Getting Started Guide For Windows Home Server 2011
Getting Started Guide For Windows Home Server 2011
Abstract
A Getting Started Guide introducing the new features, providing installation
instructions for the beta software, and providing a detailed overview of the features
and functionality of Windows® Home Server 2011.
Disclaimer
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Table of Contents
Disclaimer....................................................................................................................................................................1
Table of Contents............................................................................................................................................................2
What’s New......................................................................................................................................................................3
Remote Access...........................................................................................................................................................3
Remote Streaming..................................................................................................................................................4
Personalize your Remote Access Page.................................................................................................................4
Connecting to your Media...........................................................................................................................................4
Home Media Streaming and “Play To” ..................................................................................................................4
HomeGroup Support...............................................................................................................................................4
More Streaming Support.........................................................................................................................................4
Windows Phone..........................................................................................................................................................5
Streaming Content..................................................................................................................................................5
Sharing Content......................................................................................................................................................5
Monitoring Alerts.....................................................................................................................................................5
Computers and Backup...............................................................................................................................................5
Backup the Backups...............................................................................................................................................5
Computer Backup Archiving...................................................................................................................................5
Macintosh....................................................................................................................................................................5
Storage........................................................................................................................................................................6
Shared Folder Data Migration.................................................................................................................................6
Previous Versions...................................................................................................................................................6
The Dashboard, Launchpad, and Extensibility............................................................................................................6
Better Control..........................................................................................................................................................6
Easier Setup...........................................................................................................................................................6
Easier to Access ....................................................................................................................................................6
Extensibility and Add-ins.........................................................................................................................................7
System Requirements.....................................................................................................................................................8
Setup and configuration...................................................................................................................................................8
Installing the Windows Home Server Connector Software..........................................................................................8
Feature Details..............................................................................................................................................................10
Home Computer Backup and Restore......................................................................................................................10
Home Server Backup and Restore............................................................................................................................11
Shared Folders and Server Storage..........................................................................................................................11
Media Streaming.......................................................................................................................................................13
Remote Access.........................................................................................................................................................15
Home Network Health Monitoring.............................................................................................................................17
Windows Home Server 2011 Dashboard..................................................................................................................18
Partner Add-ins.........................................................................................................................................................19
Resources.....................................................................................................................................................................19
Public Resources......................................................................................................................................................19
Windows Home Server blog:................................................................................................................................19
Windows Home Server public forums: .................................................................................................................20
Installation Instructions:........................................................................................................................................20
Contact Information...................................................................................................................................................20
What’s New
Windows Home Server 2011 is the version 2 release of Windows Home Server.
Windows Home Server 2011 is based on Windows Server® 2008 R2.
Remote Access
Remote Access is now based on Silverlight® and has a higher degree of
extensibility in the software development kit (SDK), allowing for more
customization, gadgets, add-in extensions, mobile rendering and an improved
shared folder experience with AJAX support.
Remote Streaming
One of the most exciting new features of Windows Home Server 2011 is an
enhancement to Remote Access that enables remote streaming of your media
through the Internet so you can access your multimedia virtually anywhere,
anytime you’re online. Now you can watch your family videos or view your birthday
photos from outside your home without having to download your content first.
Supported Formats:
MPEG-2, MPEG-1, WMV/VC-1, AVI, DVR-MS, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, WMA, MPEG-1 Layer
3, WAV, LPCM, AAC, JPEG, PNG, RAW
Supported Extensions:
.mpeg, .mpg, .wmv, .avi, .drv-ms, .mp4, .wma, .mp3, .wav, .m4a, .m4h, .mp4,
.jpg, .png
HomeGroup Support
HomeGroup is a feature of Windows 7 that simplifies the process of sharing files and
printers on a home network. You can print documents from almost anywhere in the
house. Adding Windows Home Server 2011 to your HomeGroup makes it simple to
have a centralized place where you can store all your documents, files, and digital
media content. Unlike other computers, the home server is designed to be always
on, so you do not have to worry about it being shut off, disconnecting you from its
resources.
