Just upgraded to Server 2012 Essentials... and WOW AMAZING

[Motz]

So I used to run WHS v1, then I participated in Vail beta, then upgraded to WHS 2011 and was all fine and happy as I love the products not only for storage, but also for the client pc backups.

So 2012 wasn't a great year. I first had 1 of my Raid 10 drives fail, then the main OS drive failed, and then another drive in my main Raid failed (before this I had never had a drive fail in my entire life). So the server had been off for nearly 1.5 months now as I waited to get all brand new RAID drives and a new OS drive(I really wanted SSD for it again).

The last few days I have ripped everything apart, reconfigured, re-engineered, and threw on Server 2012 Essentials.

Configuration:
Main OS: 60GB Kingston V300 SSD
Raid 5: 3x 2TB WD RED
Raid 1: 2x 1TB WD GREEN
Recorded TV/Client PC backup Drive: 3TB WD Black (was a RMA from WD so I had to use it in something)
8GB RAM as well

I have this all in my closet in a super amazing Lian Li Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811112300

So wow first hands on with Server 2012 is that it is simply AMAZING. Setup, UI, and features are blowing me away. Now you are forced to create a domain for your home, but it is fine. One of the coolest things is that has Azure Cloud Backup!!! 300GB for free (beta right now, not sure how much they will charge) and it backs up whatever you want. I am just using it for my server os back up as it makes the most sense. Setup and integration couldn't have been easier.

Since 2012 is built on Win8 framework it looks and feels the same. I was so inspired with the change to the domain that I upgraded my main laptop and re-formatted the HTPC to windows 8 and now am using Domain users exclusively. Server 2012 and Windows 8 feel super integrated, even linking your microsoft account is super simple. Setting up your pc as a client couldn't be easier.

Everything feels and looks so refined. To me this is the first time I have gotten everything up and running and was impressed.

[Venom51]

You are not forced to setup a domain however they have made it so easy to deal with in 2012 that there's no reason not to do it.

[Motz]

Hmmm yeah that could have been it. It just felt like part of the experience and was so seamless that i thought it was required. Well even better if it isn't required for some than, but yeah I loves it. I was really impressed that it automatically setup VPN and then the connector software automatically configured all of it for you. Almost too easy.

[SinisterEngr]

Motz - what do you use for a RAID5 controller? I can never seem to find anything that is reasonably priced and non-NAS that proclaims "perfect" reliability (aka won't drop a drive) without using expensive RAID Edition drives. Performance can be horrible as its just for backup type stuff.

I once used the integrated RAID controller on an Intel motherboard and it dropped a drive and I could never get it back, so I've sworn off RAID5 with consumer level drives ever since.

[Motz]

I actually just use Intel's Rapid Storage Technology. I know it is not great, but I have had great success with it thus far.

My Server is:
MSI Z68MA-G45: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813130612
Intel Core i3-2100T: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819116394

I did some speed tests last night with HDTune and my Raid 5 was on pair with my SSD.

[Venom51]

I use these.

http://www.lsi.com/products/storagecomp ... 4LPML.aspx

No problem with consumer level drives. I tend to run Raid 10. Faster than Raid 5 and just as safe. The only down side is the loss of capacity when compared to running the same size and number of drives in a Raid 5.

I tend to only run server grade hardware for servers though. No desktop based boards and processors.

[staknhalo]

Just saw this and thought to post it here, you guys prob have other solutions like even just network folders but I thought it was cool cause of the Metro interface:

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-re ... -windows-8

[Motz]

@venom yeah i built this guy up over time. I really didn't know much about servers and started with V1 then moved to 2011. I think if I have to build a new one I will ask for hardware suggestions. I did run RAID 10 for a while, but I just didn't feel like putting in another drive and spending another 100$ this time around. I just happened to have the 1TB drives so I just raid 1 them for photos and music backups.

@staknhalo: very nice! i know they had this for WHS2011 and Windows Phone, glad to see they are expanding support. Would be nice to see an android client now that they have been doing cross platform
Although this is the worst app icon ever! I installed it an gave it a spin. I am not too impressed to be honest. I guess if you had a WinRT device it would be nice because navigating the web interface wouldn't be great, but for anything else it is kind of blah.

Here are my HD tunes

Raid 5 (3x 2TB RED drives)

Radi 5

Raid 1 (2x 1TB Green drives)

Raid 1

[Cup]

James, if I might make a suggestion:
CrashPlan for server backup.

I took advantage of Azure Online Backup, too, when I set my WS2012E box up; but, I don't think that the pricing is going to be all that nice when the trial is over (I seem to remember seeing a rate schedule, and... )

CrashPlan is $60/year for unlimited storage (for one PC), and actually allows Server on that plan.
The initial upload is, well, glacial (I've been adding one folder at a time to my backup; been working on the initial backup for almost 2 weeks now... (I have ~1.5TB total data on the server); but, the near-continuous (every 15 minutes) re-backups are near instant.

[Motz]

Cup I will have to look into it. I hope they have tiers on azure... my current backup is like 7GB... I dont' need to do client or file backup really since I have the server, although that could be cool. $60 a year is pretty cheap for unlimited.

[STC]

^ What speed is your uplink Motz?

[Motz]

Not great It is the best comcast offers. I am hoping that my build switches to condo internet: 100 down and 10 up for $60 a month.

[Cup]

I wouldn't exactly be complaining about those speeds.....
(I'm at 15 down/1.5 up, on "normal" service from BHN.)

To give you a point of reference:
my 'initial' upload rates for CrashPlan seem to work out to about a day per 10GB (not sure how much that's limited by them vs. my upload speed.) I'm not complaining, though. Not like I need to do this every day (at least, not once the initial uploads are done. Eventually.)

I'll clarify my backup strategy, too:
I signed up for the Azure trial. That backs up the system drive.
I have a small (120GB) USB HDD connected to the server; that's configured for Server Backup, which does a "bare-metal restore" backup of the system drive to that drive. (it's small, yes; but, it works without issue. If the System drive pukes, I can recover it.)
I've also configured CrashPlan to back up the System drive (it's unlimited - so, why not?) And, I've been adding folders from the storage pool, as each initial upload has completed.
With the amount of data I have on the server, the initial uploads should be done by mid-month....
And, every folder in ServerFolders will be backed up (save for 'file backup', as my only Win8 machine is my laptop, and I don't have that feature enabled.)
Yes, I'm going to backup 'client computer backups', too (again - unlimited!) But, that will be last (because that one is huge!)

[hsben]

Are you using this as your WMC server that handles all your recordings as well?

[RadioControlled]

Hello, thank you all for your experience on the topic. I wonder, do you have any problems with the Intel Rapid RAID when using Windows Server 2012 ..? I know that Intel has not issued official drivers and according to this post on Win 2012 may be problems (https://communities.intel.com/thread/31583).

Please, what version of Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) do you use?
I use RAID 5 on H77 chipset and I fear the transition to 2012. Thank you very much.

[Motz]

My mobo is: MSI Z68MA-G45 : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813130612 with an intel core i3 2100T: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819116394

The Intel Rapid Raid I am using is just from the MSI site from what I can remember. I haven't had any issues with it at all to be honest.

I uploaded the drivers I have installed: http://montemagno.com/files/Intel_RST_MB.zip

Here are some photos:

Raid Version.PNG (5.71 KiB) Viewed 4990 times

[RadioControlled]

Thank you very much, for sure do I a full backup of the disk array before I try. So far I run Windows 8 and it's no problem.

It's great that it works for you in version 5.10 Win8 / "Server2012" is officially supported only in drivers 11 +.

Otherwise my motherboard http://www.gigabyte.cz/products/page/mb ... ds3hrev_10 with Intel i3-2120

[Motz]

No problem, yeah from what I can see they are on 12.x version which still doesn't support it, who knows. I mostly backed all my data up first to an external drive before doing the clean wipe. It was sort of a pain.

[Just13d]

I wouldn't exactly be complaining about those speeds.....
(I'm at 15 down/1.5 up, on "normal" service from BHN.)

To give you a point of reference:
my 'initial' upload rates for CrashPlan seem to work out to about a day per 10GB (not sure how much that's limited by them vs. my upload speed.) I'm not complaining, though. Not like I need to do this every day (at least, not once the initial uploads are done. Eventually.)

I'll clarify my backup strategy, too:
I signed up for the Azure trial. That backs up the system drive.
I have a small (120GB) USB HDD connected to the server; that's configured for Server Backup, which does a "bare-metal restore" backup of the system drive to that drive. (it's small, yes; but, it works without issue. If the System drive pukes, I can recover it.)
I've also configured CrashPlan to back up the System drive (it's unlimited - so, why not?) And, I've been adding folders from the storage pool, as each initial upload has completed.
With the amount of data I have on the server, the initial uploads should be done by mid-month....
And, every folder in ServerFolders will be backed up (save for 'file backup', as my only Win8 machine is my laptop, and I don't have that feature enabled.)
Yes, I'm going to backup 'client computer backups', too (again - unlimited!) But, that will be last (because that one is huge!)

I have Crash Plan for the wife's laptop (pictures of the kiddos). When I signed up I saw one of the options was for them to ship you a drive for you to put your backup onto and ship it back. Did not know if you saw this option on not.

[bob_p]

It took me a couple months with upload bandwidth limited to upload all of the important server files (over 1TB) to Crash Plan (including copies of all of my home DVDs and BDs).

Looked at doing the disk option - but I decided I could be patient - and by limiting uploads to only 1Mb/sec - having that run continuously in the background didn't seem to impact network performance.