Sage for WHS license question, and other blather...

[vhurst]

So I just picked up Mocrosoft WHS (Windows Home Server). I currently run SageTV as a service only under XP Pro. My Sage license is a pre v4 license upgraded to v6, which means I have to enter two keys when I rebuild my server.

My question is, do I have to purchase an entirely new license to run Sage for WHS, or will the regular Sage Media Center license suffice. More importantly, in my case, will a v4 plus v6 upgrade license work for WHS?

As a side note, and also open for input:

I'm hoping there's no troubles with Sage mods, such as SageMC, when applied to the WHS version. Any reassurance out there?

...and why is the WHS "add a drive" feature treated like a new special feature? XP Pro will span drives too, with no trouble configuring 64K blocks.

The only real benefits I'm seeing for running WHS at this point is the ability to auto backup my desktops. Perhaps WHS is more stable than XP Pro? Perhaps I should just install it and find out.

[teesee150]

I'm running WHS and can confirm that a V4 and a Upgrade V6 license will work as that is what I have. I had some troubles at first, but after a couple of tries it just worked, haven't had any problems since.

[vhurst]

Thank You, teesee150.

So how do you like WHS? Would it be worth the effort to upgrade from an XP Pro server?

Do you end up with an additional client access, since the WHS can't be used to watch TV?

thanx...

[jm9843]

Originally Posted by vhurst

So how do you like WHS? Would it be worth the effort to upgrade from an XP Pro server?

Do you end up with an additional client access, since the WHS can't be used to watch TV?

Sage Media Center license, when used with WHS, comes with a single placeshifter/extender license by default. More placeshifter/extender licenses can be registered on the server at a later date through the WHS admin console.

A SageTV Client license is not included.

SageMC works fine on WHS although you can't configure it via the WHS admin console. You'll need to remote desktop to the server.

WHS is really just a collection of services running on Windows 2003 Server. Many would consider that more stable than Windows XP.

Conventional wisdom is to have your recording drive formatted to 64k and outside of the WHS storage pool. i.e. a drive not managed by the disk migrator service.

I'm a big fan of WHS and see no reason why you'd choose to run Sage on XP over WHS, especially if you already own WHS.

If you do decide to go with WHS, I'm sure that you already know about the homeserver.com domain name that comes with every WHS install. Well, I'd recommend that you install Nielm's web server for Sage and then use a WHS add-in called "Whiist" to add a link to it on your WHS homepage. Whiist allows you to either place the link on the actual homepage, or on your user's page after logging in. Cool stuff.

[lotusvball]

I am running the WHS with Sage and love. Very stable. And now that the server is in my basement. very quiet. The only issue I am having is remote connecting to the WHS and use the homeserver.com page. I can not use port 80 so I had to change ports. Some days it works other days it does not work. Once I figure that part out It will be golden.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by jm9843

SageMC works fine on WHS although you can't configure it via the WHS admin console. You'll need to remote desktop to the server.

How do you RDP into your WHS box since the way it is set up by default only seems to allow you to access the WHS console, not the entire machine.

[lotusvball]

From my local lan that was pretty easy. Out of the box that was set by default. You just use the Remote Desktop Connection from Microsoft and enter the IP address. It is the connection outside my local lan that I am having difficulty with. For ex. This morning got to work and I couldn't remote in the the WHS, so I remoted in to another system on my home lan and the went to the remote console and then went to settings and reapplied the remote settings and then everything worked. Really strange.

[gplasky]

And don't forget, Microsoft just reduced the price for WHS by 30%. Newegg has it now for $99. (with PP1)

WHS with Power Pack 1

Gerry

[vhurst]

I suppose the one question left is will the PVR-500 / PVR-350 drivers work in WHS / 2K3. I thought 2K3 wasn't supported for those capture cards, and if WHS is a 2K3 variant, 2K3 drivers is what's needed?

