Windows Home Server "Vail" Drops Drive Extender Support

[Lunarpancake]

Sad article about Windows Vail not offering Drive Extender any longer.


Windows Home Server 'Vail' drops drive extender support, MS suggests you buy bigger HDDs -- Engadget


*UPDATE*

Apparently due to a huge backlash of negative responses from the IT world. Steve is checking this issue out by "Looking into it"

Hit this link for info :

Steve Ballmer looking into removal of Drive Extender from Windows Home Server -- Engadget

 

[pparks1]

Wow...I'll be honest....that was the primary reason that I suggested that people consider using Windows Home Server. The second reason was the ease of backups....but that can easily be replaced with any of the imaging applications out there.

I've even considered doing a Windows home server build to replace my file server box at home...but not going to do it any longer if this is the case. I can just use a Linux box with LVM's and achieve the same thing. I've even written a guide for doing this for coworkers who were interested.

 

[Kari]

I've tested Vail and Drive Extender was one of the main reasons for my very positive opinion. I had already decided to buy Vail when it's finally available. And then this news. What now?

 

[pparks1]

Obviously they are going to encourage customers to buy OEM solutions from vendors who will equip their devices with RAID cards.....however this will increase the cost and probably add to the complexity of a home product designed for ease of use by non-techies.

For me personally, where I would be using just the file serving purposes of this product (not the streaming media stuff), I can simply swap to a Linux solution with LVM. I've written a guide here at work that i could share with anybody interested which walks through the setup of SAMBA for shares, users, and the setup of LVM...including the ability to increase the size of an LVM, and also relocate data from one drive to another drive so that you can remove a drive from an LVM setup.

 

[ken9122]

This is a shame. they had a nice simple product and go and mess it up. I'll just keep my old version until they wake up or something else fills the void.

Ken

 

[bobtran]

A sad day for the users thanks to Microsoft. I was beginning to consider purchasing a copy of Vail and building a new server but instead I think it might be time to buy another copy of Windows Home Server v1 and build a new state of the art WHS which will last a number of years. Vail just is not good enough that we should jump ship on the ver1 WHS and go with this product considering this bomb shell.....I guess Microsoft figured out it had a winner and that small business's were jumping on it, so lets mess it up and force people to turn away from WHS and back to SBS.

I figured that Microsoft would figure out a way to mess this product up, it was just too good to begin with and combined with the support of the user base it has improved with time like a good wine. Time to change vineyards while laying in a stock of the good stuff.

A sad day in Redmond when all is said and done. They can have my Ver1 when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.

 

[KazeNoKoe23]

Dunno why Microsoft would even do this. It was one of the main reasons I was considering buying WHS for my home.

 

[Zepher]

Dunno why Microsoft would even do this. It was one of the main reasons I was considering buying WHS for my home.

did you read the article? they said why they got rid of DE.
I personally would have 2 versions of that software, Windows Home Server with Drive Extender and Windows Small Business Server without DE.

 

[mickey megabyte]

In a briefing last month, I was told that Microsoft and its partners discovered problems with Drive Extender once they began typical server loads (i.e. server applications) on the system. This came about because Drive Extender was being moved from a simple system, WHS, to a more complex, server-like OS )(SBS "Aurora") that would in fact be used to run true server applications. And these applications were causing problems.

"Drive Extender was a neat feature, but the implementation was off, and we discovered some application compatibility and disk tool problems related to its ability to correct data errors on the fly," Microsoft general manager Kevin Kean told me. "We don't want to give customers problems; we want to give them solutions. So ultimately, we decided that we needed to cut out Drive Extender. Removing Drive Extender will make file shares easy, and it's possible to accomplish most of its features otherwise. For example, you use the server's centralized backup or even RAID as an alternative to data duplication."

source - paul thurrott

 

[Lunarpancake]

updated my orig post with some new information.

 

[Kari]

A great opportunity for Microsoft to show customer opinion is important, and that they listen.

 

[bobtran]

updated my orig post with some new information.

Thanks for the update......If Balmer can perform I just might upgrade after all. This is still contingent on the stability of the product of course, No reason to change horses in mid stream. I've got a nice AMD Dual-core or tri-core (1 of each) waiting in the wings.

 

[DeaconFrost]

A great opportunity for Microsoft to show customer opinion is important, and that they listen.

Absolutely. If DE is put back in, I'll be upgrading the moment it becomes available. If not, I'll be sticking with WHS 1.0.