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Andrew Edney has kindly checked the SSM with the following Home Servers

LENOVO IDEACENTER D400

Fits perfectly

ACER EASYSTORE H340

this was the easiest and quickest to do

HP MEDIASMART SERVERS AND THE X510 DATAVAULT

The only thing I would say is that fitting the SSM into the caddy was a little tough, but it worked fine

FINAL THOUGHTS

So there you have it. The SSM will work in the Tranquil PC Windows Home Servers, and will fit perfectly well into the Lenovo Ideacenter D400, the Acer Aspire H340 and all the HP MediaSmarts and the X510 Datavault.

Thanks Andrew

http://usingwindowshomeserver.com/2010/02/05/the-tranquil-pc-ssm-and-other-windows-home-servers/

Here’s a little nugget of useful information

Have you ever wanted to copy a huge amount of data TO a Home Server shared folder ?

Sure we all want to and normally it works OK.

The CORRECT way, is to transfer the files over a LAN connection, if you do this you will achieve good transfer rates – ie the example here shows approx 39MB/s (although this varies depending on the file size)

The transfer rate will vary between 15 and 50MB/s – depending on your hardware / file size / LAN (of course it’s assuming you have a GBE LAN)

Now – what if you dropped in a HDD into your Home Server with data already on it, then used RDC to copy the files – disk to disk, ie cutting out the LAN connection, surely this would be faster, much faster ?  No – it’s approx 90% slower.

The image to the below shows a mere 3.4MB/s when a Disk to Disk connection is used.

This seems odd, for sure but it’s the way that WHS uses clever FS folders to ‘share’ files.

So – in summary – don’t try to be clever, and copy disk to disk – WHS is designed to be used headless (and no RDC).  If you want lightning fast file transfers, use the WHS as a network store, use the LAN.

SSM (Safe Server Modules) ship !

The first batch of SSMs start to ship (a few days early).

Some customers are building (upgrading) SQA-5H servers with 5x SSMs (total safety), who knows what these Home Servers are storing, must be important !

We are also soon getting feedback from HP EX and ACER Home Server customers – so if it’s good news this means HP and ACER WHS users can benefit from SSM too

Here’s a link to the quick start guide for SSM, if you are interested.

The products

Thank you for taking time to follow the Safe Home Server mini-series

This article concludes the mini-series, and highlights two new devices which embody the concept of a Safe Home Server.

• The SSM module – for existing Home Server customers (SQA-5H and RS5)
• The new SQA-5H-SAFE (multi drive Home Server appliance fitted with the SSM)

Coming soon, the RS5-SAFE

If you would like to go back and review the Safe Home Server mini-series, here are some quick links :

• Part 1 – How safe is your Home Server ?
• Part 2 – Drive Extender (DE)
• Part 3 – The Safe Server Module
• Part 4 – Monitoring Safe Server Module
• Part 5 – Upgrading an existing SQA-5H or RS5 server

The Safe Server Module (SSM)

The SSM is designed specifically to be housed in a SQA-5H Home Server.
(It may be possible to fit it to other Home Servers too)

It comes delivered with 2x 500GB 2.5” HDDs, prepared in a RAID1 mirror array, including a Tranquil build of Windows Home Server (PP3) for either the Series 1 or Series 2 SQA-5H.

It can simply be added to an existing SQA-5H – and the Server initialised again (loosing the DATA), or you can Restore the Home Server with the supplied new DVD, with the SSM fitted and recover your DATA *

Priced at £169.00 + VAT, the SSM represents excellent value for money, bearing in mind the system protection it offers, and ease of replacement of the primary (OS + DATA) HDD.  You also will receive a desktop application to help you to monitor the SSM, and also setup email messaging to alert you to the status of the SSM.  You will also be able to re-use your existing HDD1 as a server storage or backup drive !  As a thank you for purchasing, you will also get a licensed copy of the AVA Media CD ripping engine too on the Restore DVD and SSM

The SSM is available from 1st February 2010, and can be ordered on-line here

What’s in the box

• SSM with 2x 500GB HDDs preset for RAID1
• Desktop Application software for monitoring / messaging
• New SQA-5H Home Server recovery DVD, supporting the SSM
• A FREE copy of the AVA Media CD ripper is also included on the DVD (worth £49.00)

