof safe.

Quazeye

Is it possible to stream ripped DVD's (VOB files) with WHS so that you get the menus etc?

Thanks
Q

USArcher

"course you could always plug a USB TV Tuner to the HP Home Server (but I wouldn't do it)"

Why would you suggest *not* to install a TV Tuner? If Windows Home Server is on all the time, wouldn't that the perfect candidate for serving TV and Media Center around the home. I have Media Center on my Laptop but thats not the ideal hardware platform to serve Media Center around my home 24/7. What if I'm not home? Hopefully in the future, WHS gets a port of Media Center. Don't get me wrong, I think Media Center belongs on a PC OS as well (college students, etc). I just think Microsoft needs to scale it further to accommodate the widest range of usage scenarios.

Bzz

In reply to Quazeye

#Nov 6th, 2007 @ 2:15 PM

Yes, you can. I have all my DVD's ripped to their own VIDEO_TS folders on WHS.