By Philip Churchill on February 04th, 2008
Third Party Software for WHS
The blog “Bite my bytes” has details on their particular Windows Home Server setup and lists third party software that they use including Hamachi, FolderShare and TrueCrypt. They also use mRemote to remote access their WHS, instead of using the default option.
The blog entry.
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More proof how WHS is actually beta quality, as third party applications are required to offer much needed features that are also still in development.
How about 4 real reasons why NOT to use WHS…
Because and foremost,
1) Data Corruption http://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/946676
2) http://www.mswhs.com/2007/11/19/should-i-re-boot-whs
(More Data Corruption Risk)
3) http://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/941644
(Remote Code Execution)
4) No protection for the WHS OS drive failure
All the above blunt criticisms have not been publicly refuted by anyone working for Microsoft as real actual officials.
Also the blog “Bite my bytes” reports downloading copyright material via the Pirate Bay. Since when has Microsoft been offering WHS for FREE on the Pirate Bay?
and get this,
“Bad news is that uTorrent kind of breaks Drive Extender from time to time. It writes to disk to fast and shadow copy service can’t follow.” – Bite my bytes blog
Still think WHS is final retail or still in development?
Again,
“I have been using FolderShare for couple of years now. It’s fantastic and it just works.
I can’t run it in console session, it complains that it can’t create mutex (There was an error starting FolderShare (CreateMutex failed).” – Bite my bytes blog
The icing on the cake…
He states the desire to “browse share photo, video and music collection” and then says “I haven’t found anything like that yet” which makes one wonder why is WHS for?
So if you don’t use WHS for backup or file sharing then what good is it?
Stefan – some of that is valid.. data corruption issues being the most obvious. Others are subjective. The reliance on 3rd party software is personal choice. Maybe what comes with WHS is sufficient for you, maybe you want more (e.g. TrueCrypt, Hamachi, mRemote, etc.). One of the most appealing and exciting features about WHS is the ability to use 3rd party software… that’s what add-ons are all about, and installing “normal” software directly on the OS is your given choice as well. Want to run IIS, no problem. Want to run sharepoint server, SQL Server, no problem.
The other really exciting feature about WHS is DriveExtender. That is nearly a perfect solution for creating a massive data store for normal home users (albeit, home users that are a little on the techy side). I have so many random drives sitting around in my house… throw them altogether with USB, and you have basically unlimited storage capabilities, and to top it off, you can choose to make important data redundant.
The backup capabilities are top notch too. Sector backups that aren’t redundant across all home machines… so no wasted space, and to top it off, it uses deltas for changed files that are on multiple machines – again, saving space and time on backups.
RE your statement about not being able to share, browse, play media content… there’s an awesome add-on that does that quite well… WebGuide, which was somewhat recently acquired by Microsoft.
The reliance on 3rd party software isn’t a personal choice because without these add-ins, what is anyone going to be able to do without the very much so desperately needed additional functions?
WHS limits everything to a management console, that is for the most part “a stripped down version” accessible via your PC browser.
You might as well call WHS a “Starter Edition” then.
The worse thing about all these WHS add-ins is that they are only built for WHS. On the other hand, if this was an more open platform, such as Linux, then more people could benefit.
Another concern having third party add-ins provide WHS functions is the questionable quality of service, and certainly the matter of security.
Who reviews these add-ins, to be secure, safe and trouble free?
Caveat emptor!!!
Meaning under the doctrine of caveat emptor, the buyer could not recover from the seller for defects on the property that rendered the property unfit for ordinary purposes. etc…
I do notice that very little, if anything is mentioned about the security of the WHS. But, obviously Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-001, which states, “Vulnerabilities in TCP/IP Could Allow Remote Code Execution”… proves WHS like all Microsoft operating systems are at risk.
Is it really safe to use these third party add-ins, which obviously are mostly beta quality? Then again, why should anyone actually deploy beta software in real environments that can effect our data to be at risk?
