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QUARTER 1 2008 |
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In This Edition: |
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Microsoft Update including:
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Welcome ASI Partners and System Builders! This
newsletter features articles on the latest computer technologies and
products offered by ASI CORP, a leading North American Distributor
of computer components and whitebox systems. If you are registered
ASI customer feel free to call our Technical Support Team or visit
www.asisupport.com (technical help),
www.asiserver.com (server solutions) or
www.asimobile.com (notebooks). |
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New Intel Penryn Desktop CPUs |
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The Intel Penryn based 45nm Processor has finally began hitting the
shelves of warehouses and retail outlets everywhere. The Penryn is
not a complete new product such as the Conroe was, but more of a
half-step towards the Nehalem Processors which are coming late 2008
and early 2009.
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In the standard Intel "one-two punch" style the
Penryn represents a healthy die shrink down from 65 to 45nm. This
decreases the power used on the processor and makes your system run
cooler in general. Intel can, and will, also take advantage of this
by being able to increase clock speeds on their chips without
jeopardizing thermal limitations.
In addition to decreasing power and thermal
requirements, the die shrink frees up valuable real estate on the processor
to increase transistor density and add other features such as expanding the cache to 6MB on the
lower end processors and to 12MB on the highest end and "Extreme"
processors. The increased cache is also being paired up with a new
enhanced Smart Cache which allows the Penryn to
speculatively execute across cache lines.
Intel's official mantra calls this the
"Tick-tock", where the "Tick" represents the move to a new
silicon process, thus the die shrink, and the "Tock"
represents the entirely new processor microarchitecture
change. I chose to go with the one-two punch metaphor
because I believe that it more accurately represents what
this method of advancement does to keep their competitors
"on the ropes". |
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Intel Penryn (45nm) Support Chart
|
ASI SKUs |
Processor
Number |
Clock
Speed |
Cache
Size L2 |
Front
Side Bus |
Quad
Core |
Intel®
VT |
Intel®
TXT |
Enhanced
Intel
SpeedStep®
Technology |
Intel®
64 |
Execute
Disable Bit |
sSpec# |
|
69589 (Box) |
QX9775
(LGA771) |
3.20 GHz |
12 MB |
1600 MHz |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
SLANY |
66302 (Box)
67086 (Tray) |
QX9650
(LGA775) |
3.00 GHz |
12 MB |
1333 MHz |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
SLAN3 |
|
68204 (Box) |
Q9550
(LGA775) |
2.83 GHz |
12 MB |
1333 MHz |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
SLAWQ |
68201 (Box)
69934 (Tray) |
Q9300
(LGA775) |
2.50 GHz |
6 MB |
1333 MHz |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
SLAWE |
|
66699 (Box) |
E8500
(LGA775) |
3.16 GHz |
6 MB |
1333 MHz |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
SLAPK |
66697 (Box)