Streaming Content
Your videos, photos and music are no longer limited to your home entertainment
system and your remote PC. Windows Phone 7 now can stream your content from
your Windows Home Server 2011 right to the palm of your hand. Plug your phone
into your car stereo and listen to your home collection on the road or show your
home video to friends and family in a restaurant. As your music, video and photo
collections grow, you are no longer limited to the storage on your Windows Phone.
Sharing Content
Sharing with Windows Phone is simple but now it’s more powerful! A new option
enabled by Windows Home Server 2011 allows you to upload photos to your shared
folders, remotely. Once the photos are uploaded, they are still accessible by your
phone, even when you’re away from home.
Monitoring Alerts
The home administrator can now verify problems inside their home network from
alert notifications. Many notifications offer the ability to try and repair. Along with
trying to repair the option, you can disable or enable an alert.
Macintosh
Windows Home Server 2011 now supports joining Macintosh OSx to the server
giving Macintosh users that ability to use Launchpad. The Macintosh Launchpad
enables quick and easy access to TimeMachine ®, Remote Web Access and 3rd
party applications. Now that your Macintosh is joined to the home server, your
worries about data loss are over! With TimeMachine ® as the interface, you are
able to setup automatic backups and even restore files!
Storage
Shared Folder Data Migration
Control over your data is very important and moving it has never been easier. The
“Move the folder” wizard provides the ability to shift your data from one server hard
drive to another should a drive become full. This replaces the need to move
content manually and allows centralized control over your home server through the
Dashboard.
Previous Versions
Some changes to your shared folders are not always wanted changes. Previous
versions allow you to go back in time before an unwanted alteration occurred and
recover files which were accidently deleted. Previous versions are separate from
home server backups and also automatically occur twice a day. When enabled, any
file or folder on the enabled storage drive, are available for restore from alterations.
Home server backup is still recommended in the case of hardware failure.
Like the Console it replaces, the Dashboard is organized around tasks that you may
wish to perform, with different activities presented on different tabs. Each tab in the
Dashboard contains more properties, giving you better control, while still making
changes simple to understand and perform.
Easier Setup
For each home computer you want to fully participate in a Windows Home Server
network, you install the Windows Home Server Connector software on it. In earlier
versions of Windows Home Server, the Connector software came on a CD. With
Windows Home Server Code Name “Vail,” there is now an easy-to-remember link to
install the Connector software, http://<servername>/Connect, where
<servername> is the name you give your home server. Having a Web-based setup
for your home computers means never having to find your CDs.
Easier to Access
The Launchpad, which runs on each client PC in your home network, provides a
simple way for everyone in your home who has the appropriate permissions to
access your Shared Folders, initiate a backup, connect to your Remote Access page,
or open the Dashboard.
Extensibility and Add-ins
One of the most popular aspects of the first version of Windows Home Server was
the rich collection of add-ins developed by commercial partners and enthusiast
developers that further extend and enhance the functionality of the home server.
Several improvements were made to the SDK to help developers continue to build
applications for Windows Home Server Code Name “Vail.” Some of the new
capabilities include:
• Dashboard Extensibility :
List View tabs/sub tabs: add-ins have the option not to use
custom UI, but instead use the rendered common list view UI
with many extensible parts. This allows users to enjoy a
common look and feel regardless of who developed the add-in
o Default Tabs are extensible – the SDK will walk you through them
• Launchpad Extensibility:
o You can add your own link in an online services section, create a new
item in the menu bar, create a new gadget for the home page
System Requirements
• Windows Home Server 2011 is a 64-bit only operating system
• You can install the server software either manually or unattended, although
in the vast majority of cases it will come pre-installed on OEM hardware
• System requirements:
o CPU Socket (1 Socket Max)
1 - 1.4 GHz (64-bit processor) or faster for single core
1 - 1.3 GHz or faster for multi-core
o Memory (RAM)
Min - 2 GB
Max – 8 GB
o Storage
At least one 64 GB (or larger) hard drive for OS.
