Q. What are the new features of the HP MediaSmart Servers ex485 and ex 487?
A. Like the ex470/ex475, the newer HP MediaSmart Server comes with a user friendly Control Center for PCs but now also for Macs that includes Browse, Tools, and Help & Support links in one view. This is in addition to the Windows Home Server Console, which provides additional administrative access to the Server. The Windows Home Server Console is accessible by PC platforms only so the product is intended for households that include a PC. The HP MediaSmart Server includes the ability to backup Macs to the server through Time Machine.
There is a new remote access portal to the HP MediaSmart Server which allows for remote access to the Server and PCs, and from which the user can stream media remotely, and publish and view photos over the internet. The HP MediaSmart Server can stream photos and music to any internet connected PC or Mac.
Other new software features which enhance media enjoyment are the HP Media Collector and HP Photo Publisher and Photo Viewer. HP Media Collector copies media files (photos, music and video) from the PCs in your network and organizes them in shared folders on the server. HP Photo Publisher and HP Photo Viewer allow for secure and easy photo sharing right from your server, or through popular social networking websites.
HP has provided an add-in for the Server that offers online backup of shared folders on the Server to the Amazon S3 service.
The new MediaSmart Server has smart power management capabilities, and the user can schedule times for the Server to ‘Sleep’ and ‘Wake up’ thus saving on energy costs.
A. HP Media Collector is a software feature that copies media files from the computers in your network and organizes them on the server. This is a separate feature from the automated PC backup functionality included in Windows Home Server. The user can select which PCs on the home network to scan and set Media Collector to check for new media hourly, daily, or weekly. You can individually enable collection for Photos, Music, or Videos, and collected media can be organized as follows:
Photos - by date or existing structure
Music - by artist/album or existing structure
Videos - copy to the server
HP Media Collector intelligence attempts to avoid copying duplicate content, and also copying images like album art as a regular photo. HP recommends that the user enable the Guest account and give the Guest account full permission to the Photos, Music, and Videos shared folders; this ensures that Media Collector always has access to all shares.
Q. What are the details of the HP Photo Viewer feature?
A. HP Photo Viewer is an easy way to share photos and video clips with friends, relatives or clients directly from the HP MediaSmart Server. Photo albums can be shared by cutting and pasting the URL of that album into an email. The albums can be viewed in a slideshow or a filmstrip mode, and viewers can easily download pictures from Photo Viewer. With a login you can administer the photo albums and can delete or rename them.
Q. What features does the HP MediaSmart Server offer for Mac users?
A. The HP MediaSmart Server is great for households with PCs and Macs. The Server has Mac features, but needs to be originally set up and administered through the Windows Home Server Console on a PC.
The MediaSmart Server looks like a network share to the Mac. It has a Control Panel for the Mac, which includes Browsing for standard shared file access, Tools, and Help and Support, all in one user friendly window. Media can be streamed to a Mac in the home or remotely. Mac users can utilize the Photo Publishing and Photo Viewing applications, and can backup their Macs to the Server using Time Machine. The MediaSmart Server also has a “Server for iTunes” feature whereby music on the Server can be accessed from each individual computer’s iTunes library. Note that the MediaSmart Server does not count as one of the five authorized playback devices in iTunes.
Q. What is Amazon S3 and how do I get access to this service?
A. S3 is an online data storage service available through Amazon.com. Amazon S3 provides a web based interface that can be used to store and retrieve any amount of data, at any time, from anywhere on the web. Pricing is per GB stored and per GB transferred. The MediaSmart Server provides links to the Amazon S3 Service to enable registration, and the HP developed UI for S3 allows for scheduling or backup now, selection of shared folders to be backed
A: The HP MediaSmart Server administrator can set Read/Write, Read Only or No Access privileges for each user, to each shared folder. The HP MediaSmart Server administrator also controls the remote access privilege for each user.
Q: Can you load typical office applications, or games onto the HP MediaSmart Server and share those among multiple PCs?
