25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2

Transcription

1 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 Christopher Courtney & Jim Clark v1.0

2 Copyright 2012 by Christopher Courtney & Jim Clark All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review. First Published: August 2012 by We Got Served Ltd. ISBN:

3 DEDICATIONS AND THANKS A big thank you to Ken Bracken for his VM support during the writing of this book. Christopher Courtney To Terry Walsh, for giving me the chance to do something new; to the staff of We Got Served who are simply a great bunch of people to work with; to the readers of We Got Served and the Windows Home Server Community who, without you, this book would not be possible. Jim Clark 3

4 About the Authors About the Authors Christopher Courtney Christopher Courtney is a frequent contributor and lead forum moderator at We Got Served, a popular home server destination for hundreds of thousands of readers every month. While he may not be in an IT job, computers have always been his passion. Indeed, when he discovered Windows Home Server in 2007, he already had a Windows XP computer set up to do a very similar thing. But after trying Windows Home Server, that XP computer was soon retired. Christopher s expertise and community support for Windows Home Server and its users has been recognised multiple times by Microsoft via the Most Valuable Professional award, a coveted honour granted to the best and brightest technology experts around the world. 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects - Volume 2 is Christopher s first book. You can contact him at drashna@wegotserved.co.uk Jim Clark Jim Clark is a writer and reviewer at We Got Served. When he first heard about Windows Home Server, he developed an immediate interest in this new platform as a centralized storage product for the home. We Got Served became an outlet to document his experiences with this Microsoft product, review software written specifically for the Windows Home Server platform, and review hardware related products for use in the digital home. His interest in Windows Home Server and the digital home continues to this day. Jim was born and raised in Marion, Iowa. Except for short stints in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, Iowa, he has remained true to Marion. All four of his children have graduated from the same high school he went to. Jim has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Iowa and has spent his entire career in various design engineering positions in the manufacturing industry. Jim's interest in computer technology started with the original IBM PC. PCs have been an integral tool at work, and a hobby for over 25 years. Jim has been awarded Microsoft's Most 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 4

5 About the Authors Valuable Professional Award for Windows Home Server each year since 2009 for his work at We Got Served. Jim is the co-author of Windows Home Server 2011 Step by Step and 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects. This is his third book. You can contact Jim at ABOUT WE GOT SERVED We Got Served is a popular technology news and community site which was founded in February It is written, edited and moderated by a dedicated and knowledgeable team of technology enthusiasts across the world who are focused on bringing you the latest news, reviews, tutorials and support for the products you re using today and tomorrow. We created We Got Served as a place to learn about new technology, help readers make the most of the products and services they use, and most importantly to create a community where readers can learn, discuss and share their experiences and knowledge with others in need of support. However you use the site, we hope you enjoy it. 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 5

6 About this Book About this Book Back in February 2012, Jim Clark and I realised that we were both pretty bored with Windows Home Server. Sure, the operating system is really good, but once you ve mastered the basics, well, you pretty much leave it to get on with its job - backup, file sharing, remote access and so on. From time to time, you ll remember how great it is - most likely when one of your PCs goes pop and you recover your data, indeed the whole PC in a matter of minutes. But on a day to day basis, that set and forget server is most definitely forgotten. So, figuring we may be representative of many Windows Home Server users out there in the work, we wrote 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects - a book comprising twenty five walkthroughs of projects we d completed previously on our home servers. By and large, these projects had very little to do with the Windows Home Server feature set (well, the published feature set, anyway) - they were all about extending the core features of the platform to do more. The book did very well. Thousands of copies have been sold to date, and the feedback hugely positive (thanks to all who took time to write in, you rock!) All was well, until a few weeks after publishing the book, the s started. Innocent enough, the general gist was, We love those projects you published, but we ve kind of done them now, so can you publish some more. The initial trickle of s turned into, well, not a flood but certainly a babbling brook. So I thought we d better put together a second volume - and that s what you re just about to start reading. This time around, I roped in our We Got Served colleague Christopher Courtney (a.k.a Drashna) to work on the book. Whilst the first volume covered a broad spectrum of entertainment, media management and security projects (and more), I wanted the 25 Essential Windows Home Server Volume 2 projects to be a little more advanced - not scarily advanced, but certainly positioned to help you learn more about working behind the scenes of Windows Home Server as you follow along. A little bit of education combined with a lot of fun - that s the goal. As We Got Served s resident home server tinkerer - a man who has broken (and fixed) more home servers than you can shake a stick at, I could think of no-one better to stretch your knowledge and your home server s usefulness than Chris - this time, I get to take a back seat in the Editor s chair. So, once again Windows Home Server v1 and 2011 owners are warmly welcomed - we ve made sure the projects work for both operating systems. This time around, we ll assume you have the basics of Windows Home Server (v1 or 2011) covered, and you may well have already worked through the first book - so your home server knowledge is increasing. That means we may ask you to log into your home server via a Remote Desktop Connection, but 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 6