Additional hard disks must be included to store data
• Supported networking configuration:
a) Your server computer must be connected to a router via a network cable
b) The router works best with a UPnP ™ certified device, but it is not required
c) The router works best in the 192.168.x.x subnet, but it is not required
The following operating systems for home computers are supported to work with
Windows Home Server 2011:
The Windows 7 Operating System
• Windows 7 Home Basic (x86 and x64)
• Windows 7 Home Premium (x86 and x64)
• Windows 7 Professional (x86 and x64)
• Windows 7 Ultimate (x86 and x64)
• Windows 7 Enterprise (x86 and x64)
• Windows 7 Starter (x86)
The Windows Vista Operating System
• Windows Vista Home Basic with Service Pack 2 (SP2) (x86 and x64)
• Windows Vista Home Premium with SP2 (x86 and x64)
• Windows Vista Business with SP2 (x86 and x64)
• Windows Vista Ultimate with SP2 (x86 and x64)
• Windows Vista Enterprise with SP2 (x86 and x64)
• Windows Vista Starter with SP2 (x86)
The Windows XP Operating System
• Windows XP Home with Service Pack 3 (SP3)
• Windows XP Professional with SP3
• Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with SP3
Feature Details
Computer backups are automatically configured when you install the Windows
Home Server 2011 Connector software on your computers. Backup is performed
on a daily basis for every configured computer.
Windows Home Server 2011 can help you restore individual files or folders by
selecting a home computer and a specific backup of that computer from the
Dashboard. The Restore Wizard initiates and displays the files and folders that
were backed up for that computer on that day. You can easily select individual
files or entire folders from this Restore Window and then restore them to any
location on your home computer.
Your home server is pre-configured with the following shared folders: Pictures,
Music, Videos, Documents, Recorded TV and Users. From the Windows Home
Server 2011 Dashboard you can specify the user permissions for these folders
and create a number of new shared folders.
From the Windows Home Server 2011 Dashboard you can format new
uninitialized hard drives using a simple wizard. As you add formatted drives, you
can move your shared folders to specific storage device using the “Move the
folder” wizard. We recommend using external hard drives for backups only, and
keeping all data and server folders on internal hard drives since external hard
drives can be easily disconnected.
Media Streaming
Your home server is pre-configured with the following shared folders that can be
used to store your media files and are, by default, enabled to stream: Pictures,
Music, Videos and Recorded TV. You can enable newly created shared folders to
stream at any time by including them in the media library using the Windows Home
Server 2011 Dashboard. You can selectively include any shared folder in the media
library, so that your music, pictures and/or videos can be accessible from an Xbox
360 entertainment system or another supported digital media receiver that is
attached to your home network. Your content will also be available for Play To. TV
Archive is installed with the Windows Home Server Connector software and libraries
are automatically added to the Windows Media Center PC, allowing your shared
content to be visible from Windows Media Center and its extenders.
You can store your digital photos in the Pictures shared folder on your home
server so you can access them from your home computers or from an Xbox 360
in your home.
Similarly, you can store your music on your home server so you can access and
play it from your home computers or a digital music receiver on your home
network.
Your home server can be used to store your collections of videos and recorded
TV from a computer running Windows Media Center. Windows Media Center
Extenders can also access the video, music and picture content on your home
server.
Remote Access
After you have turned Remote Access on and configured a user account for Remote
Access using the Windows Home Server 2011 Dashboard, you can use a supported
web browser on a computer from outside your home to access your home server
and home computers remotely.
There are three things a user can do from the remote access interface:
Users can download files and folders, and upload one or more files to the shared
folders on their home server while away from home. You can also search through
the Shared Folders when you are trying to locate a specific file or files. Your files
are on your home server and only authorized users can access them.
If the need arises, you can access the Windows Home Server 2011 Dashboard
while away from home to add new users, add new shared folders or check the
health of your home network.
