Windows Home Server Beta Testing

redmondgadgets@santry.com — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 06:00:00 GMT

I've been selected as a beta tester for the Windows Home Server software. After looking over the documentation, there appears to be three primary features to the product:

Remote access: You can access any of the PCs on the home LAN from a remote location. This service is provided for free via a website.
Media Sharing: The ability to send your media to devices on the network, this includes central storage of Recorded TV for your Media Center PCs, and streaming to your Xbox 360.
Backup and Restore: The ability to backup all PCs within the network. This is assisted by using a client CD to configure each client on the network, and synchronize passwords on the client machines with the Windows Home Server machine.

The software appears to run a scaled down version Windows 2003 server. Many of the features that an enterprise uses have been removed from the software to ensure that it needs a lower performance PC than a server class machine. In addition, it provides 10 CALs for the users on your home network.

I'll be loading the software up this weekend and see what else it provides.