Windows Home Server

Windows Home Server is the server operating system focused for home use. Windows Home Server (WHS) is created based on Windows Server 2003. The operating system was for the first time submitted on Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2007 in Las Vegas on January 7, 2007. The official release of a system took place on July 16, 2007.

Computers from new OS are capable to play a role of the reserve information warehouse and the coordination center providing data exchange between desktops, notebooks, prefixes Xbox and other multimedia devices in the modern house. About ten computers under management can be connected to the server Windows HR or Windows Vista.

The minimum requirements for start of the operating system - the Intel processor Pentium III with clock rate of 1 GHz and 512 MB of RAM.

As expected, the general support of the Windows Home Server operating system will be provided till October 9, 2012.

Power Pack 1

In July, 2008 there was a service pack for WHS under the name Power Pack 1. From the innovations implemented in it it should be noted:

• Support of 64-bit Windows Vista
• New features of remote control
• Possibility of creation of complete archive copies of systems on remote carriers
• Support of the Japanese and Chinese languages
• New management system for a power supply
• Bug fix, connected with damage of the loaded files

Windows Home Server with the code name Vail

In August, 2010 the next test version of a software platform of Windows Home Server with the code name Vail intended for home servers is released.

Support not only computers based on Windows, but also computers based on Mac OS X will become one of the main innovations of a product. It is known that future version of Windows Home Server will support creation of archives and will be able to manage Mac computers restrictedly.

This server platform was initially developed for the solution of such tasks as the organization of data backup and shared access to multimedia files in the small home and office networks consisting of ten computers. The first beta of Vail was offered for testing in April, 2010.

Initially new assembly which part in addition to the server platform the updated tools of developers were was mentioned as RC0 (Release Candidate 0) in the blog by Jonas Svensson, the manager of Microsoft Community Program. However later this designation was deleted from the network magazine.

Microsoft does not report yet when the new server platform is at disposal of OEM manufacturing. However Jonas Svensson claims that the offered preliminary version "contains a set of completions and improvements in comparison with earlier assembly". The detailed reference documentation which will simplify designing of additions belongs to these improvements and will provide more complete understanding of API interfaces. Templates will also be useful to developers for designing of the connected modules in the environment of the Visual Studio 2008.

The updated server supports delivery of email notifications and also provides a possibility of reset of passwords of users and devices. On the new page "storage summary page" users will find descriptions of available folders, hard drives and standby devices of storage. The disk utility program CHKDSK.EXE can be started on all disks intended for storage of backup copies of the server now.

The Launchpad tool will simplify access to functions of the server from the client Windows system. Administrators will be able to configure settings of the notifications output to the client PC. And owners of the computers working running new Windows 7 OS will note closer integration with Windows Media Center and HomeGroup.

Among additional Mac-functionality which should appear in future version of OS support of remote web access (for Mac OS X Leopard and later), support of equipments and system warnings is called.

Hewlett-Packard refuses Windows Home Server

Hewlett-Packard will not advance Windows Home Server OS installed on MediaSmart line devices any more. Until the end of the year sale of such servers will be contracted, and promotion of Windows Home Server — is stopped. The similar solution NR explains with the fact that it wants to concentrate efforts to promoting of own webOS platform, the rights for which it acquired together with Palm purchase in the spring of 2010.

Links

• Introducing Windows Home Server
• Windows Home Server OS went on sale
• Microsoft released Windows Home Server Power Pack 1