Microsoft Windows Home Server 2011 RTM

Today, the Home Server engineering team signed off the release version of WHS 2011. An exciting milestone which now starts the process to make it available for purchase.

Affordable and easy-to-use, Windows Home Server 2011 is the ideal solution to help families keep their important digital files and data automatically backed up, organized, and accessible from virtually anywhere.

To help with questions we hear during this time of the product release cycle, I have provided further guidance below. If you have a specific question, please feel free to post in comments, on our WHS forum.

Windows Home Server 2011 helps multi-PC families easily centralize, connect, and personalize their digital files. It provides a simple, familiar, and reliable way to store, stream, share and automatically protect what is most important. In this document, we’ll go over what’s new and improved.

A more robust system

Windows Home Server 2011 is based on Windows Server® 2008 R2, the most secure and powerful Windows server to date. In addition, we’ve made the system more robust by adding the following features:

· The ability to use best-of-breed 64-bit product technologies—perfect for powering the media-heavy home.

· A Standard Development Kit (SDK) with client-side software deployment for easy customization and deployment

· DLNA 1.5 compliance to ensure that all your home electronic devices work with your Windows Server-based network.

Easier installation

We designed Windows Home Server 2011 to be easier than ever to install. With the following features, your home server can be up and running within minutes, even if you have limited technical experience.

· A simplified setup experience with detailed guidance for configuring the server and each connected PCs.

· A new option to install Windows Home Server clients through a web page (instead of using physical media or a share)

· The ability to let users set up their own PC—without the need for an administrator

· A fully customizable home page

· Out of the box-support for Mac/Apple clients, with full access to standard Windows Home Server administrative functions.

· Support for HomeGroup, a new feature in Windows 7 that makes it easy for PCs and devices to connect with each other.

Simpler management

From a centralized management dashboard to user alerts and warnings, Windows Home Server 2011 helps take the hassle out of managing a network. We’ve made several improvements to make managing your home server simpler than ever before. Features include:

· The Dashboard (previously the Console) for simplified central management and a consistent experience for anything you need to do.

· Launchpad (previously the Connector tray icon)--for a single “go to” place for users to launch common tasks

· An easy sign-in page to access server resources

· Improved alerting now shown on a per user basis and easily configured to send to an email address for any prompts or alerts.

· Alerts are now configurable and extensible

· Access files faster and more efficiently, utilize your network better and increase your reliability through advanced Windows Server 2008 R2 File Services.

Better backups

With Windows Home Server 2011 you can easily protect what’s important because your family’s data is protected and automatically backed up every day. In addition to an automatic PC nightly backup and automatic server backup, you’ll also be able to take advantage of these features:

· Backup for Windows and Mac based PC’s

· Improved wizards for backup configuration and single file restore

· Improved diagnosis and repair of backup database

· Bare Metal Restore x86 and x64 dual boot from a USB thumbdrive.

· Archive for PC backups that has been removed from the server.

More flexible remote access

Further updates also in remote access of your files and PCs in Windows Home Server 2011 enable you to connect to your family’s documents, photos, videos and music virtually, wherever you are. You’ll get:

· Highly secure, anywhere access to your files and documents through any common web browser.

· A web site address you can easily personalize—and then use to download and upload files to shared folders.

· New gadgets that make it simple to access your favorite remote features

· The ability to set remote access permission levels by user.

· Access to network documents and files on your Windows Mobile device or iPhone

· Silverlight Remote Streaming from your Windows Home Server through any supported browser so you can listen to your music, watch videos or view photo slideshows from anywhere.