What benefit does it give to the workstations users, network administrators, etc.? I have been searching the net for information but can't get simple answers. Please give the benefits of using a windows server 2008 for a home or small office network, not technical features, specifications and marketing hype. I will appreciate simple answers, links of references and other useful resources. Thank you.a filipino newbie

You might look around here. http://www.microsoft.com/sbs/en/us/testimonials.aspx http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver/default.mspx Regards, Dave Patrick .... Microsoft Certified Professional -Microsoft MVP [Windows]

Thanks Dave. The links led me to Small Business Server and Windows Home Server articles. Does this mean that Windows Server 2008 can give the benefits of SBS and WHS? a filipino newbie

Depends on your requirements. Windows Home Server cannot be a domain member or DC. I think SBS Server must be a domain controller. Regards, Dave Patrick .... Microsoft Certified Professional -Microsoft MVP [Windows]

Hello, without knowing what you like to have in your network this is not easy to answer. Windows server 2008(which edition???) has lot of functionality and is maybe complete overloaded for you at home. So please describe about your home network more details, amount of machines and what you are doing with the network. For simple network with 1 or 2 computers the server management can take more time, then just using a NAS device for file storage and as backup solution. Your questions in th doubled thread: 1. Which edition are you talking about? Without knowing what you have as requirement and how much computers are used this isn't possible from my point of view, please provide more details. 2. this has to be managed from the server administrator and requires features like folder redirection or network shares. 3. depends on the used server edition, full client backup is only possible with Windows Home server. 4. this depends on the software youb like to isntall, some are not able to run with Remote Desktop services and additional you require licenses for Remote desktop services. 5. depends also on the used server version. 6. this depends on the reuirements you have and can't be answered for you. I have complete other requirements in my networks. Best regards Meinolf Weber Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.

ok, thanks. 1. We have WS 2008 Enterprise Edition. 2. In the mentioned version, is folder "redirection" or "network shares" available feature to allow users of client workstations to manage their files centrally and access them whatever client workstation they login? 3. In WS 2008 Enterprise Edition, can it perform a backup of client computers and their files, using Volume Shadow Copy service? ... In plain simple terms, please, what benefits can be gained by a small organization with 20-50 computers gain from a WS 2008 Enterprise Edition? Thanks a lot.a filipino newbie

Hello, 2. folder redirection can be configured with Group policies if the machines belong to a domain network. Network shares can also be used without a domain network. Both ways use a central folder on a server that is shared and permissions must be configured for the users to access it. In a domain this is done central with security groups and with a workgroup server each user requires a user account with the same name/password combination as on the local computer to access the shared folder. Depending on the Share/NTFS permissions on the folder/folders the users can access them and do what you have set with the Share/NFTS permissions. If they have to logon to each computer within a domain the domain user account can logon to any machine without additional configuration. With workgroup machines you have to create on each computer a local account for the specific users, otherwise they can't logon. 3. No, as said before a full client machine backup is done only from the Windows Home Server. "In plain simple terms, please, what benefits can be gained by a small organization with 20-50 computers gain from a WS 2008 Enterprise Edition" If a domain is created, you have centralized data management, user management, group policies for many settings like folder redirection, security settings, computer settings and user settings. A single place to manage hundreds of settings for all users and machines. This requires from the administrator knowledge about Active directory, DNS, NTFS permissions, Group policies and some more. Without testing and learning for domain management it will not be that easy to manage, installation is just some clicks.Best regards Meinolf Weber Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.