DrivePool 1.1 and Beyond

JazJon · December 2012

I too was wondering if Windows Server Essentials 2012 is on the map for next year.

I'll be happy with a stand alone app but would be happier with the full dashboard integration.

The only two apps stopping me from upgrading from 2011 to 2012 is MyMovies.dk and StableBit DrivePool+scanner

It seems MyMovies just released a new beta that adds 2012 support. (And they originally said they wouldn't)

http://www.mymovies.dk/download/windows-home-server-2011.aspx

"Important! The My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 product have been renamed to My Movies Home and Essentials Server Solution, as it now supports both Windows Home Server 2011 and Windows Server 2012 Essentials as part of the same package. Due to this change, it is important that you uninstall any current installation of My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 before installing this update - all data will be kept during this operation, which will function just as any other upgrade."

mar2k · December 2012

Hi:

So I just rebuilt a my WHS v1 server with a new motherboard and have 3 new WD Red Drives (3TB) ready to go along with an SSD for the OS drive. I have a copy of WHS 2011 that I intended to install but was thinking I might just go with Win 8 Pro to more easily enable some server side applications and processing (Handbrake etc). However, I'm convinced Drivepool is the way to go as Storage Spaces appears half baked at this point. Since Drivepool is not yet available for non-WHS systems, if I load WHS 2011 as the OS and set up the pool/pools through the add-in, does this mean that if I later blow away the OS drive and load Windows 8 Pro running Drivepool down the road when it becomes available that the pools set up under WHS 2011 should be recognized no problem (at least in theory)?

Thanks...!

Shane · December 2012

Short answer: yes. Longer answer: we haven't been given any hints that the poolpart system will be incompatible under different Windows (if anything, the opposite - Alex makes a lot of effort to keep things as friendly as possible).

JazJon · December 2012

I have to agree, your prior OS shouldn't make a difference when it comes to importing a previously used drivepool on a fresh install. I would give a greater than 90% confidence yes, that Alex will make it friendly as Shane said. It's just a wild guess, but I'm basing it on how things usually go here. If anything, you could always just drag and drop data form the hidden folder to the new pool. It's not like you ever lose access to the drives.

mar2k · December 2012

Thanks guys, I'm going to do the 2011 install and install Drivepool and then may blow it out down the road for standard Windows 8 Pro. I'm just wanting storage with some redundancy - don't need all the backup features of 2012 Server Essentials but also don't like the idea of being on what is basically EoL O/S..

phred · January 2013

Will it be possible to run the Scanner On W8 Storage Spaces?

ajafar · January 2013

I'm ready to blow out a Server 2012 Essentials installation to go back to WHS 2011 since I'm convinced that it's going to take a miracle for Microsoft to fix Storage Spaces in a way that's easy to swap HDD's around. Any idea if drivepool beta is going to be out let's say within the month? If so I could wait it out and help be a beta tester otherwise it's back top WHS I go.

muaddib · January 2013

I'm ready to blow out a Server 2012 Essentials installation to go back to WHS 2011 since I'm convinced that it's going to take a miracle for Microsoft to fix Storage Spaces in a way that's easy to swap HDD's around. Any idea if drivepool beta is going to be out let's say within the month? If so I could wait it out and help be a beta tester otherwise it's back top WHS I go.

You could run hyper-v on your 2012 build and pass your drive pool to a guest whs 2011 build. That is what I am doing with my windows 8 build and it works great!

andersa · January 2013

Unfortunately Hyper-V is not supported on server 2012 Essentials...

muaddib · January 2013

Unfortunately Hyper-V is not supported on server 2012 Essentials...

That sux, I will be sticking with my w8/hyper v/whs2011 setup for the distant future. So far it has been the best of all worlds.

japrehm · January 2013

just get hyper-v server 2012, its 100% free.

muaddib · January 2013

just get hyper-v server 2012, its 100% free.

I thought that would have been kind odd even for MS to not support Hyperv in 2012.

DrTone · January 2013

just get hyper-v server 2012, its 100% free.
I thought that would have been kind odd even for MS to not support Hyperv in 2012.

It's not something you can download for server 2012 essentials. It's a specific version of the Server OS.

muaddib · January 2013

ah I see, thanks.

Symo · January 2013

Any update for when a windows 8 version is coming?! Would really love to see this.

My WHS box has died and I just tried moving the drives into my Win 8 PC. I was just going to use Storage Spaces, but after finding out that you can't remove a drive from a non-redundant pool, it's obviously become a non-option... I'd really love to stick with DrivePool, I've been using it since it was in late beta and I like it. As it stands I don't see there will be a way around installing a DriveBender preview to hold me over, but if DrivePool isn't out for Win 8 when the trial expires, I guess I'll be moving to it permanently...