Available for :

• SQA-5H Series 1 (330)UK
• SQA-5H Series 2** (D510) UK
• SQA-5H Series 1 (330) German
• SQA-5H Series 2** (D510) German

The SQA-5H-SAFE Home Server

This is the world’s first OEM Home Server fitted with the innovative Safe Server Module (read all about the module here). Ensuring that all your data, as well as the operating system is protected. It’s a fine mix of the latest Windows Drive Extender (DE) technology for extendable / flexible / safe data storage blended with the established hardware RAID technology to protect the OS and primary data hard disk. Priced at £569.00 +VAT

Features :

• 2GB Memory
• RAID1 2x 500GB 2.5" HDDs preconfigured
• 4x spare HDD slots
• Server recovery pack
• Includes the AVA CD ripping engine
• 3 year warranty
• Desktop application for Safe Server Management / Messaging

The SQA-5H-SAFE is available from 1st February 2010, and can be ordered on-line here

What’s in the box

• SQA-5H-SAFE Home Server
• Power Supply (country specific cord)
• Software / Media kit

Windows Home Server PP1, 2 and 3 pre-installed
Media Pack, with Start-up CD, Restore CD, Restore DVD and USB boot key
AVA Media CD ripping engine
iTunes Server
Logitech Server
Safe Server Module Monitor

Available in English / German / French operating systems

Notes :

* – take care that you have enough spare capacity – ie the SSM is a 500GB device, if you have a SQA-5H-3000 with 2x 2TB HDDs fitted, and BOTH are pretty full, you will not be able to provide 100% folder duplication (initially) until you have set up the SSM, then re-added the second 2TB drive as a new pool device.

Full advice is provided with the SSM, on how to install / upgrade existing Home Server installations

** – Series 2 Home Servers were introduced on January 5th 2010.  If you bought a SQA-5H before that date it will be a Series 1

Upgrading an existing SQA-5H or RS5 server

The SSM device (price and availability will be published in final section of the series) can easily replace your existing HDD1 in the SQA-5H or RS5.  By replacing HDD1 with a SSM, you are protecting the operating system and primary data partition from potential HDD failure.

There are two options, depending on the state / capacity used on your SQA-5H Home Server / RS5, and your preference.

Option 1 – Clean re-start

The SSM is delivered to suit your current machine / language, pre-installed with the latest Home Server build and Tranquil Home Server features.

Also you will receive a new Home Server Restore DVD, again to match your machine / language – including the support files for the SSM.

Ensure any data folders on the server have been backed up to a removable suitable device.  This ‘clean re-start’ will erase all the data on your server, including any installed Add Ins etc.

Remove all the HDDs from the SQA-5H / RS5 – insert just the new SSM, and power up the server.  Initialise the server as you did the first time.

Once initialisation has been completed de-power then add the original HDD (HDD1) and any other HDDs to the spare slots. Keeping SSM in HDD1.

You can then add the new HDDs back to the server storage pool (including the original HDD) – and restore back your user files, from the backups taken earlier.

Be sure to ensure folder duplication is enabled to protect your media / user folders.

Option 2 – Recover your existing data

The SSM is delivered to suit your current machine / language, pre-installed with the latest Home Server build and Tranquil Home Server features.

Also you will receive a new Home Server Restore DVD, again to match your machine / language – including the support files for the SSM

Ensure all of the data you want to be protected is in ‘duplicated’ folders.  Also ensure (wait) to ensure that the data has completely been duplicated.  There are Add Ins to help you – ie Duplication Information.  If data has not correctly been duplicated (from the primary HDD) you may loose data, in the rebuild process.

You can now depower the server, remove HDD1 – replace it with the SSM into slot 1, LEAVE all the other HDDs in the server !
Now use the supplied new Home Server Restore DVD to Restore the server.  Instructions are supplied.  Be sure to select the SAFE RESTORATION.

During this process the SSM will receive the latest server image, and then recover the duplicated folders from the original HDD2, 3 etc. 
Initialise the server as you did the first time.  You will lose any user account settings / Add Ins etc. as with any server restore process.