[jm9843]

Originally Posted by vhurst

I suppose the one question left is will the PVR-500 / PVR-350 drivers work in WHS / 2K3. I thought 2K3 wasn't supported for those capture cards, and if WHS is a 2K3 variant, 2K3 drivers is what's needed?

You should definitely use 2K3 drivers when available, but in lieu of that, XP drivers will work most of the time.

I'm using a PVR-250 (same 2000/XP drivers as the 350) on WHS without any problems.

[lotusvball]

I am using the PVR-500 with the drivers from the disk supplied. No problems.

[othy]

I took it out of my system (no longer needed), but I was sucessfully running a PVR-500 on XP drivers with no problem.

Although I'm a big WHS fan, I would emphasize that I personally don't recommend someone run out and buy WHS just to run SageTV. Buy WHS if you want the features that WHS offers. Now, if you want those features and also plan to run SageTV, I see no reason not to put SageTV on the WHS machine.

I happen to love the WHS feature set, even if people do insist that it's nothing special. The folder duplication and drive pool work great and the backup features are killer. I'm very much a tinkerer, so it's nice to know that no matter how badly I thrash a machine, all I have to do is pop in a cd and pick from the huge number of backups to completely restore it (even with a different HDD). And WHS manages the drive space of these backups very well. Two days of backups for a 100g drive don't take up 200g--from day to day it only copies the changed data.

Anyway, enough rambling. If you're planning on running WHS, I think you'll be happy with how Sage performs on the machine.

Tim

[Bikeman]

vhurst,

Not much, again this option is not designed for the general public. As the page clearly states;


Software is licensed for evaluation purposes only—not for use in production environments.


That means one can test its functionality, not run ones home media server with WHS, webserver with SQL2k8, accounting practice with GP, AX or NAV, write one's Great American novel with MS Office or website with SharePoint, etc. That's not quite an evaluation.

Jeff

[othy]

Originally Posted by jm9843

If you do decide to go with WHS, I'm sure that you already know about the homeserver.com domain name that comes with every WHS install. Well, I'd recommend that you install Nielm's web server for Sage and then use a WHS add-in called "Whiist" to add a link to it on your WHS homepage. Whiist allows you to either place the link on the actual homepage, or on your user's page after logging in. Cool stuff.

Can you elaborate on this a little? I tried adding a link to my Sage web server both via WHIIST and the "add a web link" add-in, but I can't get it working.

What URL are you linking to?

Thanks,
Tim

[jm9843]

Originally Posted by othy

Can you elaborate on this a little? I tried adding a link to my Sage web server both via WHIIST and the "add a web link" add-in, but I can't get it working.

What URL are you linking to?

https://whatever.homeserver.com:8443/sage/Home

Notice that I've enabled SSL on port 8443 (the default for Nielm's web server). You won't be able to use the standard SSL port (443) because that is being used by IIS for the homeserver page. Be sure to forward port 8443 on your router to your WHS box and add it as an exception to Windows firewall if need be.

Hope that helps, let us know how you make out.

[wayner]

I have had no problems with using the WHIIST addin. I have added links on my homepage to Sage Web Server, Sage Mobile Web Server, Sage Recording Extender and also to IP cameras that I have in my house. Everything works fine, it just requires a whole lot of port forwarding with your router.

[othy]

Originally Posted by jm9843

https://whatever.homeserver.com:8443/sage/Home

Notice that I've enabled SSL on port 8443 (the default for Nielm's web server). You won't be able to use the standard SSL port (443) because that is being used by IIS for the homeserver page. Be sure to forward port 8443 on your router to your WHS box and add it as an exception to Windows firewall if need be.

Hope that helps, let us know how you make out.

Thanks for the reply. It looks like SSL may be tripping me up. I'm able to access the WHS page as well as my SageTV mobile web server (via http on port 8889) without problem, but I can't get to my standard web server. I set it up on port 8888 and can access it via my local network.

Do I need to enable 8888 somewhere in WHS? I have been fiddling with ports on the router and Windows Firewall, but maybe my snag is in WHS?

Thanks,
Tim