Windows Home Server

Windows Home Server is an upcoming operating system from Microsoft. Announced on 7 January 2007 at the Consumer Electronics Show by Bill Gates, Windows Home Server is intended to be a solution for homes with multiple connected PCs to offer file sharing, automated backups, and remote access.

Features

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• Centralized Backup - Backup up to 10 PC’s using Single Instance Store Technology to avoid multiple copies of the same file, even if that file exists on multiple PC’s.
• Health Monitoring - Can centrally track the health of all PC’s on the network, including Antivirus and Firewall status.
• File Sharing - Offers network shares for commonly used files like MP3’s and videos.
• Printer Sharing - Allows a centralized print server to handle print jobs for all users.
• Previous Versions - Takes advantage of Volume Shadow Copy services to take point in time snapshots that allow older versions of files to be recovered.
• Headless Operation - There is no monitor or keyboard attached to the device itself, much like a firewall or router.
• Remote Administration - Provides a nice remote UI to do administrative tasks.
• Remote Access Gateway - Allows you to access any PC on the network from outside your home.
• Media Streaming - Can stream media to Windows Media Player or XBOX 360.
• Data Redundancy - Guards against a single drive failure by duplicating data across multiple drives.
• Expandable Storage - Provides a unified single and easily expandable storage space - no more drive letters.

Interface

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While the underlying operating system is built on Windows Server 2003 R2, the interface is designed to be user friendly enough that it can be set up without prior knowledge of server administration. The interface will be accessed through a web browser from any network-connected PC or through the Internet via a free Windows Live-provided URL. The server requires no video card or peripherals; it is designed to require only an Ethernet card and at least one other Windows XP or Windows Vista PC.

Compatibility

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Windows Home Server features integration with Windows XP and Windows Vista through a software installation. It can also be used with Time Machine, an upcoming feature in Mac OS X Leopard. “We’re a great back-end store for Time Machine,” Microsoft product manager Todd Headrick told Paul Thurrot.

Pricing and Availability

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HP will release a Home Server (currently called the “HP MediaSmart Server”) in Q2 of 2007. It features a 64-bit AMD processor under the AMD Live! brand, and can be expanded to include as much as 6 Terabytes of storage space. It also includes four internal HDD bays and four USB 2.0 ports. In a Channel 9 video interview, Windows Home Server General Manager Charlie Kindel said that early Home Servers will cost about the same as a low-end PC, or around $500.

External links

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• Demonstration of Windows Home Server at Microsoft’s on10.net
• Product information page for the first Windows Home Server from HP
• Windows Home Server website
• Blog of the general manager for Windows Home Server