How can WHS insure these third party add-ins will NOT cause us more troubles?
WHS is so wonderful, why would anyone else think different?
Well, maybe because the whole windows home server concept is flawed for one. What did you say? How can that be?
Well, excuse me for saying so, but the whole concept of WHS is about a centralized storage, right?
The only big problem with that here is for the reason it demands all the data and files to be hosted upon it, in order to share it.
And of course, everyone must know by now, certainly by now, how WHS has this data corruption flaw, so who wants to host all their backup PC images and all their photos, videos and what not’s more for it?
WHS isn’t going to be fixed by the addition of third party add-ins… This is a fundamental core issue we are talking about here…
A suggest for the next WHS v2 edition, change the basic design to allow any and all connected storage solutions such as USB, eSATA, 1394, USB Cable FREE devices, digital cameras, and online networks to host their storage with WHS, instead of transfer everything to be stored in WHS only to be made available.
isn’t a good idea
I just laugh thinking about all these troubles WHS brings to the home user. And the best part is that they are paying through the nose for it.
There are so many other choices, it’s difficult to see why anyone would subject themselves to all this troubles for WHS.
It’s so easy to backup your data, such as with Acronis True Image Echo Workstation. Pop in the bootable CD, and your good for go, 5 minutes later or so, you got the job down, with no worries about having to maintain an operating system like WHS.
And as for sharing your data, FREENAS is just one of many free and available open source code programs that do the job just fine.
I really don’t see the need for spending so much money to buy WHS, when anyone can use their own PC and install a free Linux distro to provide them everything for FREE.
Forget these third party add-ins, they just helping WHS have a reason to offer something more once you purchase WHS is all…
Sure, backups are a simple thing… but who actually does them? Almost no one. Who does them every night and keeps deltas that date back 3 months? Zero. The backup capabilities are seamless and worry free.
The corruption issue is crap. You guys are making it out like everytime you do something, you have a corruption issue. Read up on it. It happens in rare cases with specific software. Yes, uTorrent is one of them. So what. Run uTorrent somewhere else.
Quality of service for add-ins? Security risks? Are you kidding? What about regular Windows software? I have a handful of open source apps installed that I use all the time. I also have tons of 3rd party apps installed. MS didn’t make them… Vista/XP can’t do what they do. And yet I use them and rely on them on a daily basis. How is that any different from WHS add-ins?
The dumbed down console is for… wait for it… yeah, dumb home computer users. WHS is for the typical, non-techy family. You have dad/mom with maybe 1 or 2 laptops between them, a kid with a gaming desktop, maybe another machine for whatever reason. None of them are techy enough to worry or even need full console access. They probably have never even touched Windows Server, ever. So, MS gave them an easy to use, all-in-one console with basic features. If you need more than that, feel free to RDP to your WHS box… no one said you can’t have full control over it.
Stefan. . . . . enough. I know you like to bash WHS. Give it a rest. Ever done a bare metal rebuild and got your system back to exactly the same without downloading heaps of programs and updates? How about one folder available to everyone in the house with 600gb of video? Let us address your points in order:
1) Data Corruption. Never happened once to me. Who works on a backup file anyway? Work local, backup to WHS . . . . . my goodness
2) http://www.mswhs.com/2007/11/19/should-i-re-boot-whs
(More Data Corruption Risk) I shut down, re-start everyday and never have I seen any data problems.
3) http://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/941644
(Remote Code Execution)Bahhh
4) No protection for the WHS OS drive failure. Wrong, utterly wrong you can pull the system drive put in a blank drive repair install and set user accounts and your back. I have done it twice when a Seagate HDD died.
Please comment where you have experience.