7 About this Book we won t include a detailed walkthrough and screenshots of doing so - our focus is on delivering the new stuff, rather than repeating what you already know. If you don t know, or get stuck, WGS Forums is your friend. So, if you read the first volume, welcome back - you know what to expect. For new readers, a similarly warm welcome and I hope you all have a great time working through your next 25 Essential Windows Home Server projects! Terry Walsh (Editor) August 2012 A NOTE ON THE PROJECTS INCLUDED IN THE BOOK As this is the second volume of 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects, we wanted to ensure we included at least a couple of projects that were more advanced, for those of you seeking a bit of extreme fun - indeed, a couple of projects - for example, enabling Active Directory support, are on the bleeding edge of what s possible with Windows Home Server and should be considered for geeks only. We ve included these projects at the end of the book, in their own lead-lined section. We urge you to read through the Projects in advance of working through them on the server, and where possible, test them out in a Virtual Machine ahead of running them on your live server - there s every possibility that they ll break access to the server if things go awry. Please ensure your server data is backed up elsewhere and safe before going ahead with these projects. 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 7

8 Revision History Revision History v1.0 August 2012 Initial release 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 8

9 Contents Contents Dedications and Thanks... 3 About the Authors... 4 About We Got Served... 5 About this Book... 6 A Note on the Projects Included in the Book... 7 Revision History... 8 Contents... 9 Stream Music and Movies to Android, ios and WP7 Devices with Subsonic Installing Java, Apache Tomcat and Codecs Configuring Subsonic On Your Server Streaming Subsonic Securely Subsonic for Android Convert Your Home Server s Security Certificate to a Friendlier Format Download Win32 OpenSSL and Visual C Redistributables Export The WHS v1 Security Certificate Export The WHS 2011 Security Certificate Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 9

10 Contents Converting Your Certificate Use Windows Home Server as a Time Server Configuring the Server Configuring Windows Firewall Configuring Client Computers to use the Time Server Manage PC Updates With Windows Server Update Services. 72 Installing Windows Server Update Services Configure Windows Server Update Services Configure Windows Firewall Configure Automatic Approvals for Windows Update Set Up Notifications Synchronizing Windows Updates for the First Time Configuring Clients to use your WSUS Server Keep Your Electricity Bills in Check with Lights-Out Power Management A Lap Around Lights- Out for Windows Home Server v Lights- Out for Windows Home Server Lights-Out On Clients and More Show Me the Money Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 10

11 Contents Update Your Windows Home Server Client Restore Disk With the Latest Drivers Adding Drivers the Simple Way Integrate Drivers into the Windows Home Server v1 Restore Disk Integrate Drivers into the Windows Home Server 2011 Restore Disk 137 Run Virtual Machines on Windows Home Server Finding the Right Virtualization Solution Before You Get Started Installing Oracle VM VirtualBox Configuring VirtualBox Configuring VirtualBox Web Interface Create a Virtual Machine Spring Clean Your Files and Folders With the Power of De- Duplication A Look at Snoop-de-dupe s Controls Create a SharePoint Collaboration Site on Windows Home Server Installing SharePoint Services Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 11