Once you have completed the re-initialisation of the restored server, and you are comfortable your folder have been recovered, you can now slot in the original HDD1 into a free slot and then add to your server storage pool.

If you have a SQA-5H with a purchased AVA Media licence – you should ensure you have a copy of it (mymovies.lic), to place in the new Add Ins folder (option 1).  If you choose option 2, the licence file(s) will be copied back automatically.

The process for the RS5 Media server is the same, although specific instructions are provided.  When restoring the RS5 all music / video files will be copied back, but the library screen of ‘ripped’ disks will be cleared, and only newly ripped disks will be displayed.

If support is required, Tranquil can provide remote assistance

Test the SSM in a non Tranquil Home Server ?

The SSM is designed to drop into the SQA-5H HDD caddy.  It has not been tested yet in other Home Servers, i.e. HP, Acer, etc Home Servers –if you have a non Tranquil OEM Home Server and are based in UK, and would like to test / evaluate the SSM in your device – please contact research@tranquilpc.co.uk – we will discuss supply of a ‘blank’ SSM (no Tranquil Home Server OS) – whereby you can run your OEM Home Server Restore application, to image the SSM.  Please note there would be no SSM Manager application / service running.  The purpose of the test is to ensure physical and BIOS compatibility only – the SSM will otherwise function as any HDD1.

(we will update this post with news of other OEM Home Server compatibilities)

Monitoring Safe Server Module

The SAFE SERVER MODULE is supported by a monitoring service on the Home Server.  This service delivers the following :

• Display of the status of the connected 2.5” HDDs and the RAID array
• Pop up messages if the status of a HDD or the RAID array changes
• Control of email messages – reporting the status of the HDDs and the RAID array
• Scheduling of RAID array verification

A neat function is that this same application can be run on any local PC, and then ‘connected’ to the Home Server by just enter the name of your Home Server, to provide the same function, monitoring and control.

Just enter your email address in the ‘To:’ field, and the Safe Server Module will send you messages each time an event occurs that you should be aware of !

The application, which can be downloaded from the Software folder, can be installed on any number of PCs on the same LAN – or if you are familiar with router port forwarding, you can access / monitor the Safe Server Module via the internet (port 51116)

Tranquil also will receive ‘Alert’ information, and can provide remote support, via the Home Server Help Add In, if needed.

Screen shots (using the SI / SSM manager application on the network connected PC :

1.  Enter the name of your Home Server equipped with the SSM

2.  Typical (healthy SSM)

3.  Pop up – SSM is verifying  HDD0

4.  Manager screen, confirming the verification

5.  Setup scheduled verifications, if you want to

6.  Emails messaging is easy to set up – just enter your email address

The Safe Server Module

Imaging, backups, Add Ins, remote files ….. What is the simplest, lowest cost, real time solution to the Safe Server requirement ?

After much searching, testing, brain storming – the answer was right in front of us. 

Back in the Summer of 2009, Tranquil designed an ultra reliable system for a large (global) company.  The systems had to be reliable – each one controlled a robotic system making a very expensive product – and there were 100’s of machines to be deployed.  If a robotic system went down, the line down time was extremely expensive (talking here of 5 or 6 digits of Euro’s per hour) !

The system had numerous components selected to enhance reliability, but the HDD redundancy was taken care of by a custom simple hardware RAID 1 controlled device, it provided hardware mirroring of the 2x 2.5” HDDs in real time.  Better still there was no user intervention (GUI) required – if a HDD failed, just pop in a new one for continuous operation, the 2nd HDD just re-built itself.

Now could this device, protect a Home Servers Primary HDD ?

For the last 6 months Tranquil have a number SQA-5H Home Servers fitted with the SSM on load / cycle test to prove it ‘just works’.  All results are very encouraging (zero faults)

As the unique device can be plugged into a SQA-5H Home Servers HDD1 bay, it seems the solution ticks all the right boxes.