Der Bug wurde bereits vor den Festtagen im April 2007 entdeckt und gemeldet. Trotz dem pot. fatal drastischen Ausmass des Fehlers konnte man erst nach einem kanppen Monat den Fehler sicher “reproduzieren” (Das anzunehmende Aha-Erlebnis der WHS-Profis à la “boah… es gibt den Bug also wirklich” ?) – Über den Zeitpunkt der Behebung des Problems ist nach wie vor nicht der Hauch einer Information verfügbar – alle Angaben diesbez. beruhen auf spekulativen Vermutungen (Die Hoffnung stirbt zu letzt…)
Unterdessen, bis zur vollständigen Behebung des Fehlers, ist nach strenger Auslegung des Ratschlags vom WHS Support eine Kernfunktion des WHS faktisch nicht zu gebrauchen, will doch keiner das Risiko eines Datenverlusts eingehen; aber exakt jene Nutzlosigkeit scheint leider ja vielen Verantwortlichen des Problems relativ egal zu sein…
@Peter
If you had taken the time to actually read the URL post you listed, you would have understood, it’s NOT rebooting your WHS that what is the issue, but when you experience an unscheduled REBOOT, during backup, or when WHS
Drive Extender is balancing your data.
In addition, WHS can experience data corruption if the server power is interrupted, such as during a blackout.
Your comments are deceptive and derogatory, as even if and only you haven’t as yet experienced data corruption, are you willing to insure everyone else will not?
WHS is sold for two main reasons, for backup protection, which is seriously flawed with KB 946676, see article: http://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/946676, and file sharing which nobody much is talking about because WHS doesn’t deliver the full expectations of the consumers.
Take for example how everyone with a server, would expect it to stream media, such as 1080p HD and yet WHS doesn’t offer any wireless connectivity.
In fact, anyone wanting to just share their data, be photos, videos, files and data must first transfer from their PC to WHS. That means you got to transfer the same data twice just to share it, rather then to just stream it.
If that wasn’t bad enough, downplaying data corruption might be you idea of a working server, but rest assured nobody in business, or any reasonable home server user wants to subject their data to corruption.
The fact, that Microsoft hasn’t been able to provide a resolution for over 11 months now, indicates a serious WHS flaw for all of us to wonder when and if ever this issue will be resolved.
WHS Drive Extender technology is said to be at fault, which as you know is totally unique to WHS only. And lots of individuals by the way actually do work with backup files, to restore folders and files among many other usages.
For someone reporting these WHS issues, it’s reasonable.
But, you seem to be more focus upon bashing an individual with your lack of regard and concern about the WHS product. You must be a salesperson, as you seem only to be interested in your own experiences, rather than the interest and experience of others whom already have reported the FACT there is data corruption just as Microsoft confessed.
Hi guys/gals,
We just bought the Home Server (HP) to experiment with hosting an IIS/SQL Server application locally in our office using an attached accept point etc. We are not technical, so this product had some appeal to try. We are now trying to understand if this box can be used or not. Can any of you give us some insight and perspective here. Since we bought it I heard about the data corruption etc. – so it is still in the box.
I hope my ignorant question is not impolite on a blog such as this.
Thanks in advance.
Greg
I have sold and installed the HP Home servers into 35 different organizations/homes.
I have never had any of these problems I hear so much about. I would like to know if any of the people that bad mouth this product have ever sat down and looked at it or even had to support people that look at you funny when you ask them to open a web browser. Sorry.. Not everyone can run linux.. just plain and simple. Freenas? it’s nice and I use it all the time. But that is storage only, And most of the people I support would make me jump out the window if I had to explain to them how to setup backups. The product works.. Plain and simple. Bash all you want but I’m so tired of hearing people shouting far and wide and not having worked with the product at all! On another note – Installing a proper ups prevents shutdowns from weird power events, I have one on every home server I have installed!
Start the bashing now.. Sorry .. but I had to chime in
Have a home built home server as I wanted a SERVER not a PC, If you think you don’t have to load files on to a SERVER for it to SHARE them you are thicker than you give yourself credit for. A Server is a storage device but it will not upload or store information buy itself until it has been told to do so.