Server

Hey Guys...
Im looking to find a home server.. Nothing with real horse power, but it should be cheap and x64 compatible and have gigabit lan..So i found this one:

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=XW8400-XEON266-PB-3R&cat=SVR

Specs:
Dual Core Xeon (2.66GHz)
4 GB RAM
500GB HDD
Gigabit Lan
Vista Business x64

anyways..Im waiting until Windows Home Server V2 (Based on Server 2008 R2) comes out..
In addition to that, I'd get a 2 TB HDD..
I'd use this mainly for back up purposes, and maybe an apache server, possibly an HL2DM server too..
What do you guys think? I was thinking of getting a NAS but I think Im better off buying a full server for about the same price.. Plus I can do more on here then a NAS..

for a server it looks good, i have configured windows server 2008 R2 on systems with less resources then that i have messed with windows home server and its extremely simple to use, but i though they announced they weren't developing it anymore. if you need a key for server 2008 i can give you one for the standard edition.

I agree with Viperman...

Xeon always mates well with servers.

BikerDog

for a server it looks good, i have configured windows server 2008 R2 on systems with less resources then that i have messed with windows home server and its extremely simple to use, but i though they announced they weren't developing it anymore. if you need a key for server 2008 i can give you one for the standard edition.

Hmm..I never knew that it was cancelled..Thanks for info..
Even WHS v1 (based on server 2003) used a lot of ram...as soon as I logged in, task manager claim that it was already using about 600 MB of ram..plus the proccessor would always be around 50% usage (on a single core tho)..
I haven't tried 2008 r2 yet because I dont have any extra computers thats x64 compatible.. But i have played around with server 2008..
Hmm... I guess ill purchase this when I have some money saved up in the summer..

I agree with Viperman...

Xeon always mates well with servers.

BikerDog

Yep.. I love Xeons..

I think they just released WHS 2011, but they dropped one of the key elements of the migration to WHS 2011, "Drive Extender". DE allows you to keep adding drives to into a single volume. People are real unhappy with that but.....three third party developers had a underdog-to-save-the-day epiphany deveoped DE "like" software for HS 2011.

As far as future WHS software development, I don't know.

I think a lot depends on market acceptance. HP recently announced the were no longer going to sell WHS boxes because of such weak demand.

BikerDog

I think they just released WHS 2011, but they dropped one of the key elements of the migration to WHS 2011, "Drive Extender". DE allows you to keep adding drives to into a single volume. People are real unhappy with that but.....three third party developers had a underdog-to-save-the-day epiphany deveoped DE "like" software for HS 2011.

As far as future WHS software development, I don't know.

I think a lot depends on market acceptance. HP recently announced the were no longer going to sell WHS boxes because of such weak demand.

BikerDog

Thanks for info..
I think that I'll just get 3x 2TB HDDs since I can't use drive extender anymore.., put them in RAID 5 and use that with the server when I get one..But I think I'll probably get Server 2008 R2..

But I think I'll probably get Server 2008 R2..

I think that is a very good choice.
But take note that it will also be a little less user friendly.

BikerDog

But I think I'll probably get Server 2008 R2..

I think that is a very good choice.
But take note that it will also be a little less user friendly.

BikerDog

haha..

[utube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mQD_Wd6Ajo[/utube]

That was good!

yeah....takes away the fun of finding fixes and workarounds.....lol.

BikerDog

That was good!

yeah....takes away the fun of finding fixes and workarounds.....lol.

BikerDog

Hahaha..That one's good too I love funny computer gifs..

[utube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIf5XvFrBFo[/utube]

But I think I'll probably get Server 2008 R2..

I think that is a very good choice.
But take note that it will also be a little less user friendly.

BikerDog

the interface for windows server 2008 and R2 is extremely simple. lot easier then windows server 2003 and 2000

the drive extender all it did was make a jbig raid array which isn't even raid so if your drive failed you lost everything but windows home server can do raid 5 and 10 so i would go with 5 just to keep my data safe.

video's are way funny......the second one catches you by surprise. was that a real monitor he destroyed?

video's are way funny......the second one catches you by surprise. was that a real monitor he destroyed?

Yea..That's a real video..LOL..I died laughing.. I saw it on America's funniest Videos a while ago..

But I think I'll probably get Server 2008 R2..

I think that is a very good choice.
But take note that it will also be a little less user friendly.

BikerDog

the interface for windows server 2008 and R2 is extremely simple. lot easier then windows server 2003 and 2000

the drive extender all it did was make a jbig raid array which isn't even raid so if your drive failed you lost everything but windows home server can do raid 5 and 10 so i would go with 5 just to keep my data safe.

Viperman is right.. Drive extender is what made WHS a good system.. but since they're getting rid of it..WHS is now useless..
It allowed you to set up RAID 0 between almost any drives.. on my current P4 in the basement, I have 2x 500GB, 1 x 100GB.. And WHS will view it all under 1 drive.. What's even cooler about it is that there is an option so you can save your very important file on 2 drives.. so its like a hybrid between RAID 0 and 1 Across almost any HDDs...
He's also right that RAID 5 is very good.. If I buy that server, I'd buy 3x 2 TB HDDs and set it up in RAID 5... 2TB HDDs are how much? $80/each if you get the green edition?..

for servers you don't put in green hd's by wd because there 5400 rpm and they have horrible I/O i would go with black edition WD unless your not going to be hitting the server alot.

for servers you don't put in green hd's by wd because there 5400 rpm and they have horrible I/O i would go with black edition WD unless your not going to be hitting the server alot.

That's true..
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5509395&CatId=2459
Hitachi Drives seem okay...
If i get 3x 1TB for $60 thats pretty good since this has 32 MB cache and its 7.2k RPM