12 Contents Configuring SharePoint Services Making SharePoint Services Accessible Re- enabling the Windows Home Server Remote Website Configuring Optional Alerts Test Your Configuration Troubleshooting Back Up Your Home Server s Files to the Cloud for Added Protection Installing KeepVault on WHS v Installing CloudBerry Online Backup For WHS v Installing KeepVault on WHS Installing CloudBerry Online Backup for WHS Configuration and Usage Additional Considerations Create Your Own Streaming Internet Radio Station With SHOUTcast Installing SHOUTcast on Windows Home Server Configuring SHOUTcast Installing SHOUTcast as a Service Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 12

13 Contents Configuring Windows Firewall Installing and Configuring Winamp Configure Winamp for Remote Control Installing NGWinamp Installing BrowseAmp GT Running Winamp as a Service Build a Widgetised Web Portal for Your Home Server Install the Web Platform Installer and Dropthings For Windows Home Server v Install the Web Platform Installer and Dropthings For Windows Home Server Dropthings Configuration Replicate Your Files and Folders Automatically to an External Storage Device The Windows Home Server Backup Solution Windows Home Server Server Backup Considerations Installing SyncBack on Windows Home Server v Installing SyncBack on Windows Home Server SyncBack Configuration and Usage Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 13

14 Contents Sync Your Home Server s Files Across Multiple Devices Installing Dropbox Synchronizing Files With Your SmartPhone And Other Devices Build and Manage an itunes Server for Your Network Install ihomeserver for Windows Home Server Configure itunes on Windows Home Server Install QuickTime Install ihomeserver Adding Watched Folders to ihomeserver Additional ihomeserver Features Clean and De-duplicate Your itunes Music Library Download TuneUp Clean Up Your Music Library Install an FTP Server on Windows Home Server Installing an FTP Server on Windows Home Server v Configure the FTP Server on Windows Home Server v Configure the FTP Server Secure Your FTP Server Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 14

15 Contents Add Additional Locations for FTP Access Allow FTP Server Access Through Windows Firewall Accessing your FTP Server Add a Network Location to Windows for Drag And Drop Interface Use a Dedicated FTP Client Installing an FTP Server on Windows Home Server Configure the Windows Home Server 2011 FTP Server Configure Additional Locations for FTP Access Access your FTP Server Stream DVDs, Blu-rays and ISOs to Network Devices and Games Consoles Rip Your DVD and Blu- ray Discs to ISO Install ISO Mounter for Windows Home Server v Mount an ISO File Install Serviio Media Server for Windows Home Server Stream Your Video to Xbox Install ISO Mounter for Windows Home Server Streaming ISOs from Windows Home Server 2011 to Xbox Migrate From Windows Home Server to Windows Set up a Windows 8 computer for use as a File Server Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 15

16 Contents Add Storage Capacity With Storage Spaces Add User Accounts Create Shared Folders Set up a Windows 8 Computer for Use as a Backup Server Protecting Your Data With File History Set up a Windows 8 computer for use as a Remote Access Portal Secure and Monitor Your Home Server s Remote Web Access Monitor and Block Visits to Your Website Reviewing Your Logs Blocking Access to your WHS v1 Web Server Blocking Access to your WHS 2011 Web Site Blocking Large Scale Access to your Web Server Manage Your TV Show Recordings With Sick Beard Installing Sick Beard Configuring Sick Beard Configure Windows Firewall Configure Post-Processing Options Configuring Notifications Adding TV Shows to Sick Beard Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 16