69867 (Tray) |
E8400
(LGA775) |
3.00 GHz |
6 MB |
1333 MHz |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
SLAPL |
|
66695 (Box) |
E8200
(LGA775) |
2.66 GHz |
6 MB |
1333 MHz |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
SLAPP |
I
n
t
e
l |
Chipset |
Intel CPU
Support |
FSB Support |
Memory
Support |
Max
Memory |
Integrated
Graphics |
External
Graphics |
PCI
Support |
Storage
Interface |
USB
2.0 |
Audio |
 |
Core 2
Duo,
Core 2 Quad |
1333
MHz,
1066 MHz,
800 MHz |
DDR2 |
4GB |
GMA3100 |
PCI-E
x16 |
PCI
Express
X1 (4-6) |
4 SATA
3G,
1 PATA |
8 |
HD
Audio,
AC'97 |
 |
Core 2
Duo,
Core 2 Quad |
1333
MHz,
1066 MHz,
800 MHz |
DDR2,
DDR3 |
8GB |
GMA3100 |
PCI-E
x16 |
PCI
Express
X1 (6) |
4-6 SATA
3G,
eSATA |
12 |
HD Audio |
 |
Core 2
Duo,
Core 2 Quad |
1333
MHz,
1066 MHz,
800 MHz |
DDR2 |
8GB |
GMAX3500 |
PCI-E
x16 |
PCI
Express
X1 (6) |
4-6 SATA
3G,
eSATA |
12 |
HD Audio |
 |
Core 2
Duo,
Core 2 Quad |
1066
MHz,
800 MHz |
DDR2 |
4GB |
N/A |
PCI-E
x16 |
PCI
Express
X1 (4-6) |
4 SATA
3G,
1 PATA |
8 |
HD
Audio,
AC'97 |
 |
Core 2
Duo,
Core 2 Quad,
Core 2 Extreme |
1333
MHz,
1066 MHz,
800 MHz |
DDR2,
DDR3 |
8GB |
N/A |
PCI-E
x16 |
PCI
Express
X1 (6) |
4-6 SATA
3G,
eSATA |
12 |
HD Audio |
 |
Core 2
Duo,
Core 2 Quad,
Core 2 Extreme |
1333
MHz,
1066 MHz,
800 MHz |
DDR2-667,
DDR2-800,
DDR3-800,
DDR3-1066,
DDR3-1333 |
8GB |
N/A |
PCI-E
2.0
2x16 |
PCI
Express
X1 (6) |
4-6 SATA
3G,
eSATA |
12 |
HD Audio |
 |
Core 2
Duo,
Core 2 Quad,
Core 2 Extreme |
1600
MHz,
1333 MHz,
1066 MHz,
800 MHz |
DDR2-667,
DDR2-800,
DDR3-800,
DDR3-1066,
DDR3-1333,
DDR3-1600 |
8GB |
N/A |
PCI-E
2.0
2x16 |
PCI
Express
X1 (6) |
4-6 SATA
3G,
eSATA |
12 |
HD Audio |
N
V
I
D
I
A |
Chipset |
Intel CPU
Support |
FSB Support |
Memory
Support |
Max
Memory |
Integrated
Graphics |
External
Graphics |
PCI
Support |
Storage
Interface |
USB
2.0 |
Audio |

650i SLI |
Celeron
D
Pentium 4
Pentium D
Core 2 Duo,
Core 2 Quad,
Core 2 Extreme |
1333
MHz,
1066 MHz,
800 MHz,
533 MHz |
DDR2-800 |
8GB |
N/A |
PCI-E
2x8 |
2 X8,
2 X1 or
1 X16,
2 X1 |
4 SATA
3G,
4 PATA |
8 |
HD Audio |

680i SLI |
Celeron
D
Pentium 4
Pentium D
Core 2 Duo,
Core 2 Quad,
Core 2 Extreme |
1333
MHz,
1066 MHz,
800 MHz,
533 MHz |
DDR2-800
DDR2-1200 (EPP)
|
8GB |
N/A |
PCI-E
2x16 or
3-way |
2 X16
1 X8
6 X1 |
6 SATA
3G,
2 PATA |
8 |
HD Audio |

750i SLI |
Pentium
4
Pentium D
Core 2 Duo,
Core 2 Quad,
Core 2 Extreme |
1333
MHz,
1066 MHz,
800 MHz,
533 MHz |
DDR2-533,
DDR2-667,
DDR2-800
DDR2-1200 (EPP) |
8GB |
N/A |
PCI-E
2x16 (2.0) or
3-way |
1 X16
(2.0)
1 X8 (2.0)
2 X1 (1.0) |
4 SATA
3G,
4 PATA |
8 |
HD Audio |

780i SLI |
Pentium
4
Pentium D
Core 2 Duo,
Core 2 Quad,
Core 2 Extreme |
1333
MHz,
1066 MHz,
800 MHz,
533 MHz |
DDR2-533,
DDR2-667,
DDR2-800
DDR2-1200 (EPP) |
8GB |
N/A |
PCI-E
2x16 (2.0) or
3-way |
3 X16
(2.0)
or
4 X8 (2.0)
1 X16
1 X8
6 X1 |
6 SATA
3G,
2 PATA |
10 |
HD Audio |

790i (Ultra) SLI |
Pentium
4
Pentium D
Core 2 Duo,
Core 2 Quad,
Core 2 Extreme |
1600
MHz,
1333
MHz,
1066 MHz,
800 MHz,
533 MHz |
DDR3-1333
DDR3-2000*
(EPP)
*Ultra Only |
8GB |
N/A |
PCI-E
2x16 (2.0) or
3-way |
3 X16
(2.0)
or
4 X8 (2.0)
1 X16
1 X8
6 X1 |
6 SATA
3G,
2 PATA |
10 |
HD Audio |
Compatible Motherboards
Our initial intent was to provide
you with a comprehensive list of current motherboard that support