A: One can get additional functionality on the HP MediaSmart Server through 3rd party add-ins, but it is not intended to be a general purpose application server. Some add-in examples are:
Whiist - create and administer web sites on your server
Wake on LAN - remotely start a computer on your network so that you can access it via Remote Desktop
uTorrent - download bit torrents directly to your server
TiVo publisher for WHS - play your Music, Videos and Photos on any TiVo in the house.
Lobster tunes - streams music from Windows Home Server directly to a Windows Mobile smartphone through WiFi or 3G
Q. How do you connect the HP MediaSmart Server to the home network? What other interfaces does it have?
A. The MediaSmart Server connects directly to the router on the home network through an RJ45 Ethernet port, and supports up to Gigabit Ethernet speeds. It also offers 4 USB 2.0 ports and one eSATA port for connecting additional storage to the Server. The MediaSmart Server cannot be direct attached to a PC.
Q. Does the MediaSmart Server offer wireless networking?
A. Although the HP MediaSmart Server needs to be wired to your network through an Ethernet cable, it supports both wired and wireless devices via your wireless router.
Q. What is the storage capacity of HP MediaSmart Server ex485 and ex 487?
A. The ex485 ships with one 750GB SATA drive and three empty bays, and the ex487 ships with two 750GB SATA drives (1.5TB total) and two empty bays. In both cases, expanding the capacity is extremely easy. Maximum capacity is only limited by hard disk drive capacities and number of bays (4), USB ports (4) and eSATA ports (1) on the HP MediaSmart Server. With 1 Terabyte drives, the user could conceivably have 9 Terabytes of capacity in the HP MediaSmart Server. Multiple MediaSmart Servers cannot be “daisy-chained”.
A: Any off-the-shelf internal 3.5” SATA I or SATA II drive will work in the HP MediaSmart Server. Today, these SATA drives are typically 7200 RPM. Any external USB drive will work with the four USB ports.
Q: Can the drives be partitioned or added as separate volumes?
A: Internal and external drives can be added as part of the main storage volume, or as part of a backup volume, in the Windows Home Server Console. When you add hard drives to the main storage volume it merely increases the size of the volume, and you don’t need to partition them.
If you add a hard drive as a backup volume, you can backup the shared folders on the MediaSmart Server to this drive, through the Computers and Backup tab in the WHS Console. If you add an external hard drive for your Home Server backups, you can store the hard drive in a separate location for disaster protection.
Q. Does HP’s MediaSmart Server offer hot-swapping of drives?
A. You can remove a hard drive (both SATA and external USB drives) without powering down the system, but first you must “remove it” via the Home Server Console. Content is migrated off the hard disk drive to be removed; you will get adequate warnings if there’s not enough room on other hard disk drives for the content. The hard disk drive indicator on the unit pulses aqua, telling you it’s ok to remove the hard disk drive. Insert a new hard disk drive, then go to the Home Server Console to “add it” to your volume. The overall capacity increases, and the LED glows solid aqua to indicate that the storage has been added.
Q. Is there a RAID option on the HP MediaSmart Server?
A. The HP MediaSmart Server uses a sophisticated technology that is part of the Windows Home Server software called ‘folder duplication.’ By default, shared folders on the MediaSmart Server have folder duplication ‘On’, and every file in that folder is written to two separate hard drives in the array. This shared folder level mirroring provides the first level of redundancy for data on the Server.
Folder duplication works with both internal and external hard disk drives. Selected folder duplication is superior to RAID in that you don’t have to duplicate those folders that don’t need duplication – for instance, TV shows and PC backups. This utilizes hard disk drive space more efficiently. Unlike most RAID configurations in low-end (under $1,000) network storage products that require the entire array of discs to be of identical capacities, this technology allows you to add different or higher capacity hard drives as they become available without sacrificing space on the new drive for RAID.
A: You can replace the master hard drive. The user has to go through user guide instructions accessible from the Control Center to populate the replacement master drive with HP MediaSmart Server software.
Q: How does automatic PC client backup work on the HP MediaSmart Server ?
