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SBS2008

We have our new server commissioned and running.

Hardware Specs

• ASUS TS700-E4/RX8 Intel Core Xeon Server
• 2 x Intel Quad Core Xeon 5405 1.6GHz CPU
• ASUS Server Mainboard
• 32GB of ECC Fully Buffered DDRII RAM (4 x 8GB)
• 12 DIMM slots support Quad channel DDR2 533/667 FBD up to 48GB
• ASUS Pedestal Server Chassis with 730W Power Supply
• 2 x 300GB Seagate SAS Hard Drives
• 2 x 1TB Seagate Drives 24/7
• up to 8 hot-swap SAS or SATAII HDDs
• Onboard RAID 0, 1, 1E
• Hardware RAID 5 via optional ZCR RAID card
• 2 PCI-X 133/100 MHz (one support ZCR RAID card)
• 2 PCI-E x 8 slots
• 1 PCI-E x 16 (x8 link)
• ASUS 16x DVD-RW Drive
• Dual Intel Gigabit LAN
• ASUS ASWM 2.0 & Server Anti-virus License
• 3 Years Hardware Warranty
• Powerware 5110/1500VA UPS

We are running SBS2008 which works very nicely. We found that there is a dearth of how to’s out there on the web in relation to a number of specific configuration issues we came across but we seem to have solved most of them now. We did use Philip’s excellent SBS 2008 setup list as a starting point. We also found lots of good helpful stuff on his website. we were both doing similar migrations from SBS 2003. In our case we didn't use any migration tools but manually moved data and mail. I actually copied every users mail out of exchange into a PST file, and then re-imported them into the new box from the PST file. The main reason for this was to avoid bringing over corrupted profiles and other bits and pieces from the old server. The value of this paying off already with quick profile load times and no errors.

Here are some useful SBS2008 articles from Philip:

Here is the last lot of totally unrelated cool tools I have found.

The Coolest Tool I have found in a while is MCEBuddy.

MCEBuddy takes your LARGE Windows Media Center television recording (and other video) files and makes them small saving you disk space.  It also removes commercials and converts your recordings into formats that are usable on other systems and handheld devices.  It does all of this automatically with a minimum of fuss and little or no technical knowledge required.

This tool just works – it is awesome!

Objective - build a Media Centre PC that out put HD sound and video utilising the HDMI digital format. Must be able to record 2 channels simultaneously (the Olympics is coming up!)

Budget - there wasn’t one – though there's only so much you can spend doing this.

Parts

• Zalman HD160XT Plus Home Theatre Case Black
• Zalman 500W Noiseless Power Supply with Heatpipe
• Zalman CNPS9500 LED CPU Heatsink
• Intel S775 Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16GHz CPU
• ASUS S775 P5Q Core 2 Motherboard
• Integrated HD Sound Card
• Integrated Gigabit Network Connection
• DDR2 4GB Geil 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 Kit
• 1TB Seagate 7200rpm 32M Serial ATA HDD
• 1TB Seagate 7200rpm 32M Serial ATA HDD
• Pioneer BDC-S02BK Blu-Ray Reader/DVD Writer Combo
• ASUS ATI 3850 256M PCIe HDMI Video Card
• Hauppauge HVR-2200 Dual HDTV + Analog Tuner PCIe
• Microsoft Media Centre Keyboard and Remote
• Logitech Cordless Mouse
• Powerware 5110/500VA Line Interactive UPS
• Vista Ultimate 32 bit

Construction

There's lots of content going up on sites all over the place. I probably wont add many more on here as that is just duplication - however check my delicious Windows Home Server tag - you can subscribe to it if you want to know when I add links.

I will also add any links and information here if I install any further enhancements to the home server. However at this stage it is performing exactly how I want it, serving up videos and DVDs to our Media Centre and backing up local PCS.

Here are the links that I have tagged recently:

mHome - embedded home automation control systems - control lights, curtains etc from windows home server

Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest

I posted yesterday about how to make a DVD library work in Vista Media Centre.

I followed Max's instructions, and it didn't work. I could not understand why. I had done everything he said - or I thought I had.

After reading through all the comments on his post I found this little trick on another website. When you add a folder for the DVD library you don't do it in the normal settings Library, add a watch folder area. Instead you go into the DVD library and right click anywhere in the screen and add the watch folder there. Bingo - it worked immediately.

Now I am busy re ripping my DVD collection as DVD format (not ISO) and the media centre picks them up as fast as they are pasted in.. The DVD's I only have as ISO's I can mount in Daemon Tools and then use the DVDFab HD Decryptor software to rip. Awesome!