1.png

Windows Home Server Vail Preview Refresh Now Available, With Mac Support

By on August 16, 2010 in News, Windows Home Server

Server Deployment:

  • Added page to IC for checking the server time and date
  • On headed setups (IC), if Keyboard layout chosen is non-ascii, then the user is given the choice to toggle keyboard back to English in order to enter an ascii password

Client Deployment:

  • Client installation now using .NET Framework 4.0
  • Open DNS support/mitigations
  • Finalizing uninstall process

Client servicing support:

  • Offer MSI + MSPs to new clients
  • Offer MSI + MSPs to servicing pipe
  • Web request for versioninfo.xml
  • Web request and Custom Action for client-side UI OEM branding support
  • Blocking logic for max number of computers attached to server
  • Blocking non-ASCII computer names to join
  • Trim client-language support to match server language
  • Adding Mac support to client join Web site
  • Bug fixes and UI updates

Health and Alerts:

  • Full set of health definitions covering client/server backup, storage, networking, etc
  • Inclusion of additional alert troubleshooting capability
  • Client side controls for filtering alerts
  • Alert Email integration – configure the server to send alerts via Email
  • Updates to alert viewer including organize alerts by computer or alert severity

Identity:

  • Device password reset
  • User password reset
  • User password policy
  • User Limits & Warnings

Storage:

  • New Storage summary page which provides a high level overview of storage usage on the server including:Folders in the storage pool
    Other hard drives
    Server Backup hard drives
  • Previous Versions for Server Folders are turned on by default and are exposed in folder properties
  • File system meta-data is replicated for non-duplicated folders to keep non-duplicated folders accessible in case of a single hard drive failure
  • Check and repair functionality (chkdsk) is now exposed for all server backup hard drives
  • By default non-default storage pools are locked to prevent accidental data loss
  • Added a read-only check for folder

Dashboard:

  • “Safe mode” – if an add-in disrupts the dashboard , Vail will detect it & allow the user to choose whether it is loaded when the Dashboard restarts
  • Add-in scrolling” in the tab strip
  • Dashboard sign in on client UI refresh

Launchpad:

  • New User experience
  • “Offline” mode – Launchpad can now work in an offline mode , whereby the user access Remote Access link or 3rd party links that do not need connection to the server
  • “Settings dialog” , that allows the user to customize what alerts they will see on their client
  • 3rd party add-ins to LP can control access on a per user basis

Remote Access:

  • NetworkingOpenDNS support
    Multi-NIC support for wireless
    Multi-subnet support for Aurora
  • Domain Name Infrastructure
  • Enable trusted certificate installation for GITME vanity domains
  • Manual domain name configuration for Aurora
  • Web UI.NET 4.0 support
    Limit language switching to server language and English only
    Updated branding
  • MediaSilverlight 4 support
    Now playing queue design, paging
  • Settings UITrusted certificate manual installation wizard
    Simplified domain name configuration experience
  • SDKAPIs to support BPOS integration

MAC Support:

  • Onboarding experience similar to Windows clients
  • Managed device in dashboard
  • Launchpad for the mac
  • Alert viewer for the mac
  • Add in provider for the mac

Media:

  • Optimize streaming video server performance (media settings page)
  • Media Center Integration – New server folders are added to Win7 client computer libraries after client deployment is complete.

HomeGroup:

  • Leave HG, view HG password, change HG password wizards.
  • HG task added to the sharing options getting started task.
  • HG password-out-of-sync status
  • Multiple Homegroups in the same network –conflict resolution scenario. Server is in HG and detects that there is a larger HG in the same home network. The HG settings page notifies user to join to existing larger HG.

For more on Windows Home Server Vail Preview Refresh, check out the following articles:

What’s New in Windows Home Server Vail Preview Refresh?

Windows Home Server Vail Preview Refresh: Installation Walkthrough

Windows Home Server Vail Preview: Mac Support Deep Dive

More: Microsoft Connect | WGS Vail Forums
Pages: 1 2

Enjoyed this post? Share it.

If you enjoyed reading this post, then why not share it with your friends and followers?

About Terry Walsh

Terry Walsh is the founding editor and owner of We Got Served. Since February 2007, the site has provided detailed coverage and analysis of the emerging home server category, and has subsequently grown into a trusted outlet for digital home news and reviews.
View all posts by Terry Walsh →

Sign Up for WGS Daily News

If you don't want to miss out on the latest news from We Got Served, why not subscribe to our daily digest? You'll get the day's headlines and a short summary of each news item delivered straight to your inbox each morning.

, , , , , , , , , ,

  • Glenn

    I really don’t like the fact dat mac os x is supported, it is a crappy OS and it seems that anything that has something to do with Apple Inc. becomes a piece of s***

    • Steve Jobs

      Once you go Mac you don't go back!

