By on December 01st, 2010

We Are Still Committed to Windows Home Server

committed

There has been some sad announcements lately regarding Windows Home Server, but in my opinion even taking these into account Windows Home Server v1 and Vail is still and will be the best option out there. Automated quick backup, if necessary a single image recovery, remote access… the list carries on. We were committed to Windows Home Server here at mswhs.com, and will continue our commitment with Windows Home Server “Vail” too. But we are not the only ones. The following companies give details on where they are heading with Home Server.

Acer, regarding the easyStore Home Server from Gianpiero Morbello, vice president of marketing and brand:

Vail will have a big impact on the home media environment, providing an easy streaming and seamless digital file sharing experience for consumers, and Acer is excited to be alongside Microsoft delivering on this goal

Tranquil PC have stated that they will continue to manufacture, supply and support all derivatives of the Windows Home Server product:

Is this the end of Home Server? Not in the slightest. “It’s a new beginning, an exciting future awaits us” says D J Thompson, Managing Director of Tranquil PC “there is a huge following for Home Server, and the V1 product does just what it says on the tin, which is to deliver an outstandingly simple, reliable and effective solution for home and small business PC user alike. There are other solutions that can provide single elements of Home Server, but there is nothing that delivers the whole package, and there is unlikely to be so in the near future. We are entirely committed to the future of Windows Home Server V1, V2 and beyond. We will also ensure that there is a suitable transition path from V1 to V2 for our existing and new clients.

Raxco Software the makers of the defrag add-in PerfectDisk 11 Windows Home Server had the following to say:

…you can be assured our intent is for PerfectDisk to fully support Vail in whatever form it ultimately takes and provide the best WHS defrag and free space consolidation, helping ensure an optimized WHS environment for whatever version of WHS a user is running.

While Vail and Drive Extender are together no more, PerfectDisk, WHS defrag and Vail will be together still…

And don’t forget Microsoft continues to work on delivering ”Vail” to us, bringing the best solution possible  – Windows Home Server onwards and upwards!

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By on December 01st, 2010

The HP MediaSmart is No Longer

MediaSmart Server

Its with sad news that I pass on the information that HP will no longer be producing a MediaSmart Server.

Earlier this month I was told of this information (under a non disclosure agreement) from Allan Buckner, the Marketing Manager for the Home Server Group at HP. Allan explained that since HP acquired Palm for $1.2 Billion back in April, that they will now be putting their efforts into the Palm webOS operating system.

With the Home Server Group already transferred to the Palm Global Business Unit to help with future development of the webOS, HP will no longer be producing a MediaSmart Server for either WHS v1 or Windows Home Server "Vail". This is sad news as I have always recommended the EX490 and EX495 HP MediaSmart’s, as in my opinion they are one of the best hardware solutions out there for Home Server, and I am sure that the next generation would have been too.

Unfortunately once existing stock dries up there will be no more MediaSmart’s, although stock should be plentiful for the holiday season, so if you do want to purchase one, made sure you do so now.

You may also be aware that the HP StorageWorks Data Vaults are also based on the same hardware as the MediaSmart, and we have been told that the X310 models (X311/X312 and X315) will also cease along with the X510 models (although HP StorageWorks will continue to develop products for the HP “Just Right IT” portfolio of offerings designed for micro and small businesses).  Stock should continue to be made available at least throughout December and January 2011 in their respective English, French, Spanish and German versions. Potential customers should be able to purchase these units at very attractive prices as  resellers are now keen to clear their stocks in preparation for the next generation WHS devices.

This also means that there will be no further software updates for the range. but if a security update was needed in the future then an update would be made available. Naturally HP will continue to support the X510 with a three-year limited warranty on hardware and three-year technical support warranty on software and a one-year limited warranty for the X300 Data Vault and MediaSmart.

HP were the main vender for Windows Home Server hardware and it’s a shame that looking forward they will not be supporting Windows Home server “Vail” – Farewell MediaSmart we loved you!

News • Windows Home Server
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By on November 30th, 2010

DE Removal has Consequences

The backlash continues regarding Drive Extender being removed from Windows Home server Vail.

ZDNet in the UK asks "What’s the point of Windows Home Server?"

