Video: ReFS and Storage Spaces

The Channel 9 network have a video on Windows Server 2012 File System Enhancements which takes a look at ReFS and Storage Spaces.

ReFS and Storage Spaces Video

For those of you using or thinking of using WS2012 Essentials then the part of this video on Storage Spaces is worth a view:

Windows Server 2012 introduces two important new features, Storage Spaces and the Resilient File System (ReFS), that empower customers to build resilient, scalable, available, and high performance storage solutions. Storage Spaces delivers powerful platform-based enterprise storage capabilities enabling utilization of cost-effective commodity storage hardware for business critical application deployments. ReFS maximizes data availability and online operation, despite errors that would historically cause data loss or downtime. Both of these can help build greater resiliency and data integrity to ensure that business-critical data is protected from errors and available when needed, using commodity hardware. In this session learn how Windows Server 2012 maintains the highest levels system availability and reliability providing a full end-to-end resilient architecture for ReFS when used in conjunction with Storage Spaces to magnify the capabilities and reliability of one another. This sessions includes demos of these technologies and uses real-world customer deployments to discuss how to deploy commodity storage hardware to build a cost-effective, resilient, and scalable storage platform.

You can find this 57 minute video here.

Using Storage Spaces in WS 2012 Essentials

Yang Cao again, program manager on the Windows Server 2012 Essentials team has written a blog post on using Storage Spaces in Windows Server 2012 Essentials.

In the post Yang explains why small business users would love Storage Spaces and goes on to explain how to configure, use and manage it.

Using Storage Spaces in WS2012e

You can read the post here.

Add-In: LDisk-D v3.0.0.6

ld-env2

LDisk-D, the iSCSI target storage (SAN) add-In for users of WHS-2011, WSS-Essentials, SBS-2011-Essentials and Windows Server 2012-Essentials has had an update.

Version 3.0.0.6 has the following changes:

  • Change to support some non-US regions that use "yyyy-mm-dd" date format
  • New code signing certificate

More details on LDisk-D can be found here.

The BYOB Podcast Episode 104

BYOB Logo

Its time for another episode of the BYOB podcast. And what does episode 104 have in store for us:

A new build! An array rebuild, Eye-fi and iPad Mini….Untangle Ramblings of the indecisive on routers firewalls and web filtering…

You can find it here.

HP ProLiant N40L MicroServer for $260

Newegg have the HP ProLiant N40L MicroServer available for only $259.99.

HP ProLiant MicroServer

The N40L normally sells on Newegg for $349.99, saving you $90, but hurry as this offer ends soon.

HP ProLiant N40L Ultra Micro Tower Server System AMD Turion II Neo N40L 1.5GHz 2-Core 2GB (1 x 2GB) 658553-001

WS2012 Essentials Available from the Microsoft Store

Ready for the holiday season Microsoft have WS2012 Essentials listed in their online store for $545.47.

WS2012e in the Windows Store

Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Essentials can also be found from the likes of newegg, where it is being offered for $499.99. 

Save on WHS eBooks

We Got Served are offering £5 off of any of their eBooks or a whopping 50% off if you buy The Collected Works 2012.

The books up for offer include Windows Home Server 2011 Step by Step, 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects both volume 1 and volume 2

WHS Books from WeGotServed

These books are available at this price for the thanksgiving weekend only. More details on this offer are available from here.

CrashPlan Going Cheap

Online backup service CrashPlan are offering (currently) a 98% off discount bringing a CrashPlan+ Unlimited plan down to $1.20 for the year.

CrashPlan Logo

This price will steadily increase until Monday Nov. 26, 2:00PM CST, when your purchase will be discounted 42%. The discount will remain at 42% until the sale ends, 11:59PM CST Monday.

A lovely deal for a backup solution you can use with Windows Home Server.

You can order from here.

200 Full Licenses of Drive Bender for $10 Each

Drive Bender have 200 full licenses up for grabs for only $10 a go, saving you $30 off the regular price of $40.

Black Friday Drive Bender Bender Deal

Drive Bender presents multiple hard drives as a single pool of data storage, either as one or more drive letters, or a network shared drive. Drive Bender is able to do this with any drive recognized by Windows, including external drive such as USB, Firewire etc.

But be quick as this Friday bender is limited until the 200 licenses go.

More details here.

Add-In: Drive Bender v1.4.1.5 Beta

Drive Bender Logo

The beta build of Drive Bender has a new release.

Version 1.4.1.5 beta has the following change list:

  • Bug fix: Memory leaks in DriveBender.dll library.
  • Bug fix: Worker thread manage can assign to worker tasks to the same thread, resulting in the thread becoming deadlocked.
  • Bug fix: The "Getting started" wizard could crash if attempting to create a pooled drive when there is not top level pool object present.
  • Bug fix: There can be instances where duplication scanning can enter the mount recycle bin.
  • Bug fix: The Windows 7 theme’s icons for setting and notification where not very visible.
  • Bug fix: Some minor changes to the main windows default start up position.
  • Bug fix: The duplication tools status line would disappear if it was longer than the available space.
  • Update: Some interface additions and tweaks.
  • Update: A number of duplication windows updates.

This beta build of Drive Bender can be downloaded from here.