Windows Home Server 2011 for HP microserver

[Moomz]

I have finally started to set up my microserver N40L after it has been sat for around a year and a half. I have loaded it up with 4GB of ram and 4x3tb drives and was hoping to use the 250GB drive it came with to run WHS 2011. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued and I can't seem to get hold of a copy anywhere. Any ideas? Or alternatives?


I plan to use it to store all my media and to run couchpotato, sickbear, headphones and Sabnzb. I also wanted it to run as a plex server (I use XBMC on my Revo and Apple TV, but like the thought of using the plex app on my ipad/Samsung TV and being able to share my movies with friends via the server). I was thinking of a Raid5 setup.. Any comments/suggestions?

 

[R-CAD]

Put a Wanted ad in Classifieds, so far everyone that has done so appears to have got a copy of WHS2011.

Alternatively, how about W7Pro or W8.1Pro, although W8.1Pro leads to an issue with the NIC Driver that requires the latest HP BIOS (or Tobi Oo's Modded BIOS to resolve)

W7 and W8.1 offer Storage Spaces as an alternative to Raid (as well as offering Software Raid)

When I did the research I was put off Software Raid 5 due to the processor overhead to calculate the parity, and I was put off Hardware Raid due to the restricted rebuild options if you have a hardware failure. ie. you can't just put the drives in another machine and "get going".

 

[Moomz]

Thanks for your reply.

Does it have to be Windows 7 pro? I have a key for Windows Home premium.. Otherwise I don't want the extra expense..

How noticeable would the processor overhead be when using Software RAID 5? I am literally only going to be using it for Plex and CouchPotato etc. Will I notice it?

 

[R-CAD]

I personally have no first hand experience of software Raid 5, I was taking others' opinions. I guess in truth the parity calcs are when the data is being stored to disc, so probably won't effect when you are streaming from the Server if this is at a different time.

Not sure about the Home version. Does it allow headless running (if that is important to you). I remember checking W8 and it was short of some Remote Desktop bits on the non-Pro versions.