the 45nm Penryn CPUs. As we started developing the list it grew at a
rapid pace and it became evident that virtually any board with one
of the chipsets shown above will support it, most with little more
than a BIOS upgrade. We recommend checking the motherboard
manufacturers website or contacting ASI Technical Support to verify
compatibility. Some manufacturers are rolling support for the Penryn
all the way back to their 945 and 965 chipset motherboards. Of
course, we'd recommend future-proofing and going for the newer
hardware.
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AMD
Phenom Processors:
Experience the New Native Quad Core
Phenomenon! |
Have
you been looking for that performance edge? Want to get
more work done in less time in your PC, yet still have
it remain power efficient and not cost a fortune. Then
you will definitely welcome the new Phenom processors
that were designed for the ultimate "megatasking"
experience.
Featuring true multi-core design and award-winning AMD64
technology with Direct Connect Architecture, AMD Phenom™
9000 Series processors deliver the ultimate megatasking
experience by providing direct and rapid information
flow between processor cores, main memory, and graphics
and video accelerators. AMD Phenom™ 9000 Series
processors have the technology to break through the most
challenging processing loads. AMD Phenom™ 9000 Series
processors feature low latency access to main memory for
amazingly rapid response and phenomenal system
performance.
Phenomenal performance with advanced processor design.
The AMD Phenom™ 9000 series processors are the most
advanced processors for true multitasking with true
quad-core design. Don’t get bogged down by non-native
quad-core processors and obsolete front side bus
architectures. With an integrated memory controller and
shared L3 cache, AMD Phenom™ 9000 Series processors have
low-latency access to main memory for amazingly rapid
system response and phenomenal system performance.
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Technical Features &
Benefits |
The industry's first true
Quad core x86 processor
- True quad-core
designed from the ground up for better communication
between cores. BENEFIT : Cores can communicate on
die rather than on package for better performance
AMD64 with Direct
Connect Architecture

- Helps improve system
performance and efficiency by directly connecting
the memory controller and I/O to the CPU.
- Designed to enable
simultaneous 32- and 64-bit computing
- Integrated DDR2
Memory Controller
AMD Balanced
Smart Cache
- Shared L3 cache
- In addition to the
512K L2 cache per core, up to 2MB of L3 cache shared
by up to 4 cores.
- BENEFIT:
Shortened access times to highly accessed data
for better performance.
AMD Wide Floating
Point Accelerator
- 128-bit floating
point unit (FPU)
- High performance
(128bit internal data path) floating point unit per
core.
- BENEFIT : Larger
data paths for quicker floating point
calculations and better performance.
HyperTransport™
technology
- One 16-bit link up
to 3600MT/s
- Up to 8 .0 GB/s
HyperTransport™ I/O bandwidth; Up to 14.4GB/s in
HyperTransport Generation 3.0 mode
- Up to 27.2GB/s total
delivered processor-to-system bandwidth
(HyperTransport bus + memory bus)
- BENEFIT : Quick
access times to system resources for better
performance.
