When I was at CES earlier this year, I heard a lot of buzz about Windows Home Server and now Microsoft is looking for beta testers for WHS.
There are a few prerequisite items you need before you’ll be considered:
- Two or more PCs
- A broadband connection and router
- A spare PC or server that can be dedicated to Windows Home Server software
What Is It?
Codenamed “Quattro”, Windows Home Server is based on Windows Server 2003 R2. The idea is that it will make file sharing , backing up, restoring and sharing media easy for the average user - meaning: you don’t have to be a power user!
Features
Being a server, one of WHS’s main functions is serving media to Xbox 360s, Media Center PC’s, XP & Vista machines, Zunes, Windows Mobile devices (smartphones, etc.), and other devices - either in your network or across the internet via an IP address from Live Domains.
While serving media is an aspect, another is making backups easier. Everyone knows they should backup thier data, but how often does Johnny ComputerUser actually do it?! What about you Sally TechSavvy, when was the last time you backup your system?
WHS uses a kind of image based backups as well as single file backups together, it’s called Single Instance Store (SIS) and is borrowed from Windows Server 2003. Basically, if the server sees the same file, say plds4.dll, on three different machines, it will only create one copy of it! This will dramatically reduce the space required for backing up multiple machines! You can have the server backup any client on your network anytime! This paragraph needs more exclamation marks! 
How Can I Get It?!
When it’s released to the public, HP will build WHS’s or you can build your own machine to install WHS on!
You Want More?!
There are many, many more features that I haven’t covered here. I am looking forward to really playing around with this - let’s hope I’m accepted!
Any idea when this will be available with the Microsoft MSDN subscriptions?
I’ve search but couldn’t find any thing but I would imagine it would be available as soon as it’s out of Beta!
Looks good to me. The next problem is.. I wish I had more computers at home! ;P
I filled out the survey, we’ll see if I hear back from them
I’ve beta tested so much software for MS that I hope I hear back - I’ve got 2003 R2 running as production servers, but I want to test this one out for fun
Akismat keeps marking your comments as spam! Anyway, I’d be interested in reading about the difference between WHS and WS2003 - maybe you can write an article for me when you get accepted!
There is one big difference: the audience.
) but I’m pretty sure about that.
As one of the lucky guys beeing able to test WHS I can say that it is a great product for moms and dads. I wouldn’t want to compare the products themself as they differ in so many ways. WHS is built upon the base of WS2003SBE but is largely stripped down to its bones. It does “only” include the backup service, shared folders and easily scalable harddrive space. It cant function as a real “Home Server” that’s used for more than the label says. At least not without some modifications.
It doesn’t really serve as a streaming server either. You can only select the predefined “system folders” (Music, Photos, Video) to be “Media Libraries” (see here and as far as I know your Windows-powered device will also only recognize these folders as “network media”. I can’t test that as I don’t own an xbox (only Wii
If you want a more detailed info on what the “big” differences are, then drop me a note. I’m currently moving but had such a comparison in mind for my blog too. I could write it in german and english if you’d like.
Very interesting, I guess we couldn’t have hoped for a real server for power users from Microsoft….
Well, WS2003 is a real server for power users. WHS is “only” a real server for home users
I have to say the problem with something like this is the restrictions that Microsoft will place in it. The DRM and the lack of compatible formats etc. Although having said that, the best consumer electronics device I’ve ever bought was a secondhand XBOX that I proceeded to flash and rebuild with XBMC. It’s now awesomely capable of playing almost everything. I really don’t play games on it but my family use it everyday - for streaming movies, for listening to music, for playing DVDS. But I had to pretty much strip all the Microsoft-ness out of it before it became useful.
DRM is the reason I’m never switching to Vista!
Dont see it on the MSDN site yet, but have a developer I work (big gamer) with registered. Will keep you in the loop when any response.
Sweat, thanks Nate!
Keep us all updated on this.