TigerDirect’s com.puter.tv channel has a 4 minute video on the HP StorageWorks X510 Data Vault Windows Home Server which is worth a look if you want to see what the X510/EX495 looks like in the flesh.
Windows sysadmin Claus Valca wanted a way to RDP to his copy of Windows 7 Home Premium, which doesn’t allow connections to it. So he copied over 4 files from a Windows 7 build which does support the full Windows Remote Desktop, and now has it working.
You can find out how he done it here.
If you are running a headless Windows Home Server such as the HP MediaSmart Servers you best option is to use the Windows Home Server Console from a Windows or Mac Computer. However, it is possible to use Remote Desktop (RDP) to connect to your server and there are many clients out there for a number of devices like mobile phones, PDAs or the iTouch. TSMobiles is one such client available from RDMPlus (http://www.rdmplus.com/tsm/java/download.html). The configuration within this review is the Java client running on a Nokia N97. Clients from RDMPlus also include the BlackBerry, iPhone, Palm and Window Mobile. They all have the same functionality and, apart from slight User Interface differences, behave the same.
RDMPlus offer a free 7 day trial and a full license costs around £21.50 ($34.95) depending on the exchange rate. In this review I detail the installation and show you what TSMobiles looks like when connecting to Window Home Server.
First go to http://www.rdmplus.com/tsm/java/download.html and download the java client. Most devices support Java but if you are using one of the devices mentioned before you should use the ‘Change device’ option in the top right of the download page to select the version that is best suited to your unit.
Once you have the installation downloaded to your PC you can either double click on it to start the installation process (assuming you have setup Nokia PC Suite correctly) or copy the installation to your device using a memory card or USB. Once the installation has been initiated you’ll be asked to confirm this on your device.
A few months back I was tinkering with creating Windows Home Server Add-Ins in Visual Studio. I started work on an Anti-Virus Add-In based around ClamAV, the open source (GPL) anti-virus toolkit. I’m considering continuing the project and I’m interested to know how much interest there would be in such an Add-In. If you would use such an Add-In then please leave a comment below.
The Linux community has been busy creating Greyhole, which is based on the Windows Home Server Drive Extender concept, but open source, running on Linux
Greyhole is an application that uses Samba to create a storage pool of all your available hard drives (whatever their size, however they’re connected), and allows you to create redundant copies of the files you store, in order to prevent data loss when part of your hardware fails.
If you would like to try it, it’s available now for testing. More details are available from here and here.
Due this month (December) was software from HP for owners of the previous generation EX47x and EX48x MediaSmart Servers to update them to the latest version 3 software. But unfortunately due to compatibility problems with PP3 and also the media streaming software the update will not be available till Febuary 2010.
HP has also confirmed that the cost of the upgrade media will be will be US$25 or €25.
Here’s the full press release:
HP MediaSmart Server 3.0 Software Update Progress
In the latter stages of testing our 3.0 software update, a couple of issues were discovered with the upgrade disks. One was related to compatibility with PowerPack 3 and the other with the media streaming software. Both issues have fixes and we are now going back through our build and testing process. As a result, the 3.0 software update DVD availability will now be in February. While this delay was unexpected, we remain committed to providing this upgrade path for owners of our EX470/475/485/487 products. As previously communicated, these upgrades will be available as a server recovery solution.
The cost of the upgrade DVD has been finalized and will be US$25 or €25.
Windows guru Paul Thurrott has a review of Power Pack 3 up on his SuperSite for Windows site.
Paul also has a tip on the Windows 7 library support. If you have a lot of shared folders then your library is going to be rather bloated, but as Paul states it is easily rectified by turning off any server-side shares from the Windows 7 library setting.
You can read Paul’s review here.
How does a Zune device, Windows 7 Media Center, an Xbox 360 and Windows Home Server work together?
Visual Studio Magazine has the answer:
… (1) Media Center can now archive TV recordings to Home Server, (2) I can view the status of my Windows Home Server rig from my Media Center PC, using the remote control, and can do likewise from either of my Xbox consoles, and (3) I can configure Windows Home Server to transcode my TV recordings to a lower bit rate, suitable for transfer to, and viewing on, a Zune device, Granted, I don’t own a Zune, but the feature is intriguing nonetheless.
You can read more about Microsoft products "working together" here.
Missing Remote has a review of the VIA Artigo A200 2-drive barebone system.
The comprehensive review compares the unit to the HP EX487 and the VIA NSD-7800 and takes a look at the unit from both the outside and the inside.
Pros:
- Super low powered
- Smallest storage unit tested in-house
- Compact Flash slot
- VGA Port
- Front USB port
- Very nice looking, tiny case
Cons:
- Cost adds up given lack of WHS license, drives and memory
- Audio Ports on backpanel
- No Dual Gigabit
- Slower/Older 1.5 GHz CPU
- No RAM Included
- 40mm CPU Fan could get loud over time
- No hot swap drive bays
- No eSATA Ports
Catch it here.
Senior architect at Intel, Ylian Saint-hilaire has been playing with Windows Home Server and has written an Intel AMT add-in.
Intel AMT (Active Management Technology) is a hardware/firmware based technology for business PCs and includes hardware-based remote management features, security features, power-management features, and remote-configuration features which allow an IT tech to access an AMT PC when traditional techniques and methods to manage the PC are not available.
Intel’s AMT is designed, into a secondary processor located on the motherboard and is currently available in desktop PCs with Intel Core 2 processor with vPro technology and available in laptop PCs with Centrino platform with vPro technology.
So if you have such a motherboard Ylian has posted the add-ins source code over on the Intel blog.
