Windows Home Server or Windows Server (2008 or 2003)..?

[Guest Simon Coupland]

I have been running a Win2003 server at home, using Active Directory and

roaming profiles to manage approx 6 PCs. Mainly it's for fun, but it does a

good job of allowing the family to log on to any PC and get their files etc.

 

I now want to increase the functionality to server media files to a PS3 and

soon a Media Centre PC.

 

I've been looking at Microsoft's Windows Home Server and wondered if it

would

be a better solution than the W2k3 server I'm using. I know that WHS is

based on W2K3 server, but it seems to have a load of ease of use features

and disk load balancing capabilities which look good.

 

I've just ordered 2 x 500GB disks for my server and want to know what is the

better OS to load. I have copies of the various OS, so it's not a cost

issue, just functionality/ease of use.

 

Any input/thoughts gratefully received.

 

cheers

 

simon

[Guest Olaf Engelke [MVP Windows Server]]

Re: Windows Home Server or Windows Server (2008 or 2003)..?

 

Hi Simon,

"Simon Coupland" <nospam@ms.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag

news:fha1hq$63l$1$8300dec7@news.demon.co.uk...

> I've been looking at Microsoft's Windows Home Server and wondered if it

> would

> be a better solution than the W2k3 server I'm using. I know that WHS is

> based on W2K3 server, but it seems to have a load of ease of use features

> and disk load balancing capabilities which look good.

>

> I've just ordered 2 x 500GB disks for my server and want to know what is

> the

> better OS to load. I have copies of the various OS, so it's not a cost

> issue, just functionality/ease of use.

>

> Any input/thoughts gratefully received.

>

this all depends. You would bring your network back into a workgroup

environment with WHS. Less administration, but simplification of some core

admin tasks like workstation backup and filesharing.

While Windows Home Server is just version 1.0 I think it has an excellent

potential for further development.

Windows Server 2003 itself you know. I recommend to read some informations

consisting from theoretically and marketing stuff to practical experiences

in the web and so create your own picture:

http://www.wegotserved.co.uk

http://forums.microsoft.com/windowshomeserver/default.aspx?siteid=50

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver

 

Best greetings from Germany

Olaf

[Guest Simon Coupland]

Re: Windows Home Server or Windows Server (2008 or 2003)..?

 

 

"Olaf Engelke [MVP Windows Server]" <oenews01@mvps.org> wrote in message

news:2D1464F5-98C0-4D75-A5D4-F37426C31AF1@microsoft.com...

> Hi Simon,

> "Simon Coupland" <nospam@ms.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag

> news:fha1hq$63l$1$8300dec7@news.demon.co.uk...

>> I've been looking at Microsoft's Windows Home Server and wondered if it

>> would

>> be a better solution than the W2k3 server I'm using. I know that WHS is

>> based on W2K3 server, but it seems to have a load of ease of use features

>> and disk load balancing capabilities which look good.

>>

>> I've just ordered 2 x 500GB disks for my server and want to know what is

>> the

>> better OS to load. I have copies of the various OS, so it's not a cost

>> issue, just functionality/ease of use.

>>

>> Any input/thoughts gratefully received.

>>

> this all depends. You would bring your network back into a workgroup

> environment with WHS. Less administration, but simplification of some core

> admin tasks like workstation backup and filesharing.

> While Windows Home Server is just version 1.0 I think it has an excellent

> potential for further development.

> Windows Server 2003 itself you know. I recommend to read some informations

> consisting from theoretically and marketing stuff to practical experiences

> in the web and so create your own picture:

> http://www.wegotserved.co.uk

> http://forums.microsoft.com/windowshomeserver/default.aspx?siteid=50

> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver

>

> Best greetings from Germany

> Olaf

Olaf,

 

Thanks for the pointers. I would be interested to hear from other

enthusiastic amateurs what they use in their home server environment.

 

cheers

 

simon

[Guest Simon Coupland]

Re: Windows Home Server or Windows Server (2008 or 2003)..?

 

 

"Olaf Engelke [MVP Windows Server]" <oenews01@mvps.org> wrote in message

news:2D1464F5-98C0-4D75-A5D4-F37426C31AF1@microsoft.com...

> Hi Simon,

> "Simon Coupland" <nospam@ms.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag

> news:fha1hq$63l$1$8300dec7@news.demon.co.uk...

