Additionally, the Backup feature performs its own cleanup of old backups, keeping only the number of backups you specify.
This service also handles Windows updates for WHS, and automatically restarts Windows Home Server if necessary. If a backup job doesn't finish, the device stops and continues with the job the next time it's scheduled to start. This means that it stops the backup process at the moment you've specified for the daily backup to end. The new Backup feature sticks rigidly to the schedule you set. The scan will automatically collect media content from all PCs on your home network. When setting up a schedule for transferring data into MediaSmart, the admin can choose up to three media types to copy automatically to the MediaSmart and set processing to occur anywhere from once an hour to once a week. This feature now gives you more granular controls, so an administrator can restrict operations by file type, media source, and even artist. The Media Collector feature makes it simpler than ever to protect your media files by copying them to MediaSmart. The value of having an NAS server doesn't end there: You can access it via Web, for example, which lets you access your content and your local computers.- Next: MediaSmart's Smart Media Backup These improvements will make users more inclined to interact with the server, thereby getting more bang for their $800.
Even add-ins like the free TwonkyMedia server, which lets you connect devices such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and share media files right from WHS, are easier to get to. Server Online Backup and Remote Access, for example, now have more visibility.
Greater flexibility in the new WHS software has allowed HP to make many features more accessible. Access to settings was not as user-friendly in the EX470, where more of the configuration and add-ins were hidden away in the settings screen. The easier access encourages users to try them. The interface exposes more features that would otherwise be buried inside the tabs or the settings screen. So, for example, you can jump right into a backup job, start the iTunes server, or configure the Media Collector feature. New shortcuts on the left-hand side give easier access to the features. The layout of the server software's interface has changed a bit. And as before, the MediaSmart server software serves as the OS's shell. Its many integrated features make it easier to learn. Microsoft's new Windows Home Server (WHS) uses a variation of the Small Business Server 2008 platform. The server software on board has been upgraded as well. You can buy this four-bay unit in a 750GB EX485 configuration ($649) as well as the 1.5TB EX487, which is what I tested. What's more, the memory has been increased vastly, from 512MB to 2GB, which improves backup performance. It has boosted the processor from a 1.8-GHz AMD Sempron to a 2-GHz Intel Celeron. Inside the box, however, HP has shaken things up. In back, you find the same USB and external SATA ports. The front panel has the same drive bays, and swapping hard drives is as painless as it was with the EX470. The tower enclosure's outer appearance has changed little since the last version-it still looks sharp. HP has done a lot of work on this product-more than enough to maintain the Editors' Choice. After testing the EX487, I've put my reservations aside. If you are having a problem organizing your content because it resides on multiple computers, MediaSmart can also help you collect and manage your media files in its central data store. The WHS in MediaSmart collects, organizes, and streams your media over your network, including the Web. It also does a lot more than other NAS products. Network configuration is still somewhat tricky and requires a bit more IT knowledge than I'd like to see in a home-oriented product, though the EX487 is still easier to set up than most NAS products. But they haven't all improved to the point where anyone could handle troubleshooting them. Features are more accessible and easier to use.
HP added a lot of new plumbing to Windows Home Server (WHS) to make it more Mac and Web friendly. Turns out, the new incarnation actually surpassed my expectations. When the HP MediaSmart Server EX487 ($749.99 list) arrived, I had to wonder whether it could clear the high bar set last year by its Editors' Choice predecessor, the EX470.