Home Server Machine recommendation?

[Chiefcrowe]

Hey guys,

which prebuilt machine do you think is the best for windows Home server?

thanks!

 

[ViRGE]

The HP MediaSmart Server has been the far ahead favorite from what I've seen. It does need more memory than the 512MB base configuration, however.

 

[RebateMonger]

The HP MediaSmart home server has no competition in its price range at this time. Be aware that it has no video output, so you can't log onto it at the console. Everything is done remotely from another PC.

I've got a couple of HPs running at offices backing up ten PCs and haven't found any problems with the "stock" memory configuration. But I only use them for client backups and not for serving files or media.

One thing that's amazing is how little disk space backups take for an entire office. WHS does single-instance-storage of files, and most of the disk space on office PCs is occupied by Windows and MS Office. I put 1.5 TB in one office and was shocked to find that the backups only occupy a small portion of the available storage space.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
One thing that's amazing is how little disk space backups take for an entire office. WHS does single-instance-storage of files, and most of the disk space on office PCs is occupied by Windows and MS Office. I put 1.5 TB in one office and was shocked to find that the backups only occupy a small portion of the available storage space.

I just wish it stated how much each machine is using for backup.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
I just wish it stated how much each machine is using for backup.

Well, the very first PC backed up will initially have the largest image. Unless, of course, there are lots of unique files on a different PC (data files, MP3, etc.) But, yeah, you can't really tell how big the ACTUAL backups are for each PC.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
One thing that's amazing is how little disk space backups take for an entire office. WHS does single-instance-storage of files, and most of the disk space on office PCs is occupied by Windows and MS Office. I put 1.5 TB in one office and was shocked to find that the backups only occupy a small portion of the available storage space.

I just wish it stated how much each machine is using for backup.

Well, its difficult to answer that question. Its not duplicating files that are the same across each PC, which would basically include the vast majority of the windows install. So theres a great bit of shared backup. If it supported it, you could connect another 20PCs and it still wouldnt change the total amount by much.

 

[Kneo]

I just ordered the HP EX470. From what I have read it is suppose to be a nifty machine.

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: Chiefcrowe
Hey guys,

which prebuilt machine do you think is the best for windows Home server?

thanks!

Whatever you find that's cheapest.

Honestly, it needs essentially nothing to run - some hard drive space and 512MB is all you need. I give it 640MB to be generous - in a VMware ESX virtual machine with 2 500GB hard drives; it works great.

Any old last-generation PC with big, slow hard drives and 512MB or more of RAM will be plenty. Your main limit will be networking speeds for backups, and you won't care about backup speeds anyway (who cares - are you going to stay up at 1am to watch backups?) so.... cheap, big HDD, anything else is optional.

 

[RebateMonger]

<=== Still wonders why Dell hasn't released a Windows Home Server....

...and still wishes he could buy an OEM case similar to the HP MediaSmart's.

 

[WT]

I can't thank my WHS enough for saving my data or just making re-imaging a LOT easier. I had a drive go bad in a RAID 0 array, and after popping another drive in the box and booting to the WHS recovery CD, after 45 minutes it had dumped the full array image from the day before onto the array and I was back up and functional within an hour. I would never run a RAID 0 array without worry, but the WHS takes away any concern on my end.

It does so many things besides full backups (web host, streaming Itunes, photo suite and media streaming) that I consider it my best hardware purchase for last year. And to think that I initially sweated the $600 price tag .. its worth it if it saves your data even once.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
<=== Still wonders why Dell hasn't released a Windows Home Server....

...and still wishes he could buy an OEM case similar to the HP MediaSmart's.

Check out the Chenbro ES34069. It's a bit bigger than the MediaSmart, and not cheap, but it's the closest I've found. I'm considering using this + Atom motherboard for my next WHS box.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: loup garou
Check out the Chenbro ES34069.

Yeah, I've seen those. Nice. Wish they were cheaper.

I wish that MSI would make a two-hard-drive version of its Wind barebones PC.

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: loup garou
Check out the Chenbro ES34069.

Yeah, I've seen those. Nice. Wish they were cheaper.

I wish that MSI would make a two-hard-drive version of its Wind barebones PC.

I've virtualized WHS (since it doesn't need enough CPU | disk | motherboard | power | horsepower to justify it getting 100% of the resources of a machine) - it's pretty straightforward to set up ESXi on an older machine, plug in a supported SATA controller and NIC, and away you go....

 

[JasonCoder]

Originally posted by: dclive

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: loup garou
Check out the Chenbro ES34069.

Yeah, I've seen those. Nice. Wish they were cheaper.

I wish that MSI would make a two-hard-drive version of its Wind barebones PC.

I've virtualized WHS (since it doesn't need enough CPU | disk | motherboard | power | horsepower to justify it getting 100% of the resources of a machine) - it's pretty straightforward to set up ESXi on an older machine, plug in a supported SATA controller and NIC, and away you go....

You get an OEM copy of WHS from somewhere or are they selling it OTC nowadays? I'd be very interested in this setup.

EDIT: answered my own question... I see it's now offered via system integrator programs. Nice.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: dclive
I've virtualized WHS (since it doesn't need enough CPU | disk | motherboard | power | horsepower to justify it getting 100% of the resources of a machine)....

Virtualizing WHS can be a good solution if you have an appropriate box to share. I'm doing that for a client who has a file server with room for an extra 1.5 TB SATA drive.

Originally posted by: JasonCoder
You get an OEM copy of WHS from somewhere or are they selling it OTC nowadays? I'd be very interested in this setup.

Several online stores carry it, including Newegg.com. It's about $150.

 

[DrGreen2007]

I built two WHS boxes from refurb Dell Inspiron 530 desktops for some friends($229=1.8DC,2gbDDR,250gbHDD,DVDRW)

Just threw in 2x 640gb sata's in place of the single 250, nice and quiet machines

The Vostro's are the same, except all sexy black instead of white/silver

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: DrGreen2007
I built two WHS boxes from refurb Dell Inspiron 530 desktops for some friends($229=1.8DC,2gbDDR,250gbHDD,DVDRW)

I've got a similar machine (home-built). It draws about 60 Watts, so not too bad...

Those refurbed 530s are a pretty good deal. Dell's refurbs used to be so-so deals, but that seems to have improved over the years.

 

[Raduque]

I built mine from my spares bin- a celeron 2.53 1gb ram and an intel motherboard. I use 2x250 seagates, a 1x320 wd, and an 80gb we as the system drive. It works pefectly.