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Welcome to Windows Server 2012 Essentials, a flexible server platform for small business and first server environments

Discussion Welcome to Windows Server 2012 Essentials, a flexible server platform for small business and first server environments

  • Friday, July 06, 2012 5:21 AM
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    Welcome to Windows Server 2012 Beta Essentials forum!

    Windows Server 2012 Essentials is the most affordable and easy-to-use server solution for first server environments to date, helping customers with up to 25 users and 50 devices reduce costs and be more productive. It helps you to protect, centralize, organize, and access your applications and information from almost anywhere by using virtually any device.

    Windows Server 2012 Essentials has been designed to give you the flexibility to choose which applications and services run on-premises and which run in the cloud. It can also be used as a platform to run line-of-business applications and other on-premises workloads.

    Windows Server 2012 Essentials is the next version of Windows Small Business Server Essentials. By formalizing Essentials as an edition of the Windows Server 2012 family, we are reaffirming our commitment to delivering a flexible, cloud-enabled server platform that is designed and priced for small and home businesses, and the partners that serve them.

    For more background on Windows Server 2012 Essentials, please see the following blog post:

    http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2012/07/05/windows-small-business-server-essentials-becomes-windows-server-2012-essentials.aspx

    This post is "AS IS" and confers no rights. Ning Kuang[MSFT] Windows Server Program Manager


     

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  • Sunday, July 08, 2012 5:57 AM
     
     
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    I find it interesting that in your welcome below, and in the blog post, there is no mention of Windows Server 2012 Essentials as also being a replacement for WHS.  It appears it was added to the FAQ as an afterthought. 
     
    Will there be any assistance, suggestions, recommendations, etc.,  provided to help those migrating from WHS?  Or are we on our own.  Oh wait, the $425 price will prohibit most home enthusiasts from migrating.  Good solution in my opinion.  Kill WHS, raise the price of the replacement, which drives home enthusiast elsewhere and also lowers support costs to Microsoft for the non-business users who do not have deep pockets.  Wow, that's brilliant! 

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    BullDawg
    In God We Trust
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    Welcome to Windows Server 2012 Beta Essentials forum!

    Windows Server 2012 Essentials is the most affordable and easy-to-use server solution for first server environments to date, helping customers with up to 25 users and 50 devices reduce costs and be more productive. It helps you to protect, centralize, organize, and access your applications and information from almost anywhere by using virtually any device.

    Windows Server 2012 Essentials has been designed to give you the flexibility to choose which applications and services run on-premises and which run in the cloud. It can also be used as a platform to run line-of-business applications and other on-premises workloads.

    Windows Server 2012 Essentials is the next version of Windows Small Business Server Essentials. By formalizing Essentials as an edition of the Windows Server 2012 family, we are reaffirming our commitment to delivering a flexible, cloud-enabled server platform that is designed and priced for small and home businesses, and the partners that serve them.

    For more background on Windows Server 2012 Essentials, please see the following blog post:

    http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2012/07/05/windows-small-business-server-essentials-becomes-windows-server-2012-essentials.aspx

    This post is "AS IS" and confers no rights. Ning Kuang[MSFT] Windows Server Program Manager


    BullDawg
     
  • Thursday, July 12, 2012 5:45 AM
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    Hi, BullDawg,

    While Windows Server 2012 Essentials continues to focus on SMB and Home offices, the key home serve features are refreshed and available in this release. We have added the DLNA-compliant devices and media streaming features to the WindowsServer 2012 Essentials for parity. In addition, with the Windows Server 2012 Storage Space integrated into dashboard, home users are also offered the long requested storage pool, with easy storage space expansion and resiliency. Client Backup is being continuously optimized for reliability and performance.<o:p></o:p>

    For more consumer focused alternatives, home users can also choose Windows 8 client, enjoying the multiple price and feature set for diverse home needs.

    Thank You!

    This post is "AS IS" and confers no rights. Ning Kuang[MSFT] Windows Server Program Manager

     
  • Thursday, July 12, 2012 9:41 AM
     
     
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    Does 2012 Essentials come with a vanity URL similar to xxxxx.homeserver.com?

