21 replies to this topic

[A Murder of Crows]

Thanks to everyone for the assists in the other thread. Closing that down and moving forward with a new subject: The Build.



Goals:

• Replace server functions of main system
  
  • File Server
  • Media Server/Extender (?)
  • Household Backups (?)
  • Roaming Profiles
• HTPC Functionality
  
  • Blu-Ray Playback
  • HD-DVD Playback
  • XBMC Use
• Virtual Machines
  
  • Server 2008 R2 VM for school (limited use)
  • Windows 7 VM for school (limited use)
  • Windows Home Server 2011 (if needed)
  • Windows 8 VM for testing (limited use)
  • Windows 7 VM for Media Extender (if needed)

Hardware:

• Sapphire HD6450 with HDMI for BitStreaming
• LG Super Multi Blue GGC-H20L Blu-Ray/HD-DVD/DVD Burner combo optical drive
• Kingston 8GB ECC kit (KVR1333D3E9SK2)
• Crucial M4 128GB SSD drive
• 1x 250GB stock N40L hard drive
• 4x 3TB drives using FlexRAID for storage pooling + parity
• 1x USB 3.0 Card

Everyone seems to be pointing to Windows Home Server 2011 as a base for this thing. I'm not so sure about this, since i REALLY want to move to roaming profiles for my home systems (i want to be able to log on to any system in the house and have the same user settings across the board). This pretty much requires a domain install if i remember correctly, and i don't believe that the Windows Home Server products can do this. I do like the features though, and i know for a fact that Windows Server 2008 R2 does NOT like media extenders, so on the off case that i want to stream something to my Xbox, i can't. I assmue that WHS can do media extender support, but i haven't looked.


Here are the questions:

• Does anyone know a way of getting roaming profiles to work on WHS 2011?
• Does WHS 2011 allow for proper utilization of VMs?
• Does anyone know of a way to "split" the internal SATA between the optical drive and the SSD drive?
• Is it possilbe to put the 250gb drive into the system anywhere while still having the optical drive and an SSD?

Thanks much all!

[Joe_Miner]

(snip)

Here are the questions:

• Does anyone know a way of getting roaming profiles to work on WHS 2011?
• Does WHS 2011 allow for proper utilization of VMs?
• Does anyone know of a way to "split" the internal SATA between the optical drive and the SSD drive?
• Is it possilbe to put the 250gb drive into the system anywhere while still having the optical drive and an SSD?

Thanks much all!

?? How/where did you install the OS if you didn’t have the SSD and the BD drive installed?? What OS did you ultimately install??

In response to your questions:
(1) I have no idea.
(2) Virtual Box. Check the show notes for Podcast 180 here. Also mentioned in this thread
(3) No.
(4) No. You could get an external USB 3.0 or 2.0 case and mount the 250GB drive into that.

“I assmue that WHS can do media extender support, but i haven't looked.” Look Here. Then look thru the Forums on people’s various setups.

[ikon]

Hmmm, did you point out the desire for roaming profiles in the beginning? Well, anyway, yes that requires a domain.

[A Murder of Crows]

?? How/where did you install the OS if you didn’t have the SSD and the BD drive installed?? What OS did you ultimately install??

The SSD was installed to port 0 in the SATA Array. it will be moved out of there once i have enough cables to handle everything. I'm still waiting on a response from FlexRAID about moving from the old "server" to the HP. The problem is, i don't have an eSATA to SATA cable yet...i honestly thought i could find some way around using it, since it appears that others have gotten 6+ drives in this thing, but it appears that it isn't possible without a lot more work and sacrificing the video card or USB 3 capabilities, so no go here.

The BD/HDDVD drive was installed using the internal single SATA connection, and i put Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise with the Workstation Converter on it. If it is possible, i'd rather not use WHS 2011 at all, virtual or not, since i can't do roaming profiles on that platform yet...i'd much rather have Server 2008 R2 do the tasks that WHS does. we'll see if it is even possible i suppose :-)

(2) Virtual Box. Check the show notes for Podcast 180 here. Also mentioned in this thread

“I assmue that WHS can do media extender support, but i haven't looked.” Look Here. Then look thru the Forums on people’s various setups.