Integrated DDR2
DRAM Controller with AMD Memory Optimizer Technology
- A high-bandwidth,
low-latency integrated DDR2 memory controller
- Supports PC2-8500
(DDR2-1066*); PC2-6400 (DDR2-800), PC2-5300
(DDR2-667), PC2-4200 (DDR2-533) or PC2-3200
(DDR2-400) SDRAM unbuffered DIMMs
- Support for 64-bit
DDR2 SDRAM memory
- Up to 12.8GB/s
memory bandwidth
- BENEFIT : Quick
access to system memory for better performance.
AMD
Virtualization™ (AMD-V™) With Rapid Virtualization
Indexing
- Silicon feature-set
enhancements designed to improve the performance,
reliability, and security of existing and future
virtualization environments by allowing virtualized
applications with direct and rapid access to their
allocated memory. BENEFIT : Helps virtualization
software to run more securely and efficiently
enabling a better experience when dealing with
virtual systems
AMD Cool'n'Quiet™
2.0 technology
- Enhanced power
management features which automatically and
instantaneously adjusts performance states and
features based on processor performance requirements
- For quieter
operation and reduced power requirements
- BENEFIT :
Enables platform designs providing less heat and
noise efficient performance and energy usage.
AMD CoolCore™
Technology
- Reduces processor
energy consumption by turning off unused parts of
the processor. For example, the memory controller
can turn off the write logic when reading from
memory, helping reduce system power.
- Works automatically
without the need for drivers or BIOS enablement.
- Power can be
switched on or off within a single clock cycle,
saving energy without compromised performance.
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Current Phenom Processor SKU: |
|
ASI SKU |
Model |
Core Speed |
Total Cores |
Cache |
Power |
HT Link |
Description |
|
67850 |
PHENOM 9600
Black Edition HD960ZWCGDBOX |
2.3GHz |
4 |
L2=512KB/Core
+L3=2MB |
95W |
3.6 GHz |
Black Edition =
Unlocked CPU Multipliers Native quad core
CPU for enthusiasts, Compatible with Socket
AM2 & AM2+ |
|
66713 |
PHENOM 9500
HD9500WCGDBOX |
2.2Ghz |
4 |
L2=512KB/Core
+L3=2MB |
95W |
3.6 GHz |
Mainstream
desktop, workstation, gaming processor,
Compatible with Socket AM2 & AM2+
|
|
66712 |
PHENOM 9600
HD9600WCGDBOX |
2.3Ghz
|
4 |
L2=512KB/Core
+L3=2MB |
95W |
3.6 GHz |
Mainstream
desktop, workstation, gaming processor,
Compatible with Socket AM2 & AM2+
|
|
|
Note: All
Phenom processor support both 32 and 64 bit operating
systems. |
| MotherBoard
Support |
ASI SKU# 67433 ASUS
MOTHERBOARD M3A AM2+ AMD PHENOM
- AMD® Socket AM2+
Phenom FX / Phenom X4 / Phenom X2 / Athlon X2 /
Sempron
- AMD 770 / SB600
chipset
- HyperTransport 3.0
and PCIe 2.0 Ready
- Dual Channel DDR2
1066
- ASUS Q-Shield
- AMD® Socket AM2+
Phenom FX / Phenom X4 / Phenom X2 / Athlon X2 /
Sempron
- AMD® Socket AM2
Athlon 64 X2 / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 / Sempron
- AMD 770 / SB600
- HyperTransport 3.0
interface for AM2+ CPU
- Dual-channel DDR2
1066/800/667/533
- 1 x PCIe 2.0 x16
ASI SKU# 66527 ASUS MB
M3A32-MVP DLX/WIFI AM2+
- Vista Status : Vista
Capable Candidate
- Type : Athlon
64/Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64X2/Sempron/AM2 Plus
- Socket : AM2/AM2
Plus
- NB : 790FX
- SB : SB600
- System Bus : HT3
5200/4800
- 4DDR2(Dual Channel)
- DDR2
1066/800/667/533
- ATA133*1
- SATA 3Gb/s*4(RAID 0,
1, 0+1, JBOD)
- Form factor : ATX
- O/S Support
Compatibility : Windows Vista/XP
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Realize new possibilities for connecting with friends,
family, and digital entertainment with the phenomenal
performance of the AMD Phenom™ 9000 series quad-core
processor. Built from the ground up for true quad-core
performance, AMD Phenom processors speed through
advanced multitasking, critical business productivity,
advanced visual design and modeling, serious gaming, and
visually stunning digital media and entertainment.