JazJon · January 2013

Alex is for sure working on the General Windows version of DrivePool. I got a sneak peak screen shot of it in action a few days ago in the reply to another unrelated support ticket question. . He has no ETA on the first beta release date, but I'm excited as well. He mentioned he expects it to be compatible on Windows Server 2012 too! (as well as Windows 8 of course) We are all excited to have full DrivePool options on all flavors of windows. I'm going to upgrade my server from 2011 to Windows Server 2012 Essentials as soon as the first beta becomes available.

Symo · January 2013

Alex is for sure working on the General Windows version of DrivePool. I got a sneak peak screen shot of it in action a few days ago in the reply to another unrelated support ticket question. .

Okay, well that is definitely promising!

He has no ETA on the first beta release date

This however is not so promising :-P. Did Alex give you this 'no ETA' himself, or is that just going on the above info?

I wouldn't normally worry too much, but my WHS box went out of action before Christmas and I was hoping I would be able to rebuild my WHS box just after Christmas, now it's looking like I won't be able to rebuild the box in the foreseeable future, so I have to make do with the Win 8 box I have best I can...

JazJon · January 2013

Nothing more other than he was actually working on coding it, as he replied to my other question.

You could always install a VM of Windows Home Server 2011 inside your Windows 8 system for now maybe?

Symo · January 2013

Thanks, I have thought of running a VM of WHSv11...only thing holding me back is that as mentioned this is my main PC, so I don't want to have to dedicate resources to having another OS running in the back ground. If it was a case of simply wanting my server to be running Win 8 I would go with a VM in a heart beat...just worried about performance if I'm trying to use the PC to get something else done...

Maybe I should just shell out for a little bit more RAM and not worry so much about it...

JazJon · February 2013

Twitter - @covecube: DrivePool 2.0.0.154 BETA: http://t.co/wF5wf1Dp (Supports Windows Vista and newer) even 2012!

JazJon · February 2013

Good news!

"@covecube: StableBit DrivePool 2.0.0.160 BETA: http://t.co/wF5wf1Dp (Server 2012 Essentials compatibility)"

more details:
http://forum.covecube.com/discussion/827/windows-server-essentials-2012#Item_12

"DrivePool 2.0 now supports Server 2012 Essentials (starting with build 160). I've even managed to sneak in some (very) minimal Dashboard integration. You can manage your pool from the Server Folders tab. It's not going out as an auto update because there are literally no other changes except some tweaks to the file system for the Server 2012 Essentials and the Dashboard code."

Symo · February 2013

That is awesome news!

danfer · May 2013

Quick question: Will DrivePool 2.0 also be available for WHS2011 one day?

Drashna · May 2013

You can go ahead and install DrivePool 2.0 on WHS2011, as long as you're not running 1.3 on it. No issues with that.

But the thing is, 2.0 doesn't have the dashboard integration that 1.x does.

danfer · May 2013

Thanks a lot for your help!

I do not really need the dashboard integration. I guess I can simply start Drive Pool via Start Button and configure my Pool, correct?

Will the dashboard integration follow in one of the next versions?

Drashna · May 2013

Yes you can do that.

And it is a possibility. But not likely, at the moment.

JazJon · May 2013

He added some basic Dashboard stuff in 2.0 for Server 2012, but not 2011. I've always used Logmein remote sessions to manage my server. (on any OS) so I don't mind either way. (I'm on Windows 8 currently used as a server) You can install a 2nd copy of DrivePool on your laptop/desktop and tell it to remote control the drivepool on the server too it's pretty slick. Again I'm happier using Logmein.com though to manage my "server" (windows 8 on all machines)

DutchDodo · June 2013

What is the ETA for v2.0?

Testing 1.3 on my WHS2011 at the mo. Having music streaming issues through my Sonos when the system is doing other things and similar with movies, so would really like to have the media streaming feature in v2.

Not having the desktop integration is not too bad. I use Remote desktop to fiddle with the server. For other users it is less of a distraction as well.

Can I simply update with a 1.3.1 license key or do I need to buy a new one?

Cheers,

Dodo

Rychek · July 2013

As soon as Drive Pool v2.0 is no longer Beta, I will buy a license (Scanner too) for my Server 2012 Essentials. I have lived without a pool since WHS 2011 was released and I'm tired of managing single disks, so I'm very excited for v2.0!

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