>> I've been looking at Microsoft's Windows Home Server and wondered if it

>> would

>> be a better solution than the W2k3 server I'm using. I know that WHS is

>> based on W2K3 server, but it seems to have a load of ease of use features

>> and disk load balancing capabilities which look good.

>>

>> I've just ordered 2 x 500GB disks for my server and want to know what is

>> the

>> better OS to load. I have copies of the various OS, so it's not a cost

>> issue, just functionality/ease of use.

>>

>> Any input/thoughts gratefully received.

>>

> this all depends. You would bring your network back into a workgroup

> environment with WHS. Less administration, but simplification of some core

> admin tasks like workstation backup and filesharing.

> While Windows Home Server is just version 1.0 I think it has an excellent

> potential for further development.

> Windows Server 2003 itself you know. I recommend to read some informations

> consisting from theoretically and marketing stuff to practical experiences

> in the web and so create your own picture:

> http://www.wegotserved.co.uk

> http://forums.microsoft.com/windowshomeserver/default.aspx?siteid=50

> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver

>

> Best greetings from Germany

> Olaf

Another thought, would it be possible to run both W2k3 or 8 together with

WHS.

 

I like the roaming profiles and password management from W2k3, but also like

the idea of automated backup, file sharing and remote access from WHS.

 

Any thoughts, or is that just too stupid..!??

 

cheers

 

simon

[Guest Olaf Engelke [MVP Windows Server]]

Re: Windows Home Server or Windows Server (2008 or 2003)..?

 

Hi Simon,

Simon Coupland wrote:

> "Olaf Engelke [MVP Windows Server]" <oenews01@mvps.org> wrote in

> message news:2D1464F5-98C0-4D75-A5D4-F37426C31AF1@microsoft.com...

> Another thought, would it be possible to run both W2k3 or 8 together

> with WHS.

> I like the roaming profiles and password management from W2k3, but

> also like the idea of automated backup, file sharing and remote

> access from WHS.

> Any thoughts, or is that just too stupid..!??

 

it may work if running on different servers, but is a highly unsupported

scenario (WHS in domain environment).

May also be against the license conditions.

Best greetings from Germany

Olaf

[Guest Simon Coupland]

Re: Windows Home Server or Windows Server (2008 or 2003)..?

 

 

"Olaf Engelke [MVP Windows Server]" <oenews01@mvps.org> wrote in message

news:D990E047-9E5D-492A-A200-8352DCFF9EE1@microsoft.com...

> Hi Simon,

> Simon Coupland wrote:

>> "Olaf Engelke [MVP Windows Server]" <oenews01@mvps.org> wrote in

>> message news:2D1464F5-98C0-4D75-A5D4-F37426C31AF1@microsoft.com...

>

>> Another thought, would it be possible to run both W2k3 or 8 together

>> with WHS.

>> I like the roaming profiles and password management from W2k3, but

>> also like the idea of automated backup, file sharing and remote

>> access from WHS.

>> Any thoughts, or is that just too stupid..!??

>

> it may work if running on different servers, but is a highly unsupported

> scenario (WHS in domain environment).

> May also be against the license conditions.

> Best greetings from Germany

> Olaf

>

Olaf,

 

I can report it works like a dream and is a very functional solution. I get

the menefits of roaming profiles and of the backup/files sharing of WHS.

 

I'm interested why you say it may also be against the licence conditions.

Each OS is fully licenced and they work in an independant way. Can you

expand on the issue..?

 

cheers

 

simon

[Guest Olaf Engelke [MVP Windows Server]]

Re: Windows Home Server or Windows Server (2008 or 2003)..?

 

Hi Simon,

"Simon Coupland" <news@demon.co.uk.dontspam> schrieb im Newsbeitrag

news:D2E604A3-FFC7-496B-BE9A-7351C8E963EB@microsoft.com...

> I can report it works like a dream and is a very functional solution. I

> get the menefits of roaming profiles and of the backup/files sharing of

> WHS.

great, thanks for reporting back.

> I'm interested why you say it may also be against the licence conditions.

> Each OS is fully licenced and they work in an independant way. Can you

> expand on the issue..?

>

Well there is a clause in the German EULA in paragraph 2d, which says, that

it is not allowed to connect the server software with Active Directory -

what ever this means.

Best greetings from Germany

Olaf