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Microsoft
System Builder Software Updates |
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Windows
Server 2008 Product Introduction |
| Do you build, install
or maintain real servers? Be a hero when you build, sell
or deploy the powerful new Windows Server 2008 operating
system and increase the efficiency and reliability of
your customer's network while providing enhanced value
with the latest Microsoft technologies.
Windows Server 2008 is
the most advanced Windows Server operating system yet,
designed to
power
the next-generation of networks, applications, and Web
services. With Windows Server 2008 you can develop,
deliver, and manage rich user experiences and
applications, provide a highly secure network
infrastructure, and increase technological efficiency
and value within your organization.
Windows Server 2008 builds on the success and strengths
of its Windows Server predecessors while delivering
valuable new functionality and powerful improvements to
the base operating system. New Web tools, virtualization
technologies, security enhancements, and management
utilities help save time, reduce costs, and provide a
solid foundation for all IT infrastructures.
A Solid Foundation for Your
Business
Windows
Server 2008 provides a solid foundation for all of your
server workload and application requirements while also
being easy to deploy and manage. The all new Server
Manager provides a unified management console that
simplifies and streamlines server setup, configuration,
and ongoing management. Windows PowerShell, a new
command-line shell, helps enable administrators to
automate routine system administration tasks across
multiple servers. Windows Deployment Services provides a
simplified, highly secure means of rapidly deploying the
operating system via network-based installations.
The new Server Core installation option of
Windows Server 2008 allows for installation of server
roles with only the necessary components and subsystems
without a graphical user interface (available in the
Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter editions). Fewer
roles and features means minimizing disk and service
footprints while reducing attack surfaces. It also
enables your IT staff to specialize according to the
server roles they need to support.
Virtualization Built-in
Windows Server Hyper-V,
the next-generation hypervisor-based server
virtualization technology, allows you to make the best
use of your server hardware investments by consolidating
multiple server roles as separate virtual machines
running on a single physical machine. You can also
efficiently run multiple operating systems - Windows,
Linux, and others – in parallel on a single server. With
Hyper-V and simple licensing policies, it's now easier
than ever to take advantage of the cost savings of
virtualization. Applications can also be efficiently
virtualized using Windows Server 2008 centralized
application access technologies. Terminal Services
Gateway and Terminal Services RemoteApp allow easy
remote access to standard Windows-based programs from
anywhere by running them on a terminal server instead of
directly on a client computer - without the need for a
complicated virtual private network (VPN).
Built for the Web
Windows Server 2008 comes
with Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS 7.0),
a Web server and security-enhanced, easy-to-manage
platform for developing and reliably hosting Web
applications and services. A major enhancement to the
Windows Web platform, IIS 7.0 includes a componentized
architecture for greater flexibility and control. IIS
7.0 also provides simplified management, powerful
diagnostic and troubleshooting capabilities that save
time, and comprehensive extensibility. Internet
Information Server IIS 7.0 together with the .NET
Framework 3.0 provides a comprehensive platform for
building applications that connect users and data,
enabling them to visualize, share, and act on
information. Additionally, IIS 7.0 plays a central role
in unifying Microsoft's Web platform technologies -
ASP.NET, Windows Communication Foundation Web services,
and Windows SharePoint Services.
