Quick whs question

[Seppe]

hey,
does anyone know if there is windows home server 64-bit version available? as in, if the server os is 64-bit, not the supported clients, i read that those will be supported with the first power pack. i tried googling but only got vista 64 related stuff.

thanks

 

[RebateMonger]

Windows Home Server is a 32-bit-only operating system. Since 32-bit is MORE than adequate for it to do what it does, I'd be shocked if Microsoft announced a 64-bit version anytime in the near future.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I'm been looking into this as well (and posted recently as I hadn't noticed this topic ). So far, here is what I can find:

Will Windows Home Server V2.0 be 64-bit only?

 

[Seppe]

yeah i read that article too. but i thought whs being based on server 2003 would have an optional 64-bit install.

 

[ViRGE]

Chocobo, why on earth do you want to put 12GB in a WHS box anyhow? The damn thing is only supposed to be a low-powered file server.

Anyhow, I would expect the next WHS to be 64bit only. MS has a strong inclination to stay 32bit only so that there's an easy upgrade path for current WHS boxes, but at the same time they've shown that WHS v1 is very much a test drive product where v2 will be a more serious rollout, and hence they are willing to break an upgrade path if that's what it takes. With the VIA Isaiah out by the time WHS v2 comes, there won't be any 32bit-only processors left on the market anyhow.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
Chocobo, why on earth do you want to put 12GB in a WHS box anyhow? The damn thing is only supposed to be a low-powered file server.

Anyhow, I would expect the next WHS to be 64bit only. MS has a strong inclination to stay 32bit only so that there's an easy upgrade path for current WHS boxes, but at the same time they've shown that WHS v1 is very much a test drive product where v2 will be a more serious rollout, and hence they are willing to break an upgrade path if that's what it takes. With the VIA Isaiah out by the time WHS v2 comes, there won't be any 32bit-only processors left on the market anyhow.

Because the box that I want to put WHS is in going to have 8 cores (dual quad core). Not so much for the power for the backup / file server, but it is going to be crunching. And I don't know if I could justify building another machine just for a WHS box with all the hard drives when I'm already building the dual quad core.

 

[ViRGE]

Even if it went 64bit, I wouldn't count on WHS supporting multiple processors so you'd be SOL anyhow.

You could always run a Windows Server 2003/2008 box and put a virtualized instance of WHS in it. I think VMWare allows for raw access to hard drives. MS clearly doesn't support this, but then again it's an OEM product so you don't get any support in the first place.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
Even if it went 64bit, I wouldn't count on WHS supporting multiple processors so you'd be SOL anyhow.

You could always run a Windows Server 2003/2008 box and put a virtualized instance of WHS in it. I think VMWare allows for raw access to hard drives. MS clearly doesn't support this, but then again it's an OEM product so you don't get any support in the first place.

I got Windows Server 2003 and 2008 free from MS but found no use for it. You think I could utilize it somehow? I'm getting WHS but it seems too specific. I've tried VMWare before but I went back to VPC (on 64-bit Vista). Any guides on setting up a virtual WHS?

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: ViRGE
Even if it went 64bit, I wouldn't count on WHS supporting multiple processors so you'd be SOL anyhow.

You could always run a Windows Server 2003/2008 box and put a virtualized instance of WHS in it. I think VMWare allows for raw access to hard drives. MS clearly doesn't support this, but then again it's an OEM product so you don't get any support in the first place.

I got Windows Server 2003 and 2008 free from MS but found no use for it. You think I could utilize it somehow? I'm getting WHS but it seems too specific. I've tried VMWare before but I went back to VPC (on 64-bit Vista). Any guides on setting up a virtual WHS?

I've never tried it before, it's entirely theoretical. But I see no reason why it shouldn't work. Drop in the hard drives you want to use as part of WHS, make sure they're not already mapped under Windows Server, and then start setting up a custom VM with a VM mapped-drive for each drive you want to use and the network adapter in bridged mode.

WHS isn't very picky, it doesn't need a good graphics adapter, memory, or a sound card, it should work just fine under virtualization.