      • Bill Gates

        yes you do – if you're not a conformist tool.

        • Chadwick

          Conformist? PC users are the conformists; that's what everybody uses. Mac users are the rebels that have defiantly broken away from the evil empire.

          • n00g

            lol .. or lazy to learn how to use a computer … its more like a cell phone os !

  • Rychek

    Has there been any word as to whether or not the OSX support extends to PPC based systems? I'd love to have backups of the iMac as it could die at any moment.

  • http://www.tomontech.com Tom

    Rychek – As far as I can tell the Mac OS X Connector is a Universal Binary. If you are running 10.5 on your iMac, I'd say give it a shot and see if the connector installs.

    Right now, backups do not work, but that is coming soon.

  • Ascario

    @Glenn: I fully agree, I do not see the point in supporting MacOSX. It's not like Apple supports other software on their devices, quite the contrary.

    • RobertS

      In a mixed household like mine, where both Macs and PCs are used, this could be better news for me.

      • RobertS

        I should say "couldn't be better news for me"

    • Bonzoom

      You must be kidding. What about SIlverlight, FAT, NTFS, Exchange just to name a few Microsoft software.

  • Tom

    SOLD… Mac support… Very Happy. 2GB Time Machine Costs £388. I already have a 7GB Server but don't use Time Machine on it, now I can. :D

    • Herlev

      DANG! 2GB for £388! Apple fans are getting skreeeewed :P
      Sure you dont mean TB? :P
      BTW, if im not mistaken you can configure time machine to target WHS v1 as a network harddrive… pretty sure there are some articles/how-to's out there on the big interweb.

  • Guest

    What, if anything, can we draw from this release relating to Vail's eventual RTM date?

    • scoob101

      Nothing. Its not a Release Candidate, its just another Beta. My wild guess is an RTM in early Q1 2011

  • Nate

    It's great that Microsoft are releasing the Beta to the public, they've learnt this lesson after Vista. Goes without saying though that Beta is never meant to be used for production, its purely for testing. Would be nice for them to release the final product without known issues like the current version has around data corruption with file duplication.

  • Scoob101

    Highly encouraging to see Mac support. I don`t have (and never will) have a mac, but this can only broaden the appeal of WHS.

    Well done guys!

  • http://twitter.com/simonneedham @simonneedham

    Fantastic news. Very happy about this.

  • http://twitter.com/donkeyrobot @donkeyrobot

    i love that a mention of mac makes everyone go nutts and thats all we can talk about.

    i'd like to know more about upgrading an existing installation of WHS v1

    • Rychek

      There isn't a software upgrade path like there is for desktop Windows. If you want to "upgrade" from v1, you'll need to either build a second system and copy your data over the network (shuffling drives as you copy), or disconnect your drive pool drives, copy the data onto the new install and add the copied disk to your new storage pool as you can. It's more like a server recovery than an upgrade solution.

  • Aaron

    I for one have been longing for MAC backup. I live in a dual system environment and would prefer to have only 1 backup location in my home.

  • Gary Kopff

    I'm unclear: I use an APPLE TIME MACHINE router (extended by both APPLE EXTREME and AIRPORT EXPRESS). The APPLE TIME MACHINE also hs a 1 TB harddrive and that is the target I want for installing VAIL. Can I do it? if so, must I operate from the APPLE TIME MACHINEor can I downlload on client and transfer fileds into SERVER for installation.xD

  • Mark

    Great to see Mac support. With a heavily competitive market out there with NAS drives offering many of the features of WHS the guys have to keep on top of the game. A recent review of the HP WHS box in WhatHifi S&V (UK) saw it as the Rolls Royce of NAS boxes which is a good place to be. IT justifies the price difference to a standard NAS.
    Does this mean we have iTunes support out of the box.?

  • http://www.sanyoprojectorbulbs.com Fern Kinley

    Sort of off subject matter but do you know of any recommendations for a different web host? I keep reading about Hostgator but I wanted to find out what you use. Your pages appear to load considerably faster than in my website.

  • http://quartzcountertopsforkitchens.com/ Flora Rigler

    You dealt with several engaging points in this posting. I came across this article by using Google and I have to confess that I already subscribed to your site, it is extremely great :)

  • http://www.blurty.com/users/cary46hunter Bruce Fonua

    I simply wanted to appreciate you all over again. I do not know the things that I would’ve created without the type of creative ideas shown by you regarding this topic. It seemed to be the frightening circumstance in my circumstances, however , considering the skilled form you processed it took me to cry with gladness. Extremely happier for this work as well as have high hopes you are aware of a powerful job you happen to be putting in teaching many others through your website. I’m certain you haven’t encountered any of us.