High Security
Windows Server 2008 is
the most secure Windows Server yet. The operating system
has been hardened to help protect against failure and
several new technologies help prevent unauthorized
connections to your networks, servers, data, and user
accounts. Network Access Protection (NAP) helps ensure
that computers that try to connect to your network
comply with your organization's security policy.
Technology integration and several enhancements make
Active Directory services a potent unified and
integrated Identity and Access (IDA) solution. |
|
Windows 2008 Server
Editions sold by ASI |
|
While there
are expected to be many versions of 2008 Server, ASI
will be offering the following:
 |
|
SKU |
Product |
Function |
CAL |
Max CPU |
Media |
Code |
|
69485 |
Windows Server 2008 Standard
|
Mainstream
Server Operating system |
5 |
4 |
DVD |
32 & 64 Bit Both
Included, Share Product Key |
|
69484 |
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise |
Server 2008
Designed for Enterprise Business or High End
Servers |
25 |
8 |
DVD |
32 & 64 Bit Both
Included, Share Product Key |
|
69481 |
Windows Web Server 2008 |
Designed to be
used specifically as a single-purpose Web
server |
NA |
2 |
DVD |
32 & 64 Bit Both
Included, Share Product Key |
|
| For other system
hardware requirements see -
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/2008/bb414778.aspx
|
|
Purchasing
Additional Client Access Licenses (CAL) |
SKU# 69486 = Server 2008
5 DEVICE CALS
SKU# 69487 = Server 2008 5 USER CALSPlease also visit our ASI
Window Server 2008 Readiness Site by clicking here |
|
Windows Live OneCare
|
Windows Live
OneCare 2.0 has you covered!
Windows Live™ OneCare 2.0 automatically helps
protect the end users’ data and keeps their PCs
running reliably and at peak performance with
Windows Vista and the Windows® XP operating system.
Enhanced security features alone make OneCare 2.0 a
great choice, but OneCare goes well beyond security
on a single PC. Its all-in-one approach gives home
and small-business customers the tools they need to
manage, maintain, and back up multiple locally
networked PCs, including:
-
Antivirus
-
Anti-spyware
-
Anti-phishing
-
Firewall
-
Backup and recovery
-
Performance tune ups
New OneCare 2.0
New features allow fo r
multi-PC management to form a circle of protection,
printer sharing support, and centralized backup of up to
three PCs covered under the same OneCare subscription.
New OneCare features:
All-in-one protection and maintenance
In one convenient package,
Windows Live OneCare helps protect your computer, uses
its optimization features to keep your PC running at its
speediest, and even regularly backs up your important
files:
-
Protection Plus uses antivirus and antispyware
scanners, a managed two-way firewall, and integrated
anti-phishing technology to protect your computer
from viruses, worms, Trojan horses, hackers,
phishing, and other threats. It runs continuously,
but you can scan individual files and folders for
viruses on demand simply by right-clicking them. You
can even scan attachments you receive via Windows
Live Messenger or MSN Messenger.
-
Performance Plus regularly defragments your hard
disk, removes any unnecessary files that may clog
your computer, and helps ensure important security
updates from Microsoft are installed efficiently and
on time.
-
Backup and Restore regularly copies your
important files and settings to CD, DVD, external
hard disk, network drive, or other data-storage
device.
-
Instant Help provides online help anytime you
need it, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
|
|
How to purchase? Just ask
for ASI SKU# 67015 =
Microsoft Windows LIVE ONECARE V2 1P OEM |
| Microsoft Windows Live
OneCare OEM System Builder Version 2.0. OneCare is a
comprehensive security and PC maintenance suite that can
be used to protect and maintain up to 3 computers*.
Operating System Requirements: Windows Vista or XP
* NOTES: 3 computers
license pertains to an individual end-user subscriber
for their private home network. License cannot be shared
among different households. End user must create Windows
Live ID and activate product themselves following
instruction from system builder. See instructions below:
"How to
Preinstall OneCare" on PC |
|
 |
| Additional Info:
http://onecare.live.com / activation guide for end
users:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935899 |
|
http://www.asipartner.com/marketing/01-23a-08/01-23a-08.html
|
|
Windows Home Server
(WHS) - ASI SKU#65130 |
A server at home? Isn't
that a little unusual?
