Windows Multipoint Server 2011 beta

November 13,2010

I’ve been having a look at Windows Multipoint Server 2010 this week.

Sean Daniel released a slide deck for SMBNation Presentations on Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and 2011 Standard. I noticed on slide 24, there is a reference to a product called Windows MulitPoint Server.

So I downloaded the 2010 version and installed that on a 1TB drive on my Shuttle SG33G5M with a 880GT. Looks like you need to have a USB hub for each keyboard and mouse for each workstation and a video connection on your server for each monitor. All was going well, I connected 1 keyboard that has 2 USB slots, so 1 for the wireless mouse dongle. I assuming that this setup makes the keyboard show up as a hub, as apposed to connecting the wireless mouse dongle to the PC directly, whereby also reducing the amount of USB ports. This becomes  important if you plan on connecting 10 workstations that WMS can support.

Then my 2nd terminal has a USB wired device that controls a wireless keyboard & mouse. Once I setup the monitor correctly, I was able to run each workstation from the Multipoint server independently, cool.

Now what ? I decided to install Office 2010 Pro on the server, since I have a Technet subscription. During the install however, when I tried the product ID, it told me that this Office product could not be run from a Terminal Services setup. Ouch. I took a second look at my TechNet subscription and notice a product key and a line that said “Terminal Service enablement for Office 2010 (Technet Professional)”, so I gave that key a try, Yay, it worked.

Moving on, I installed the hotmail Outlook connector and configured each workstation’s Outlook 2010. Nice job everything was going well up to now.

Problems, I tried to browse for my Windows Home Server or any other network devices, no go. I downloaded the WHS PC software directly to a USB stick and installed that. The connector did not find the server, darn.

I setup Media Player and looked on my network for my content, no good, darn again.

And I had such high hopes.

Ok, back to the Multipoint web site to find some answers. What’s this ?

All right, format that 1TB and start again.

What’s different ? Ok, The Console looks cleaner and a lot like “Aurora” Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials. I was able to see my network, great.

I setup Media Player and it found my content, great again. Sharing is on baby.

I could find my WHS and download and install the connector, great again. Do a backup.

Install Office 2010 with Terminal Service license. Configure, working, good stuff.

Test out other workstation. Can’t login, WHAT ? Go back to connect site, found this.

Oh well, a brick wall, I need to find some USB hubs.

Ok, I’m back. I picked up a 4 port USB hub $6 and replaced the “2nd terminal has a USB wired device that controls a wireless keyboard & mouse”. So now I’m up and running.

Here’s some other good points about MutiPoint Server 2011,

1. Desktop thumbnails that make it easier for teachers to orchestrate activities across the classroom, see what students are working on, and interact with student sessions.
2. Support for connecting thin clients over the LAN. This allows for virtually unlimited distances between stations.
3. The ability to string multiple MultiPoint Server “pods” and manage them from a unified MultiPoint Manager console. Great for labs and libraries where there are a large number of stations in a single place.
   
4. Split screen capabilities at each user station. Turn one screen into two separate stations for a new way of collaborative learning between students.
5. An ISV extensibility model based on a common SDK with the next versions of Windows Small Business Server and Windows Home Server, which enables ISVs such as learning and classroom management providers to integrate with MultiPoint Server.
6. Support for domain join to integrate Windows MultiPoint Server with your existing Active Directory infrastructure like Aurora and SBS7.

See ya next time.

John Zajdler.

Here is a PDF.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/multipoint/learn-more.aspx

http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2010/10/19/announcing-windows-multipoint-server-2011-beta.aspx

http://sbs.seandaniel.com/2010/10/simplify-your-client-story-with-windows.html

Security Essentials latest update won’t install on WHS

Nov 11,2010

Recently I got a Windows Update message on my WHS telling me that there is a update available to Security Essential.

This is the same version I have on my Windows 7 box. 2.0.522.2

Currently, The version I have installed on my WHS is 2.0.375.0

If I run the update, it fails.

WHS error message.

This is because the current build, released Nov 9,2010. version 2.0.522.0 will not install on WHS.

I tried downloading the current build to my WHS and did the UNBLOCK thing and in Properties, I choose run as XP, it still won’t install.

So it looks like Microsoft patched Security Essentials latest build to exclude XP and WHS, So if you want to install Security Essentials on your WHS and use the MSEN add-in, find yourself a copy of version 2.0.375 before it’s to late.

John Zajdler.

Subsonic for WHS, adding video

 

I have been running Subsonic on my Windows Home Server for over a year. I also have FirePlay installed with web access. But, Subsonic, for me is visually appealing. There are also settings that can be tweaked and it also includes a web access page.

I also wrote about installing it using Tomcat here.

This time around I happened to meet a software developer named Christain Johnson. We were talking about some of the best choices to add media streaming to your Windows Home Server. Christian has added video streaming to subsonic. So we went ahead and modified my current installation to include video streaming. Here is a screen shot.

You can also choose a player and adjust the settings for web streaming or to open up Media Player on your desktop. Also you can adjust the bit rate and other quality settings.

What we will try to do next is to contact the Subsonic developer and get his permission to let us build this into a WHS addin. How cool is that ?