To connect to one of your home computers, on the Computers tab, click the
Connect button next to the home computer. You can only connect to a computer
that is Available for connection and that is running one of the following operating
systems:
• Streaming Media
With streaming media enabled through Remote Access, you can play your
videos, music and pictures, when content is compatible.
After logging into your home server, you can quickly connect to a home
computer and run an application as if you were sitting in front of that computer.
You can register for a personalized Internet address so that you can remotely
access your home server in a highly secure manner using your personalized
Internet address (e.g. http://SmithFamily.HomeServer.com/home).
You can define up to 10 users and for each user it is easy to enable or disable
the ability to remotely connect to your home server. You can individually select
to which options a user has Remote Access.
Your music, videos and pictures are available to your Windows Phone 7. With
remote access enabled, you can stream, upload and download content while
away from your home.
Media Music Photos Videos
Monitors that your home computers are being backed up on a regular basis and
that the backups are completing successfully.
Monitors the hard drives in your home server and helps ensure that the shared
folders have enough space on your hard disk drives and that shadow copies are
working correctly.
Collects the Security Center status from your home computers running Windows
7, Windows Vista and Windows XP, and helps you centrally monitor the health
status of your computers from the Windows Home Server 2011 Dashboard.
Monitors key Windows services and the hard drives of your home computers.
Displaying health alerts should available space on a particular hard drive fall
below 10% and if a key Windows service has stopped.
The tray application provides you with a high-level indicator of the health of your
home network. The icon can change to the following colors:
You access the Dashboard from any computer that has the Windows Home Server
Connector software installed by clicking Server Dashboard from the Launchpad.
When you run the Dashboard application it will ask you for the home server
password and then will connect to your home server.
The Windows Home Server 2011 Dashboard provides you the ability to:
The Computers and Backup tab allows you to view the backup status and
configure backups on the computers where you have installed the Windows
Home Server Connector software and your home server.
The User Accounts tab allows you to add up to 10 user accounts, not including
the Guest account. You can change the shared folders that users have access to
and enable and define what level of remote access each user has.
The Shared Folders page allows you to add and remove shared folders and
change properties of shared folders. If you have two or more storage devices in
your home server, when you create a new folder, you can select which storage
device you would like the shared folder to exist on.
The Server Storage page allows you to view hard drives attached to your home
server for storage. You can see the status of your hard drives and attempt to
repair any that show a status of ‘unhealthy’. You can view the total storage of
your storage pool here as well.
The Network Health indicator provides you with healthy, at risk and critical
health notifications for your home server and your home computers.
• Add-ins
Use the Add-ins tab to view, install and remove your current add-ins.
You can change the configuration settings for your home server, such as:
Windows Update settings, Media Streaming, HomeGroup, Remote Web Access
and the date and time. Additionally, you will find the ability to restart your home
server from the Dashboard settings.
Partner Add-ins
Windows Home Server is based on the proven technologies of the Microsoft
Windows Server® operating system and is designed to be a platform upon which
other solutions can be developed. We’re excited to make available a new SDK for
developers building add-ins for Windows Home Server 2011.
Windows Home Server 2011 has been designed with extensibility in mind, so
that software developers can develop innovative add-Ins, such as home web
cameras, family information management software, home automation and home
security solutions that work with your home server.
Microsoft has partners throughout the world that have built and are continuing
to build new software and hardware solutions that work with Microsoft Windows
software. As these partners become familiar with Windows Home Server 2011,
we will see solutions delivered that will enhance the usefulness and functionality
of your home server.
Important
Resources
Public Resources
Windows Home Server blog:
For more up to date news about Windows Home Server, please visit our blog!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=188746
Windows Home Server public forums:
If you need support, please visit our public forums where other community
members can assist you in resolving any issues.
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=168988
Installation Instructions:
For the most up to date installation instructions, please visit:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=189714
Contact Information
For Press Inquiries *Only*:
For the latest information on Windows Home Server, please visit the product web
site at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=100260