Well, even if there is no media extender on it, i could always map the real drives to a shared drive on a Windows 7 VM, and use that for media extender possibilities. I'd just rather not have to if i could avoid it.

Thanks for the replies guys!

[yodafett]

Sbs2011 essentials for domain and backup with a w7 vm being the media extender

[ikon]

but you can't buy it for $50

[yodafett]

True but gives him roaming profiles and backup with remote access. Personally I hate roaming profiles. Always caused more issues than they fixed and with skydive or sync toy can replicate alot of what he wants on client with whs2011

[A Murder of Crows]

Sbs2011 essentials for domain and backup with a w7 vm being the media extender

but you can't buy it for $50

Well, i've already got server 2008 enterprise installed, and i've got about 5 or so legitimate keys for it, so if i can use it in place of SBS, i'd like to.

If there was a better, easier way to sync all my user settings between the 4 different computers i've got, i'd love to do it.

also, from what i've read, there isn't really a way to run whs as a workstation/htpc. the server has to be able to do both in order to replace the old system.

[jmwills]

SBS Essentials may have been one of the routes to take as it will install the domain needed for those roaming profiles along with streaming media, etc.

[Joe_Miner]

Sbs2011 essentials for domain and backup with a w7 vm being the media extender

SBS Essentials may have been one of the routes to take as it will install the domain needed for those roaming profiles along with streaming media, etc.

Good idea Yoda & JMWills. I know Dieharder had run it for a while on one of his MicroServer and Jim had loaded it on for a short time too. I think it was something they talked about over several episodes of the podcasts a few weeks/months ago.

[A Murder of Crows]

Good idea Yoda & JMWills. I know Dieharder had run it for a while on one of his MicroServer and Jim had loaded it on for a short time too. I think it was something they talked about over several episodes of the podcasts a few weeks/months ago.

So, i take it that the normal Enterprise edition doesn't have options for auto backups the way SBS or WHS do?

[nlitend1]

So, i take it that the normal Enterprise edition doesn't have options for auto backups the way SBS or WHS do?

Correct. Only the 3 Colorado products (WHS 2011, Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials, and SBS 2011 Essentials) have the dashboard and auto backup option.

[A Murder of Crows]

damn. why can't MS just make a product that handles everything. okay, assume i can't do SBS for the moment. is there a means of adding a role or an add-on that allows auto backups on enterprise or standard?

[ikon]

not that I know of. You can, of course look 3rd party backup solutions.

[jmwills]

The reason they don't add that capability to the Server products is that no/few enterprise operations would/could that as a backup solution. Why incluse a feature that you do not need to support.

[A Murder of Crows]

It's not like MS does all that much real support anyway. I mean, if the feature is buggy in any version of windows, it gets a patch. it doesn't matter if it is for Server or 7. My problem is that, as an enthusiast, i need a bit more than what any single product MS currently has will do, so i end up having to install multiple products to get the functionality that i want or need. Doesn't feel right on any level. It would be different if we could roll our own versions of things a la carte....at least then, i could pull out the parts i needed from the different OSes and put them together. it will only get worse when multipoint server becomes closer to a home capable product....i'd love to stick that on my most powerful machine and run pure terminals around the house.

oh well

[ikon]

Not sure what you mean by no real support; MS provides pretty good support to enterprise customers, particularly with Software Assurance.

[jmwills]

I saw a Custom patch written in less than 24 hours to fix an issue for about 200k people...so yes they do provide excellent when you pay for it.

[yodafett]

Well if you do have enterprise look at data protection manager.

[A Murder of Crows]

No real support via MSDN/Dreamspark however. Legitimate software, legitimate keys, no support that i've seen.



So, what about running WHS as a VM? will it still work for this?

Edited by A Murder of Crows, 02 May 2012 - 04:42 PM.