So here’s a modest proposal: Don’t throw away Drive Extender. Instead deliver Home Server "Vail" and Small Business Server Essentials with a hybrid file system, where one drive letter is given over to a Drive Extender storage fabric and others are used for a more traditional NTFS system. That way you’ll get the best of both worlds; a powerful extensible storage array with built in redundancy for critical files, and a standard file system for those legacy applications and those that need block-level access to disks. That way we get the best of both worlds, the old and the new together. Otherwise Microsoft might as well just cancel Home Server, and hand that growing market over to the folks at Data Robotics…

Diskeeper the makers of the defrag utility Diskeeper 2010 HomeServer, writes on their blog:

There is still significant value in Vail. The thing that really distinguishes WHS from NAS devices is that WHS is a platform whereas NAS is an appliance. Appliances will do next year the same thing they do today – which may work for many. A platform, through new/added software, can be customized to be a great variety of things. You build onto the platform whatever you want it to do for you, and as you grow, it can grow with you.  Because of that potential, it’s amassed a base of passionate users with very high expectations (rightfully so).

Andrew Grant the developer of the add-in Whiist states in a blog post that he will not develop a version of the add-in for Vail now that DE has been removed. And finally fellow MVP Andrew Edney’s forthcoming book, Windows Home Server Inside Out by MS Press which was due early next year has been cancelled following Microsoft’s announcement.

News • Windows Home Server
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By on November 30th, 2010

Ask Matt: your questions answered

Ask a Question

Mailbag 30th November 2010

Have a question or problem?
I can’t guarantee an answer, but I’ll try. Click “ask a question” above!

Drive Extender Removed From Vail

Unsurprisingly the biggest talking point this week has been Drive Extender, to hear that it was being removed from the upcoming Vail release was gutting, I am really not sure what Microsoft are thinking about by removing such a massive and popular feature from the final release.

In response to the madness, there are a few developers out there that are trying to develop their own drive extender, in the form of an addin, this looks promising and is going to be based on FlexRAID, when I know more I will let everyone know.

As far as I am concerned if the FlexRAID addin comes through, then Windows Home Server will go on, but I don’t think it will ever become a successful mainstream product whilst popular features get cut from each new version. We have to remember Microsoft aren’t replacing this feature with something else bigger and better, and in my view will be offering poor value for money when Vail does finally get released, as they haven’t improved Vail enough from WHS v1 to really warrant an upgrad with such a massive feature missing.

The out pouring from the Windows Home Server community has been unprecedented, and has certainly caught Microsoft off guard, Terry Walsh @ WeGotServed has written to Steve Ballmer personally, whether this will have any bearing on the final decision, which seems to have already been made, remains to be seen. It’s now left with Microsoft to stick or twist.

Let me know what you think of Drive Extender being removed from Windows Home Server in our forum.

Can I Retrieve a Deleted Share

Anonymous Asks:

I deleted a share by accident in the Windows Home Server console and it deleted the share and directories/files off of server. No Duplication for that share was enabled. Is there any way to recover the share in Windows Home Server?

Basically Windows Home Server stores data over multiple drives and does not work in the same way as a normal file system such as NTFS and FAT. Yet despite that NTFS is still at the heart of Windows Home Server, with the controversial drive extender sat on top of that. This means there is always ways and means of recovering data when deleted, although I must warn you that these are ways that could cause more harm than good.

Try going here, I have seen other people retrieve data that has been deleted using this method on a number of occasions; I must stress though I take no responsibility for anyone following these steps, as followed incorrectly could cause further data loss.

Unable to have multiple open connections to an Access database on WHS

John Asks:

I run Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 with several home PCs. I’d like to use Microsoft Access (2003 or 2010) and have the back end tables on the server with the front end file on each of the PCs.

When I’ve tried this, only one PC can access the database at any one time. It works when I host the tables on one of the PCs–everyone can use the database at the same time.

Can Windows Home Server handle this? I’ve tried different variations with the Access table file on a Windows Home Server folder as well as directly on the server C: drive with no luck.

There is no technical reason as to why you are unable to open the same database on multiple machines simultaneously; Windows Home Server certainly has no limitations in this way either.

Having looked in to this further the only real reason I can think of is opening the database in exclusive mode, this all depends on the way you open your database, File >> Open, has an option for opening in exclusive mode, which I believe is unchecked by default, whereas if you double-click, it checks to see if that profile is set to “open exclusive by default“, then opens in exclusive mode. To change which mode you are in go to Tools >> Options >> Advanced tab and select Exclusive and All Locks, you will need to do this on each machine but this should do the trick.

Can I manually balance my data across my drives

Renny Asks:

I am running Windows Home Server Version 1 with 3 internal 500GB hard drives and 3 further 1TB hard drives in a Tower Raid box.

One of the internal drives (not the system drive) is showing 95% full while all other drives are between 33% and 60% full.

Is this cause for concern?