Not any longer. Windows
Home Server is a new and unique product aimed at your
customer's new digital lifestyle involving streaming
media and backup from a centralized location. Home
server bring the power of a server to a home network. It
is the perfect solution for the customer with multiple
PCs who love to share files such as audio, video, and
photos. Windows Home Server is a complete operating
system, not an application, so it runs on its own
hardware as an independent media server.
What do you
want to share today?
Windows Home Server (WHS)
has two main functions. First, to facilitate the easier
sharing of files between home systems, and secondly to
secure and backup those files.
A home server, like one for business, does this by
centralizing data and adding additional features you
cannot get with a desktop operating system. Imagine
being able to easily recover lost data that was
accidently deleted or the victim of bad hard drive? This
can be done from WHS because it automatically backs up
al the home systems.
Windows Home Server
features at a glance:
- Your family's
digital memories and media organized in one central
hub
- Home PCs backed up
daily, automatically
- Simple recovery of
lost files or even entire PCs
- Complete access from
networked PCs to all your Windows Home Server files
- A personalized Web
address for sharing your photos and home videos
- Easy and quick setup
- Expandable storage
space for future use
- Innovative
third-party applications
With digital music,
video, games, office documents, financial information,
family photos, etc, it is very easy for a modern family
to accumulate large amounts of data that that
significant personal value. With these functions end
users can get control over their digital media. It is
the next evolution of home based networking and
multimedia. And like any true platform, all the built in
function can be enhanced or extended using third party
plug-ins now being developed. |
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| So
how does it all work?
Resellers can buy a
preloaded system or build one with Windows Home Server.
Usually this can be a relatively low powered system by
today's standards, however most users will probably
desire a lot of storage space*. Note that when building
your own the WHS system also require USB 2.0 ports,
bootable DVD drive, and any hardware RAID must have BIOS
support. System builders should refer to the Microsoft
hardware requirements when choosing components**.
To deploy connect the
Home Server System to the local home network (Gigabit
LAN recommend). Next install the Connector software on
each client PC using the Connector CD (systems must be
Windows XP Home or Professional SP2 or higher, Media
Center 2005 SP2, or any Windows Vista Edition). Users
can access shared files setup by the administrator using
the Windows Home Server Console. While administrators
can log into the server via the Windows Home Server
Console from any client, end-users see only a desktop
shortcut to the server's shared folders and a system
tray icon, both of which are created when they run the
Windows Home Server Connector utility on their Windows
XP and Vista machines.

Managing a Home Server is
a bit different than what experienced IT people will be
used to. While the local network administrator can also
remotely access the home server directly through remote
desktop, improper modifications using typical tools such
as Disk Manager use can cause many problems since WHS
automatically handles so many functions (like where to
place shared folders, etc).
For full details of
installation, setup, and known issues please refer to
the WHS Getting Started Guide from Microsoft. (LINK
HERE).
*Note 1 - WHS Drive
Extender can also be implemented to extend storage at a
later date by adding another hard drive. Although data
is automatically distributed across all available
drives, adding a second drive lets you activate 'folder
duplication' for any shared or user directories. This
replicates the data onto the second drive as a
precaution against the first disk failing.
**Note 2 -
Windows Home Server uses technologies from the Windows
Server® 2003 operating system, and therefore it works
only with drivers that are designed for Windows
Server 2003. Many components for older consumer desktop
computers do not work with Windows Home Server. |
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ASI Product
Applications |
| ASI will shortly be
selling the new Intel NAS box called SS4200E. It can be
customized with Windows Home Server. See the
Intel NAS SS4200-E article for more details or
contact your ASI Sale rep. |
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