MediaSmart Server.
I had previously posted that I working on building my own Windows Home Server back in November. Just between Sarah and I, we have over 40GB of photos and 80GB of music. Most of it is stored on my workstation with some stuff being duplicated on our laptops. That doesn’t even include my personal files and code backups.
So I had put together a mish-mash of mixed parts to create a Windows Home Server. Which is basically a souped up automated backup program running on a bare bones Windows 2003 operating system. Home server backs up the connected laptops and workstations every night between 12am – 6am. The cool part is that it keeps track of the files that it has backed up and never makes a redundant copy. It will also keep track of revisions, so if you need to connect to your backup from the 1st of the month for a file you overwrote it’s as simple as attaching the backup as a virtual drive. Drag and drop your files back onto the desktop.
I had the server built but was having problems with the hardware failing which it was causing it to reboot and not backup the computers. Very frustrating when you plan to place all of your important documents in the care of a system that crashes.
While trying to research my problems, I came across many reviews of the HP MediaSmart Server. It’s a home server without a monitor or keyboard and mouse connection. To access the server, it has to be connected to the network and logged in remotely.
I kept reading the reviews and finally gave in to that it was worth more of an investment to have a server that could backup and not reboot itself every hour.
And with the click of the buy button on NewEgg, I had a new server on the way.
It’s approx 9″x6″x9″ or just larger than the size of a large PC speaker. The model I bought, the EX485, came with one 750GB drive. The next model up EX487 comes with two 750GB drives. It’s quiet with two fan large fans on the back;probably no louder than a laptop.
I’ve already popped in an extra 500GB drive and have been backing up all of my computers for over two weeks.
What’s great is that HP has included some additional features for Home Server. There’s a flash player to access your tunes and photos from the internet. As long as your wife isn’t streaming movies from Netflix it works pretty good from the outside world. Also included, is a web interface to upload photos from your server to a service like Flickr or Facebook. In addition, I can also log in through IE and remote directly into PC.
In 2009 you almost need a data backup plan right next to the fire escape plan and the home insurance. Why risk losing your data that you’ve accumulated over the years? I feel pretty comfortable that Shoo household is backed up and the Media Smart Server is an intricate part in our digital lives. (How cheesy did that sound?)
If you’re interested in more information, check out these links:
