Time again to try Windows Home Server...

So way back when Windows Home Server was first released, I gave it a trial run and was fairly impressed.  Not long after, however, I and many others were sadly disappointed by a major flaw that caused one to lose data on the server.  Well that has been patched up for some time now and my “little” home network needs are now at a point where I need to look into this once more.

For those that are less aware of what Windows Home Server offers, here are a few highlights:

Centeralized storage of all shared data

Automated full system backups of computers on your home network (Including automated restoration if needed)

Data protection of shared data by allowing you to flag data or whole shares as important (WHS will then automatically make a hidden second copy of the files to another drive in the server)

Consolidation of storage devices:  WHS allows for the installation of any sized drive with any interface type that WHS is compatible with.  This includes IDE, SATA, USB and Firewire.  From there, you add the drive(s) to the storage pool and it then appears as one large storage device.

For me, the centralization and consolidation is the biggest attraction.  I have a large number of varied sized drives all over the place and it is causing me to have to manage what data is stored where.  This is a major pain in the butt.  It also means that the organization of my online video library for SageTV is less than as elegant as it could or should be.

The data protection is the next biggest thing as right now, the backing up of sensitive data is being done manually and that is not happening as often as it should.

I will post up more details on the build in the next few days.  The new 500 GB drive that this will be built from will be here on Monday so I will have loads of time to pine away…