I don’t know if it’s that I never paid attention or just didn’t have any interest in it, but I just now noticed that Windows Home Server w/Power Pack 1 is available via MSDN subscription. I’ve grown a bit bored with my 2008 Server, so I’m considering a migration to WHS. I’m actually considering shifting a few PCs around so that I can retire at least one. My ESXi server was a nice little project, but I don’t know how necessary it really is since I can pull the duties it provides on other systems without really putting any strain on them. It only hosts my WSUS VM and has a Vista development VM for compiling Media Browser, but there are instructions for installing WSUS on WHS and I can put the Vista VM on my C2Q box using Virtual PC.
I have no intentions of replacing my unRAID server. It works perfect for what I want…I just think that WHS can nicely fill a niche in my home network that the 2008 Server just isn’t designed for. I’m going to be moving our 2003 Servers to it at work soon, so I’ll get my daily dose of it there (while using it as it was intended).
I’ll have to wait and see what happens…the WHS will come first, regardless, and that will just mean a new avenue for content here. I probably won’t get time to do it until the New Year’s break, so check back for any updates on this…I get wild notions every once in a while, so it could happen at any time.
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Great. Glad to see more folks using WHS. It’s a great product. Where did you fine the direction for running WSUS on WHS?
I’ve not looked over it yet, but I plan on using the directions here.
You won’t regret it – I got myself out of the home domain/active directory admin business about a year ago and honestly haven’t missed it for a minute. The backups have already saved my bacon twice due to HDD failures on 2 different machines. Sure, you can accomplish all of the same things with other tools like Acronis, but WHS makes it so simple why would you want to? I know you are a big unRAID fan, but WHS with power pack 3 makes for a pretty good NAS/media streaming solution as well – especially if you have Windows 7 machines on your net.
It is some of the features that unRAID doesn’t or can’t provide that has piqued my interest in WHS. Primarily, the system backup feature you mention. My HTPCs are, by no means, critical systems, but they are time-consuming nightmares to setup.
I also like the fact that WHS can provide other services my 2008 box does, such as WINS. I will also probably make it my file NAS (non-media) and free up the additional space on my unRAID server. The knock I have against WHS as a media server is the 1:1 file mirroring it requires…that just demands way too much space for me with little gained in redundancy factor considering the amount of data I have already.
On the other hand, the 2TB drives are really coming down in price, so it could be feasible to jump ship on down the road. I just find it hard to beat unRAID for simplicity’s sake…it just runs.
yeah, i don’t think you will regret it either. i’ve been running a home built whs for a while and love it. i like having the piece of mind that the replication gives me and it integrates really nicely with my media center up in the living room.
Good stuff, I just moved over from my EX470 to a DIY WHS build and am running at 16TB so far. I agree regarding the 1:1 duplication, but was able to grab a bunch of 2TB drives during black friday at great prices. I hope that Vail has a better system in place (some sort of parity instead of duplication) and of course if Vail has WMC integrated that would be killer.
I always enjoy learning how other people employ Windows Home Server. It is a great way to protect your data. However you are still vulnerable to physical disk failures and inadvertent deletions. I am wondering if you can check out a new CloudBerry Backup for Windows Home Server which provides you with another level of protection by copying your data to secure online storage powered by Amazon S3. You can download your copy at http://www.cloudberrylab.com/default.aspx?page=backup-whs
Nadya,
CloudBerry Lab team
Do I get a free copy for allowing you to advertise? :)
I’ll review it!