Can you manually invoke drive balancing to better spread the data?

This is very common and certainly not an issue to worry about, if you have drive duplication turned on, Windows Home Server will simply be spanning your data across multiple drives for you. The reason WHS does this, has to do with when you add your additional data drives and all of your data.

Example: If you install WHS with 2 x 500GB hard drives, then transfer 600GB of data to your new WHS, with duplication enabled, you then add the rest of your hard drives as per your example above, WHS will not balance the data across the new drives because it sees no need, as the data is duplicated on the 2 drives you originally had installed.

In time WHS will shift some data around and you will see the other drives fill up, If this is something that is worrying you and you would feel more at ease seeing the data spread wide and far across your drives, then yes you can force WHS to balance the data manually, Tom Spinoso over at  homeservershow.com has got a great feature about an application you can download called Windows Home Server Drive Balancer (really where do they get these names from) to force WHS to balance better and shift the data around to the other drives.

Windows Home Server Drive Balancer Article: here

Can I backup my Android phone to Windows Home Server

Craig Asks:

I love my Android phone and I love my Windows Home Server. What I would like to see is an App for the phone that would back up the phone to the Windows Home Server.
Does anyone know of one?
Does anyone want to write one?

Put simply, I don’t know of one and I can’t be sure if anyone wants to write one. So I am throwing this one out to everybody to answer, and see what they think. Let me know with comments below or post in the forum, I am sure if we get enough support, someone would want to write the addin.

Have a question or problem?
I can’t guarantee an answer, but I’ll try. Click “ask a question” above!

Written by
Matthew Glover
www.matthewglover.co.uk

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By on November 29th, 2010

Add-In: CloudBerry Backup for Vail Beta

Cloudberry Lab have released their CloudBerry Backup add-in for WHS code name Vail into beta.

CloudBerry Backup for Vail

It comes with the same feature set as the previous CloudBerry Backup add-in and once released will be a free upgrade for existing customers.

Features:

  • Easy installation and configuration
  • Seemlesly integrates with WHS control pane
  • Default backup plan is designed to quickly start WHS data backup
  • Scheduling capabilities
  • Data encryption
  • Data retention schedule
  • Secure online storage
  • Data versioning
  • Differential backup
  • The ability to restore to a particular date
  • Backup verification
  • Backup Window
  • Automatically delete files from online storage if the were deleted locally
  • Backup to Multiple S3 accounts/buckets

You can get the beta download from here.

add-ins • Windows Home Server
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By on November 29th, 2010

9 Alternatives to Drive Extender

The How-To Geek gives us 9 alternatives for Windows Home server Drive Extender technology.

How-To Geek Drive Extender

The article explains what Drive Extender is and discusses Windows alternatives software RAID, disParity and FlexRAID. As well as Liux alternatives LVM, unRAID, MooseFS, GlusterFS, Greyhole and Ceph.

A great read which you can find here.

News • Windows Home Server
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By on November 29th, 2010

You Need Serving?

windows-server-logo

If you would like to know the differences between Microsoft’s different server editions (both current and upcoming), then website Small Biz Thoughts by Karl Palachuk has them listed which of course Smile includes Windows Home Server, which you can find here.

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By on November 29th, 2010

The AirPlay App and Windows Home Server

The unofficial Apple weblog "Tuaw" has a hands on article on AirPlay, an app for audio streaming.

Writer Richard Gaywood tells us how he uses the app to stream audio with video apps running on the iPhone from his Windows Home Server.

Tuaw AirPlay Streaming

You can read his full article here.

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By on November 27th, 2010

The Amahi Home Server

Amahi the open source Linux alternative to WHS have also got into the DE removal fiasco by offering “The Amahi Home Server” software as a Windows Home Server alternative.

DE v Greyhole

They are even offering a Drive Extender migration guide which is a guide and a comparison between WHS’s Drive Extender v Greyhole, the Storage Pooling technology built into Amahi.

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By on November 26th, 2010

Drive Extender we want you Back!

windows-home-hurler-ars-thumb-640xauto-18010

Picture courtesy of ars technica

The web is awash with people asking why Microsoft removed Drive Extender (DE) from Windows Home Server Vail.

All major tech sites have articles including:

Fellow MVP Terry Walsh has written to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, asking him to personally look at this situation and meanwhile Microsoft’s Connect Website now has a staggering 3000 votes to add drive extender back to Vail. My own personal opinion is that Vail will become a glorified NAS device with backup capability without DE, as it was one of the system’s major selling points.

Drive Extender we want you back, and that’s what the vast majority of the community is requesting too!

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