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    BullDawg
    In God We Trust
    ______________

    Hi, BullDawg,

    While Windows Server 2012 Essentials continues to focus on SMB and Home offices, the key home serve features are refreshed and available in this release. We have added the DLNA-compliant devices and media streaming features to the WindowsServer 2012 Essentials for parity. In addition, with the Windows Server 2012 Storage Space integrated into dashboard, home users are also offered the long requested storage pool, with easy storage space expansion and resiliency. Client Backup is being continuously optimized for reliability and performance.<o:p></o:p>

    For more consumer focused alternatives, home users can also choose Windows 8 client, enjoying the multiple price and feature set for diverse home needs.

    Thank You!

    This post is "AS IS" and confers no rights. Ning Kuang[MSFT] Windows Server Program Manager

    BullDawg
     
  • Thursday, July 12, 2012 12:00 PM
     
     
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    Yes, but it's no longer xxxx.homeserver.com, instead it's now xxxx.remotewebaccess.com

    LightsOut - Power Management for Windows Home Server http://www.home-server-blog.de/add-ins/lightsout/#en

     
  • Saturday, July 14, 2012 5:52 AM
     
     
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    ...Client Backup is being continuously optimized for reliability and performance...

    This post is "AS IS" and confers no rights. Ning Kuang[MSFT] Windows Server Program Manager

    Ning, indeed, the speed of Windows Server 2012 Beta Essentials does indeed seem to be faster than WHSv1 and WHS2011, based on some initial testing:
    http://tinkertry.com/windows-server-2012-beta-essentials-backups-restores-faster-than-whs2011-and-whsv1

    Backup of a Windows 8 laptop takes under a minute for daily backups, admittedly from SSD to a server with SSDs, but still, shows it can be fast.

    But not until I try 4TB (RAID5) of total PC backups of >10 PCs will I really know how it stacks up against its predecessors, but these initial indications are favorable.

    Now if only somebody could figure out how to side-step the whole domain issue...

     
  • Wednesday, August 01, 2012 6:12 AM
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    Hi, Tinkererguy,

    Thank you for the follow ups. I remember working on the performance ticket. We also had similar reports from the Windows Home Server Connect Feedback site. The product team had a long discussion/Investigation on this. We were able to improve the performance by increasing the data size of the disk I/O operations. It is great to see customer appreciate the results!

    This post is "AS IS" and confers no rights. Ning Kuang[MSFT] Windows Server Program Manager

     
  • Thursday, August 02, 2012 4:18 AM
     
     
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    Ning, I cannot tell you how much your taking the time to comment means to me.

    Indeed, I've been boastful about the incredible speed-up, including telling the presenter at a Windows Server 2012 event earlier tonight:
    http://www.meetup.com/WindowsBoston/events/73647042/?a=socialmedia

    and telling and showing everybody the speed of the beta on YouTube over here:
    http://youtu.be/BZDpscowwBo?hd=1

    Thank you so very much, for everything!


    • Edited by tinkererguy Thursday, August 02, 2012 4:20 AM
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  • Thursday, August 02, 2012 11:43 AM
     
     
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    Will it still include a client for macintosh computers as WHS did?
     
  • Monday, August 27, 2012 6:58 AM
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    Thanks tinkererguy ! The YouTube Video is very cool! Thanks for spreading the good news!

    The community should also take the credit for feedbacks of the improved experiences!

    Hi, crazygreggy, Yes, Mac Client is supported for joining the Windows Server 2012 Essentials network, just like WHS 2011 Mac Client Support, except for the time machine backup feature.

    Thank you!

    This post is "AS IS" and confers no rights. Ning Kuang[MSFT] Windows Server Program Manager

     
  • Saturday, September 29, 2012 7:45 AM
     
     
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    Hi Ning - running mixed Mac/windows clients, I was disappointed to find that WHS 2011 did not support Time Machine backup.  If WSE 2012 does not support TM how do I back up my Mac to WSE 2012 ??