Installing WHS for the first time

[BlueWeasel]

I'm getting ready to install WHS on my 754 server box (AMD 3200+ with 1GB RAM) for the first time.

Currently, my plans are to use a 250GB drive as the primary OS drive and a WD Green 1TB drive for data only. I've been doing some research regarding WHS and multiple drives, but I'm still uncertain about the drive layout to use.

1) Any reason why not to use the 250GB for OS versus just having the 1TB as single drive (for both OS and data)?

2) I don't think WHS uses partitions. So an extra space on the 250GB not used for the OS would simply become part of the "pool", right?

 

[bsobel]

WHS partitions the drive it installs to. Its about 20 gig for the OS, and the rest for the staging drive (which is part of the pool)

 

[Dari]

WHS only takes like 20GB of your entire available HDD space. The rest is managed by the OS.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: bsobel
WHS partitions the drive it installs to. Its about 20 gig for the OS, and the rest for the staging drive (which is part of the pool)

Originally posted by: Dari
WHS only takes like 20GB of your entire available HDD space. The rest is managed by the OS.

So it sounds like I'd have approximately 1.2TB of useable space (1TB plus ~200GB partition not used by the OS).

If I understand correctly, the staging drive is where copied data gets sent to first before distributed into the pool, correct? I had found issues with copying data over to the server but it seemed to be isolated to those with small primary drives. In other words, there were problems if you were attempting to copy over data that exceeded the size of the staging partition. Has some of that been addressed with PP1?

Either way, sounds like the 250GB drive is fine as the primary drive, as long as I'm not trying to copy over 200GB+ of data all at once.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel
Either way, sounds like the 250GB drive is fine as the primary drive, as long as I'm not trying to copy over 200GB+ of data all at once.

Since last Summer's Power Pack One, incoming data files are written directly to the disk where they will be staying. Previously, they were temporarily written to the original system drive and then transferred elsewhere if appropriate.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel
Either way, sounds like the 250GB drive is fine as the primary drive, as long as I'm not trying to copy over 200GB+ of data all at once.

Since last Summer's Power Pack One, incoming data files are written directly to the disk where they will be staying. Previously, they were temporarily written to the original system drive and then transferred elsewhere if appropriate.

Excellent. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel
Either way, sounds like the 250GB drive is fine as the primary drive, as long as I'm not trying to copy over 200GB+ of data all at once.

Since last Summer's Power Pack One, incoming data files are written directly to the disk where they will be staying. Previously, they were temporarily written to the original system drive and then transferred elsewhere if appropriate.

I don't believe that is true. Data is still written to the staging drive and moved later...

 

[BlueWeasel]

Seems to be some good info here

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: bsobel
I don't believe that is true. Data is still written to the staging drive and moved later...

I've seen this statement (about changes in the use of the "landing zone" with PP1) in several places, including here. Personally, I haven't been able to find a specific quote FROM MICROSOFT about this change. I've read Microsoft's PP1 Notes as well as all of MS' WHS whitepapers. But I've sure read about the "change" in the Landing Zone it in several publications. Example:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1390750

What is the landing zone or is one still there?
Technically there is no "Landing Zone" it was supposedly fixed with PP1 and an Update. However recent post and issues do suggest otherwise, particularly when using Vista.

The original definition -

This was the size of the free space on the partition of the D:"data" drive on the main OS disk.

That amount of said space was all you could transfer to the box at any given moment.
This was due to the fact, that when you transferred a file or set of files to the WHS it had to first be written to the OS disk "data" partition and then be copied to the other storage disk(s).

Current Definition -
Unlike before when data had to be written to the OS disk, it is now written directly to storage disk(s) unless space is unavailable, then and only then is data written directly to the OS disk.

However there still seems to be an issue particularly common when using vista, that although there is plenty of free space on other "Storage Disk(s)" there is not enough free space on the OS disk in relation to the size of file(s) one is transferring.
When the size of the file is very large, lets say 200gb, and there is only 150gb free space on the OS disk data partition, you will receive an error and the transfer will not complete.
This is particularly common with folks that have a small OS disk, and that is why it is still advised that you install the OS on the largest disk that you have."

By the way, Windows Home Server Power Pack 2 will,, supposedly, be released tomorrow (March 24, 2009).

 

[bsobel]

Interesting, did some more searching and it seems the space available on the data drive is what is reported as free space but the copy goes right to the pool bypassing the data drive (unless the rest of the pool is full). Thanks for the headsup.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: bsobel
Interesting, did some more searching and it seems the space available on the data drive is what is reported as free space but the copy goes right to the pool bypassing the data drive (unless the rest of the pool is full). Thanks for the headsup.

Edit: From the PP2 docs: "It is now easier to copy large files or folders from a home computer running the Windows Vista® operating system to a shared folder on your home server. Previously, the file size was limited by the free space on the primary hard drive of your home server. With this update, the file size is limited to the free space on the target hard drives that are connected to your home server."

 

[BehindEnemyLines]

Power Pack 2 is to be released March 24, 2009. I am not sure if PP1 is a prereq or not.

http://blogs.technet.com/homes...cing-power-pack-2.aspx

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: BehindEnemyLines
Power Pack 2 is to be released March 24, 2009. I am not sure if PP1 is a prereq or not.

http://blogs.technet.com/homes...cing-power-pack-2.aspx

PP1 is a prereq

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: bsobel
Interesting, did some more searching and it seems the space available on the data drive is what is reported as free space but the copy goes right to the pool bypassing the data drive (unless the rest of the pool is full). Thanks for the headsup.

Well, it's not clear exactly WHAT is going on with PP1. But I tried to add a quote from the PP2 Release notes which implies that, no matter how PP1 actually works, PP2 DOES appear to do something with the "Landing Zone". For some reason, The AnandTech Forum wasn't allowing me to edit my post to add the quotation.