John Zajdler.

VGA/PS2 build project for EX470/75/85/87/90/95 & H340 home servers.

Hi ya folks,

I’m looking at starting a project on building a VGA/PS2 interface for the HP MediaSmart and the Acer H340 EasyStore servers.

HP has come out with their 3rd generation home servers, the EX49x and I know Microsoft prefers WHS boxes to be headless. But with the recent changes to the EX49x boxes, reinstalling the server software has become more difficult and is a shot in the dark process.

So I figured I’ll try and build a printed circuit board to make this process more bearable.

What’s nice is that the Acer home server are built using the same internal connector, so this PCB will work on those boxes also.

Parts List from Digikey ;

CONN HOUSING PHD 26POS 2MM DUAL , CONN HD15 FEMALE OVER DUAL PS/2

CONN HEADER PHD TOP 26POS 2MM, CONN TERM PHD CRIMP 22-26AWG TIN

Printed Circuit Board Software ;

I’ll be using ExpressPCB to design the printed circuit board. You can find the software here ; http://www.expresspcb.com/ExpressPCBHtm/Free_cad_software.htm

I plan on making the PCB parts template and PCB design available for '>download. So anyone can tweak it for themselves. I have to purchase a minimum number of PCB’s to place an order so I’ll end up with extras.

Next I will have to build a cable to connect the two. I’m hoping to find a straight thru design. I’ll update this blog post as things develop.

Join me in the forums where we can discuss it .

John.

How to create an external bootable USB Server Recovery Thumb Drive for a easier Server Recovery of your EX490/5

Ok, so you love your EX470/5 but you want to move on to the new EX490/5, it’s time. Everything has been improved, right, WRONG.
The HP EX490/5 so far has been HP’s best home servers yet. However I find that removing the internal 256 MB flash is a mistake. Now you must have a direct connection between your server and the PC that will run the Server Recovery DVD. You also have to turn off your firewall and anti-virus software. Then you must have the correct timing to press the reset pin. All this without a VGA connection on your server. So your doing this in the dark. I’m not happy about that because it was easier on the EX470/5 and I was spoiled. I want it back.
If you have a EX470/5 and a EX490/5 then you already have most of what you need.
So I’ll show how to create a bootable USB thumb drive to use on your EX490/5 so that you can restore your server pretty much just like it’s done on the EX470/5.
The software you will need can be found on the EX470 hidden flash, the EX470/5 Server Recovery Disk, the EX490/5 Server Recovery Disk and the EX490/5 network drivers from Realtek’s website.
First off, not all USB thumb drives are equal. This is important to know because you might have done everything right and it still doesn’t work. So you will have to test the thumb drive, more on this later.
I tried this on a Gizmo Jr. 2 GB stick, but you can start with a 256MB stick, use whatever costs less. For simplicity, follow this link to format the thumb drive. Thanks Donavon.
Next, you need the boot software from the hidden partition on the EX470/5. Since it’s a hidden partition you need to unhide it. RDC into your EX470, right click My Computer, properties, hardware, device manager, open up System devices, disable the MediaSmart Server device, reboot. Thanks Teknmage. After the reboot RDC back in. Now open My Computer you should see the hidden partition and copy those file to your PC where you will work with them. Now go back and enable that MediaSmart Server device.
The folder should look like this;

 Next, since the EX490/5 has a different NIC card, you need the drivers from Realtek. Choose WinXP and WinServer 2003 Driver. 5.742 Replace the drivers in the \drivers folder with the new ones.
Next, open up the SOURCES folder and replace the boot.wim file with the boot.wim file from your EX490/5 Server Restore DVD. It is in the \PXE\Boot folder. The size should be 120,038 KB.
Now your external USB Bootable Server Recovery Thumb Drive is ready. Test it on your PC and boot from it to see if the Server recovery software starts, if it does, shut down your PC and remove it. Now you know it boots. BSRTD
Now for the PC side;
If you use the EX490/5 Server Recovery DVD as is, it will try and run the PXE boot stuff. We don’t want that. What you need to do is create a DVD using the EX470/5 DVD boot stuff but replace the server image in “\Recovery Image\volume.image” with the server image from the EX490/5 DVD.  You can also replace the Home Server Connector Software with the one from the EX490/5 Software Installation Disk.
This is the EX470/5 Server Recovery Disk. Copy this disk to your desktop, then replace the Recovery Image folder with the same folder from the EX490/5 Disk. Then burn a new Disk.

That’s it.
Now to recover the server. Power off the server. Install the bootable USB key into the bottom rear USB port. Pull the system drive out 1 inch so that it does not make contact with the rear back plate. ( this is so you don’t have to fiddle with the reset pin). Power on. Wait 5 seconds then push the system drive back in. Run the newly created Server Recovery DVD. It should find the server. Now go ahead and Restore your EX490 while it’s still connected to the network. Server Recoveries will be a lot easier now.
Just so you don’t mess things up, I recommend that you have your server shares backed up. Or pull all your drives out and try it on a spare system drive.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/14524008/EX490%20USB%20boot.rar

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/14524008/EX490%2B%20Server%20Restore.rar

Diehard.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas