ANTICIPATION FOR MICROSOFT WINDOWS Home Server (WHS) has, to say the ~ least, had ample time to build. Happily, you get a reasonable reward for your patience-though not quite what you'd expect from the product's name. WHS is more about creating network-attached storage (NAS) than pack¬aging network and server technology for the home. But its features take it a bit beyond typical NAS ap¬pliances.

For example, while boxes like the Linksys NAS200 can run backups, they don't use OS-level storage tech-nology that integrates directly with My Documents data folders, nor do they provide other advanced features, such as the ability to set time-based recov¬ery points. And though a few NAS boxes <including the NAS200) allow Internet access to shared folders, WHS extends that to include full remote control of NAS-connected PCs. For security, the as supplies not only session encryption, but also user accounts on the server. Furthermore, WHS is notably easier to use than most NAS devices.

You can buy WHS pre installed on an appliance
like the HP MediaSmart, but that's the costliest route. Fortunately, Microsoft says you'll be able to get just the software, for about $180, from some online sellers. If you plan to do it yourself, however, learn from my experience.
This operating system wants a basic home-networking setup-a DSL, satellite, or cable modem; a home-style firewall; an Internet sharing router that takes care ofDNS and IP addressing; and Windows PCs on one IP subnet. Push WHS further and you lose that easy-to-use wizard-based help.

OS-level storage control lets you connect as many drives as you want to the server, but shows users just one large drive, simplifying access. WHS can make duplicates of folders you specify, storing the informa-tion across multiple server drives in such a way that if one dies, you'll still have unimpeded access to the data. Swap in a new drive and the as rebuilds the for¬mer data structure (after one or two reboots).
Unfortunately, OS-level storage control conflicts with the hardware control that RAID and eSATA DIY crowd may be stymied. Still, tinkerers can install up to four large IDE drives in most systems and add USB 2.0 or FireWire external storage.

Setup is a little harder than with a traditional NAS box, which, once connected, becomes immediately accessible to any network device. WHS makes use of the network but mostly communicates with PCs over an encrypted connection. That-along with features such as remote control and automated backup¬requires WHS connector software on every client.

Backup-the real raison d'etre for WHS-is more powerful than with a typical NAS. Rather than copy¬ing files and folders, the OS does an image backup, which lets you restore client PCs from the ground up. I did so easily using the included WHS Restore CD. Unlike most image utilities, the WHS facility also lets you restore individual files. To avoid clogging the server, you can assign a purge time to backups.

For remote access, probably WHS's coolest fea¬ture, Microsoft recommends using a router that's compliant with Universal Plug and Play (UPnP). Unfortunately, the UPnP built into my Linksys WRT350 didn't seem to help. The workaround, if you're familiar with firewall routers, is minor-you just forward three TCP ports to the WHS server. But for the less savvy-much of the WHS target audience-Microsoft needs to make the process much clearer. Once you've got the forwarding done, WHS makes short work of setting up remote access, bumping you to a Microsoft server that pro¬vides an outward-facing Web domain (in the format yourservername.homeserver.com) for your WHS router. The required Windows Live ID ties you to one service-a little annoying-but it is free.

Remote access lets you log on to your home server from any Internet PC-I even succeeded with my MacBook Pro. But users not on a Windows system running Internet Explorer will have access only to their shared folders. Additionally, you must be running ActiveX to do system monitoring or use remote-control features. Still, while a NAS might let you access shared files over the Web, only WHS gives you remote control. And the OS lets you stream content not just from your shared media folders, as do other NAS devices, but to Xboxes, too.

Microsoft released a fairly robust software devel-opment kit, which has spawned a healthy subculture of developers building plug-ins. So, for example, an HP-developed iTunes extension can enable the serv¬er to sync with users' libraries. I have to say that the projects I'm finding in the works don't add the things I'm really missing from Home Server-better paren¬tal controls, for instance, and the ability for client machines to update from a server cache rather than from the Internet, which slows performance. WHS hasn't reached its potential yet, but I'm impressed with the Microsoft WHS backup and remote-ac¬cess features. Toss in the Restore CD and incremen¬tal image features, and this package really does add value.