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View Full Version : Anyone here running Windows Home Server 2011?



Matt Meiser
08-29-2011, 9:14 PM
I've had a Windows Home Server box for a few years now. Our household has three laptops plus my shop PC. I love the automated backup and I love that it's based on Windows Server so I was able to install the free edition of SQL Server 2008 and develop a couple things for myself and run them on the WHS box. The hardware was repurposed so it's a good 6 or 7 years old with the exception of the drives which were added when I got WHS. I'd planned to buy an off the shelf box but HP discontinued the right before 2011 came out. I'm now looking at an HP Microserver with upgraded RAM, disks, and WHS 2011. I'd rather not do custom hardware, for one because I hate researching what parts to buy anymore.

The other option I considered is much more decentralized--Acronis True Image on all the PCs, a NAS unit, and moving the SQL and web stuff to my shop PC. Besides the additional maintenance, on drawback is that my shop PC can no longer hibernate after a period of disuse.

If you are running it, or considered it, what do you think? What do you like/dislike?

Larry Browning
08-30-2011, 1:43 PM
Have you considered setting up a linux server? The hardware requirements are much less than with Windows, plus, it is a great way to learn about linux. I have done so, and am very pleased with it. I found this really great how to web site for setting up a linux media server called havetheknowhow.com. I also set mine up as a backup server using a free centralized backup called BackupPc. It's a little tricky to setup, but it works well once you get it all setup.

Bryan Morgan
08-30-2011, 8:30 PM
I too am curious about WHS 2011. I am a major Linux guy as anyone reading this already knows, but I do run a WHS box at home too (the small home server Acer released a few years ago). Curious if its worth the upgrade.

Matt Meiser
08-30-2011, 8:40 PM
Wow Bryan, it takes guts to make an admission like that. :D

I did run Unbuntu for a while as a file server before WHS, but anymore I'd just go with an off the shelf NAS for the features I was actually using. Centralized automated backup would tip the scales some, but I looked up BackupPC and it hasn't been updated in 13 months and doesn't support anything newer than WinXP. All our machines are running Windows 7 Home Premium, (which unfortunately doesn't allow backups to a network file share.)

Kevin W Johnson
09-01-2011, 2:04 AM
I have it as part of my TechNet sub, but have yet to install it... may have to load a spare drive and check it out.

Matt Meiser
09-01-2011, 9:53 AM
Well, this moved up on my priority list as it was complaining about one of the drives yesterday after a reboot to try to clear up a backup issue that cropped up Tuesday on my daughter's computer. I went ahead and ordered one of the HP Microsevers, 4GB of RAM, (2) 2TB drives (for a Raid 1 array) and WHS 2011. Cost was similar to what the HP Home Servers used to run.

One thing I learned is that the backups on my WHS V1 can't be transferred to 2011. Once I get the new server running and all the data transfered, I'm going to remove as many disks as I can (I have 2 160GB drives and 2 500GB drives) and then do a physical to virtual conversion with VMWare. If I ever want to access those old backups, I can fire up the VMWare image. I have an initial image of each of our computers right after removing all the junk the OEMs add and installing all the junk I want that I'd like to keep around.

Bryan Morgan
09-01-2011, 9:31 PM
Wow Bryan, it takes guts to make an admission like that. :D

Well, I originally bought the device to turn into a Linux server (its an Acer Aspire AH340-UA230N) but I figured what the heck, might as well leave WHS on there for a little bit and see what it can do. Seemed to work fine for what I use it for so I just left it alone :) I wanted one of the hp servers but they were significantly more expensive than the Acer. Plus they were bigger and noisier. This Acer is no bigger than a NAS.

Also, as much as I love Linux (or *nix in general) ya still have to use the right tool for the job. ;) (well, except Mac, theres really no use for it other than a doorstop... hahahaha!! :D just playin' nobody get their undies in a bunch)