Windows Home Server

Windows Home Server

A consumer version of Windows Server 2003 designed for homes with multiple PCs. Introduced in late 2007, it offers a variety of centralized services, including backup, file sharing, printer sharing, security monitoring as well as remote administration. Although based on the enterprise version, Windows Home Server (WHS) provides a simpler user interface for family members.

Centralized Backup and File Sharing
The primary advantages of Windows Home Server are centralized backup and storage. WHS provides automated backup of data for all machines in the network, and it can restore the entire contents of the disk of a failed machine. In order to use WHS, every client in the network must install WHS Connector software.

As more homes are networked, images and videos become duplicated in two or more computers, or some data are stored in one computer while the rest resides in another. Having all sharable data in a centralized location makes it easy for family members to find what they need, and files and folders can be shared with any user in the network. In addition, they can be accessed via any PC connected to the Internet because WHS can be set up as a Web server that faces the public Internet. See Windows Server 2003.