A: Once you install the MediaSmart Server client software on a PC, it will automatically be backed up to the HP MediaSmart Server. This client software must be installed on each PC that you wish to include in the backup operation. The sophisticated WHS backup algorithm copies files, folders, and complete images of the PC hard drive. It can recognize the same file in two or more places, and will keep only one copy of the file, but with multiple pointers, in order to save storage space on the MediaSmart Server.
You can optionally customize the backup by selecting which volumes on the PC to backup, what files to exclude, the backup window, and the number of revisions to keep. You can also configure the Server to automatically ‘Wake up’ both the Server and PCs, when a backup is about to start.
Q: How do you backup the HP MediaSmart Server itself?
A: There are multiple ways to backup data on the HP MediaSmart Server. By default, shared folders on the MediaSmart Server have ‘Folder duplication’ On, which means that every file in that folder is written to two separate hard drives in the array. This shared folder level mirroring provides the first level of redundancy.
Additional internal or external hard drives can be added to the Server as part of a separate backup volume, you can backup the shared folders on the MediaSmart Server to this drive, through the Computers and Backup tab in the WHS Console. Note that this solution is for shared folders or files stored on the server and PC backups cannot be saved in this same way. If you add an external hard drive for your Home Server shared folder backups, you can store the hard drive in a separate location for disaster protection.
Shared folders or files on the MediaSmart Server can also be backed up to the Amazon S3 online data storage service. The MediaSmart Server provides links to the Amazon S3 Service to enable registration and use.
Lastly, you can selectively backup files to an external hard drive, CD/DVD or tape that is connected to one of the PCs on the network.
Q. If my PC hard drive crashes, would it be possible to re-image a new hard drive and recover the computer using the HP MediaSmart Server?
A. Yes, the HP MediaSmart Server automatically backs up the PC hard drive image and can save multiple versions. It also comes with a PC restore CD, and after replacing the failed PC hard drive, you merely insert the CD into your PC, and pull the desired hard drive image from the HP MediaSmart Server. If your computer has been corrupted by a virus, malware, spyware etc., you can re-image your hard drive to a known good state by bringing back an older version of the hard drive image from the HP MediaSmart Server.
Q. If I lost my notebook, would it be possible to re-image my new computer using the HP MediaSmart Server?
A. It is not possible to re-image the new computer simply due to third party license restrictions. However, you will be able to restore your data as individual folders and files from the HP MediaSmart Server just like you had them in your old computer.
Q: What type of security does the HP MediaSmart Server have?
A: The HP MediaSmart Server includes several security measures. The HP MediaSmart Server administrator assigns a user name and password for up to 10 users plus an additional pre-defined Guest user account. Remote access is disabled by default and must be enabled for each of the user accounts. The Guest account is not enabled or given access to any shared folders by default.
Remote access to the HP MediaSmart Server for file access, media streaming and accessing HP Photo Publisher is handled through 128 bit https only. Users must login and authenticate to access the HP MediaSmart Server shared folders or PC applications through the Server.
Q: Does HP MediaSmart Server have a firewall built in?
A: Users of the HP MediaSmart Server should have a router with built-in firewall protection. Additionally, the HP MediaSmart Server is built on the proven technologies of Windows Server and uses the software firewall technologies built into Windows Home Server to provide an additional level of protection. Also, Windows Home Server manages opening a port in the firewall for remote access in a secure fashion.
Q. Does the MediaSmart Server offer server Anti-Virus software?
A. There is a McAfee Anti-Virus software add-in for the HP MediaSmart Server, which the customer can choose to install to the MediaSmart Server. The customer can also either use their existing PC AV software to scan the server, or there are 3rd party server AV add-ins from companies including F-Secure.
Q. Does the HP MediaSmart Server work as a media server (using, for example, UPnP protocol to serve files to a digital media receiver hooked up in your entertainment center)?
A. Yes. By default Windows Home Server provides the Windows Media Connect media streaming protocol, a superset of UPnP AV 2.0. Unlike Linux-based NAS products, the HP MediaSmart Server provides media streaming for downloaded “Hollywood” movies. What this means is that you can order a movie from your PC or TV that is connected to your network, and the movie can be downloaded to the server and streamed to your TV without having to keep the notebook powered up.