• Simple – it just replaces a SQA-5H HDD module
• Low cost – it does have a cost overhead, but it’s far cheaper than the alternatives
• Real Time – it’s a real time hardware based RAID1 mirror device (no issues with WHS DE)

There are some limitations to be aware of :

• The maximum capacity of the Safe Server Module is 500GB
• The HDD LED activity above the bay is replaced by HDD activity indicators on the module (visible behind the grill of the HDD front)

Rebuild process / times

In the event that a HDD in the Safe Server Module fails, or you want to carry out a scheduled exchange, the process is simple.

• Identify the HDD you want to exchange (HDD0 or HDD1)
• Depower the Server
• Remove the Safe Server Module from the SQA-5H (just like removing a regular 3.5” HDD)
• Snap out the HDD module
• Eject / replace the old HDD
• Replace the unit into the SQA-5H server
• Power on

The Safe Server Module immediately starts to rebuild, whilst the SQA-5H re-boots in the normal fashion.  If you look carefully at the Safe Server Module (behind the grill), you will see a blinking green/red LED – this is the rebuild / verification process.  Once the LEDs all go green, the process is complete.

Times vary, but a 500GB HDD Module will take between 4.5 and 5.0 hours for a complete rebuild / verification.  The SQA-5H is fully operational during the re-build / verification process.

Disk Performance

Does the Safe Server Module design hinder performance ?  We have tested a standard T7-WHS-D Home Server unit (Samsung 2.5” HDDs) against the SQA-5H fitted with the Safe Server Module – see the results below :

HDD benchmark (2.5” Samsung HDD in Standard Home Server setup) – below :

HDD benchmark (2.5” Samsung HDD in SQA-5H Safe Server Module setup) – below :

The results indicate overall similar performance (except for buffered read, where the Safe Server Module was slower)

Next – how to monitor the Safe Server Module, and how it keeps in touch with you

Drive Extender (DE)

Drive Extender – (wikipedia)

Windows Home Server Drive Extender is a file-based replication system that provides three key capabilities:

• Multi-disk redundancy so that if any given disk fails, data is not lost
• Arbitrary storage expansion by supporting any type of hard disk (SATA USB etc.) in any mixture and capacity — similar in concept to JBOD
• A single folder namespace (no drive letters)

Users (specifically those who configure a family’s home server) deal with storage at two levels: Shared Folders and Disks. The only concepts relevant regarding disks is whether they have been "added" to the home server’s storage pool or not and whether the disk appears healthy to the system or not. This is in contrast with Windows’ Logical Disk Manager which requires a greater degree of technical understanding in order to correctly configure a RAID array.

Shared Folders have a name, a description, permissions, and a flag indicating whether duplication (redundancy) is on or off for that folder.

If duplication is on for a Shared Folder (which is the default on multi-disk Home Server systems and not applicable to single disk systems) then the files in that Shared Folder are duplicated and the effective storage capacity is halved. However, in situations where a user may not want data duplicated (e.g. TV shows that have been archived to a Windows Home Server from a system running Windows Media Center), Drive Extender provides the capability to not duplicate such files if the server is short on capacity or manually mark a complete content store as not for duplication.

It’s a great idea, and works beautifully to allow easy expansion / data protection for your files.  But in regard to the Safe Server, it makes like difficult, as the data (at least some of it) resides on the primary HDD (HDD1).  In the context of this series, this makes life extremely difficult, as you can’t ‘image’ the primary HDD as the data files will no doubt be changed, and not only the data but the data base of the files too – and that information is on the primary HDD.

The ‘industry alternative’ to Drive Extender is RAID (redundant array of inexpensive disks or more accurately Redundant Array of Independent Disks) – or specifically RAID 1 (mirror).  But this is not consumer friendly – needs specialised knowledge and constrains the HDDs you can use.  To learn more about DE vs RAID

Windows Home Server System recovery solution provided with all OEM Home Servers does ensure that even if the primary HDD fails you can restore and rebuild the current data – so there is no need to worry about your existing setup.

So – what is the solution ?

Next – the Safe Server Module.

Please see below the ‘Home Server Settings’ screens with the AVA Media 1.5.1.0 installed

View Full Album

Direct link to the slide show

To see AVA Media Add In ‘in action’ screen shots please click here