Comments on: New Intel Windows Home Server Platforms Showcased

By: BossDrum

BossDrum — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:50:28 +0000

No it isn't. At the time I built my WHS, 750GB drives were $150 and the "biggest" I could reasonably do. I got 4 of them. I put a good dent in it on day one and completely outgrew my 3TB server within 18 months! Thankfully, extra SATA pprts on my mobo have allowed be to inexpensively double to 6 TB with the addition of 2 x 1.5 TB drives. Why make me spend another $100 on an eSATA or USB external inclosure to add more drives? I love my headless WHS is a simple case with a power cable, and Ethernet cable and that is it. I definitely don't want another box around.

I'll note that I had to build my WHS rather than convert an old PC due to storage considerations. PATA drive sizes are too small (and now PATA drives are becoming expensive). At the time, I couldn't find a way to cost effectively add more than 2 SATA ports to any of my existing machines. I'm glad that is the path I used.

My new PC has NINE SATA ports – I'd argue that a, server, even a WHS should have the drive interface capability of current "enthusiast level" motherboards.

By: urmaster

urmaster — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:59:39 +0000

Sorry bad wording there, maybe not by the time WHS is released but when it begins to reach saturation. You wouldn't want your hardware dated. Another point is port multipliers do saturate SATA2; a lot of WHS owners will use port multipliers to increase their storage but currently 2 fast drives or 3 normal drives will saturate the controllers.
SATA3 will double that limit making port multipliers much more useful for pooled storage. And SSD may become a much more viable option one that cannot be considered properly until SATA3.

were talking about hardware for an OS that seems at least a year away.

By: sbrown23

sbrown23 — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:34:53 +0000

Sorry, no. 3.5" HDD will NOT saturate SATA 2 anytime soon. If you are talking SSD, then yes. But spinning hard disks that saturate SATA 2 are way off. The fastest 3.5" disks today peak at about 140MB/s sustained sequential transfer. There is still plenty of headroom in SATA 2, probably a few years worth. The reason SATA 3 (6Gb/s) is needed is SSD.

By: New Intel Windows Home Server Platform Showcased | We Got Served … | All about windows 7

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:28:11 +0000

[...] more from the original source: New Intel Windows Home Server Platform Showcased | We Got Served … This entry was posted by MikeWink and posted on October 25, 2009 at 9:31 am and filed under [...]

By: urmaster

urmaster — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:11:12 +0000

By the time WHSv2 is released 3.5" HDDs will have saturated SATA2, they have already saturated USB2 and SSD may even be well established meaning those standards will no longer cut it. It’s not bad for a build right now but in a year’s time I’m sure the cracks will show.
I don’t usually link in comments but imagine the read a write rate of a disk with this density:

http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-component…

By: @dancingbear1965

@dancingbear1965 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:40:14 +0000

What part of the ICH9R Southbridge is not good for WHSv2?
According to Intel the ICH9R has:
Six port SATA controller with RAID, eSATA, and port multiplier support, providing storage benefits of Intel® Matrix Storage Technology, Intel® Rapid Recover Technology, and Intel® Turbo Memory
I would have thought 6offSATA and eSATA would be good enough for most users.

By: urmaster

urmaster — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:11:10 +0000

Aye, im sticking to the EX475 until WHSv2. Must admit the EX495 was tempting but it's not even available here so oh well.

By: J B

J B — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:46:07 +0000

WHS v2 with the TV Tuner support, then we can start over again – right now I'm just waiting it out, using an old desktop with 4 external usb hdds.

By: urmaster

urmaster — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:18:46 +0000

Again with such an old southbridge it won't be the best choice for WHSv2

By: @dancingbear1965

@dancingbear1965 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:14:30 +0000

Not sure about "Little Butte" but "Bandon" looks ideal for a low-power WHS system and the Atom is 64-bit compatible so will be ideal with WHS V2.
As for availability I have now heard that the next gen Atoms are V. early 2010 and MB's during Q1.

I need to build a new box sooner rather than later so I for one will be looking out for "Bandon"

By: nlitend1

nlitend1 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:12:39 +0000

Not to hijack the thread, but just saw this barebone ITX atom based deal for $86 shipped at newegg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=...

By: urmaster

urmaster — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:31:05 +0000

Hmm whats is the release date on this, seems a little late to be bring in new SATA/USB 2 board to the home server market; that just won't do for vail.