A. Twonky Media is delivered as an installable add-in on the MediaSmart Server, and provides enhanced media streaming functionality over the default Window Media Connect streaming. It will enable DLNA 1.0 certified, DLNA 1.5 compliant and UPnP media streaming from the HP MediaSmart Server to a variety of entertainment devices in the home.
Twonky Media provides:
Album art when browsing to music folders on the Server using a DMR (digital media receiver) like the Xbox 360, PS3, HP MediaSmart Connect or others.
Picture thumbnails when browsing to picture folders on the Server using a DMR.
Support for a wider range of media file types like m4a, mp4, ogg for Music; and Divx, MPEG-4, vob for Video
Customer can now choose folders from which to stream content, and is not limited to Photos, Video or Music file folders.
Twonky Media is the engine behind the remote media streaming capabilities of the MediaSmart Server, and comes as a pre-installed add-in. You can stream photos and music to computers on the internet.
Q. Why would someone choose to use the HP MediaSmart Server for remote access rather than an on-line portal such as gotomypc.com?
A. Online portals charge a monthly fee and provide access to only one PC at a time. Secure remote access is free (for at least one year) with the HP MediaSmart Server and provides access to all of the content on your Home Server, and to individual PCs with remote desktop capabilities. HP offers an attractive and user friendly UI for remote access.
Q. How does MediaSmart Server ensure secure remote access?
A. Remote access to the HP MediaSmart Server and it’s applications is through 128-bit secure https session only. Upon installation, you are given three options for setting up a secure, personal web address*. The web address can be used for remote access to shared folders and computers and by visitors to HP Photo Viewer. The three options are:
1) Register for a web address from TZO.com (e.g., https://yourname.hphome.com) that is free for the first year, then costs a nominal fee per year.
2) Upgrade to your own custom domain name from TZO.com (e.g., https://yourname.com) for a cost-competitive fee.
3) Register for a free Microsoft Live web address.
TZO domain names provide additional value beyond the Microsoft Live option:
Some broadband ISPs block Port 80 which is required for easy remote access. The TZO service allows you to obtain easy remote access even if Port 80 is blocked.
With the Microsoft domain name, if you don't already have a Microsoft Live account, you'll have to set that up.
And with the TZO custom domain name option, you can get your own domain name (e.g., smithfamily.com). * Web addresses administration supplied by TZO.com
Q. Why would a customer select the HP MediaSmart Server over NAS storage products?
A. As a full-fledged server, the HP MediaSmart Server offers a more comprehensive and integrated solution than network storage products that use third party add-on software for backup, media streaming, etc. Other differentiators include:
Automatic organization of media from all of the PCs on the home network.
Media streaming to devices on the home network or remote devices on the internet.
Secure remote access to files stored on the Server.
Secure remote access to PCs and their applications on the home network (for remote computer access, the network computer must be running Windows® XP Professional, Media Center Edition 2005 or Windows® Vista Ultimate).
Unique HP Photo Publisher and HP Photo Viewer features for secure and easy photo sharing right from your server, or through popular social networking websites.
Based on Microsoft’s Windows® Home Server software, the HP MediaSmart Server is highly integrated with Windows clients and includes Windows® Media Connect media streaming functionality.
More sophisticated storage management with selective folder duplication. Folder duplication is superior to RAID in that you don’t have to duplicate those folders that don’t need it – for instance, TV shows and PC backups (which are already a duplicate of what’s on the PC).
More powerful, integrated backup and restore software for PCs, including individual file restore. And integration with Apple Time Machine for Mac backup.
The Windows platform makes the HP MediaSmart Server an extensible platform for new applications and services in the future.
Microsoft announced in late December that under certain situations a data corruption issue may exist with the Microsoft Windows Home Server Operating System. Microsoft states that most users are unlikely to be affected by this issue as only a small number of cases have been confirmed. On March 10 Microsoft announced their plan to fix this potential problem. They have been able to recreate the problem, have a fix and are now thoroughly testing the fix. HP recommends that all users of home servers with Windows Home Server Operating System follow Microsoft’s recommendations to ensure their data remains safe. More information can be found on Microsoft’s web site: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946676
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