17 Contents Manually Add Files Coming Episodes Configure the Sick Beard Mobile App Upgrade Your HP MediaSmart Server to Windows Home Server Preparing the Server Upgrade Create the USB Installation Flash Drive Using a Windows Home Server 2011 Installation DVD Create an Unattended Installation File Prepare Your HP EX490/EX495/X510 For the Upgrade Upgrade your HP server to Windows Home Server Finishing the Installation Create a Personal Cloud Server with owncloud Upgrade PHP for Windows Home Server v Configure PHP for owncloud Install OwnCloud on Your Server Fixing owncloud s Images Add User Fix for owncloud Configuring owncloud Uploading Files Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 17

18 Contents Installing the owncloud Windows Client Using the owncloud Android App Part II: Advanced Projects Add a Windows Home Server Restore Option to Your PC s Boot Menu Configuring Windows XP PCs Windows Home Server v1 Configuration Windows Home Server 2011 Configuration Enable Active Directory Support on Windows Home Server v Preparing the Server Install Active Directory Add DNS Servers Add Exceptions to the Firewall Re-enabling Services Reset Permissions to Re- Enable Web Services Remote Console Replacement Change Password Policy Manually Specify DNS Server on Your Clients Setting up your Router to Specify the DNS Server Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 18

19 Contents Installing a DHCP Server on your Home Server Join a Windows XP Computer to the Domain Join Windows Vista/7 Computer to the Domain Install Windows Deployment Services (Optional) Add Windows 7 Images to WDS Add Windows Home Server Client Restore Disk to WDS Boot From The Network Index Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 19

20 Chapter 1: Stream Music & Movies to Android, ios and WP7 Devices With Subsonic Chapter 1 Stream Music and Movies to Android, ios and WP7 Devices with Subsonic Windows Home Server v1 completely lacks a remote web streaming solution out of the box. While Windows Home Server 2011 includes such a feature, it s limited to web browsers with support for Microsoft s Silverlight plug-in - which means that you are (mostly) limited to desktop and laptop computers for streaming. You may also find there are a few issues with certain video formats and playback. As a result, it s hard to make a case for either release of Windows Home Server when it comes to remote streaming out of the box. However, all is not lost! There is a great solution available for Windows Home Server owners called Subsonic Media Server. There s a little work required to getting it up and running, but it performs well, streaming to any web browser that supports Adobe Flash, or to dedicated Android, ios or Windows Phone 7 apps. You ll also find apps for streaming devices such as Sonos and Roku as well as the BlackBerry PlayBook, and webos. Before we get started on the project, there are three caveats for using Subsonic: If you want to use the mobile apps, you must donate 10 minimum to receive a license to keep using those features. You do have 30 days to try them out, however. That said, considering how useful they are, and how much I use them personally, it s absolutely worth it. The second caveat is that the mobile app for Android is the only one created by Subsonic s developer, and is the only one without charge. The ios and Windows Phone apps are around $5, but again are a worthwhile investment. The third caveat is that video streaming requires Adobe Flash, so if you re streaming to a computer with a web browser, you must use a browser that supports Flash. Still up for it? Let s get Subsonic installed. 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 20

21 Chapter 1: Stream Music & Movies to Android, ios and WP7 Devices With Subsonic For Windows Home Server v1 or Windows Home Server 2011 INSTALLING JAVA, APACHE TOMCAT AND CODECS To start off, you ll need to download a few files. Head over to and download the newest version of Java for Windows 32-bit (for a WHS v1 installation) or Java for Windows 64-bit for WHS The Java website. Then head over to the Apache Software Foundation website ( and download the 32-bit or 64-bit Apache Tomcat Windows Service Installer. 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 21

22 Chapter 1: Stream Music & Movies to Android, ios and WP7 Devices With Subsonic No, nothing to do with your domestic moggy - Apache Tomcat is an open source web server, used to run Java code. Now head over to the Subsonic website ( and download the WAR version. Finally, we need to download the latest static FFmpeg executable from and the LAME v bundle from Again, where 32 and 64-bit versions are offered, be sure to select the right version for your OS (WHS v1 is 32-bit, WHS bit). 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 22

23 Chapter 1: Stream Music & Movies to Android, ios and WP7 Devices With Subsonic The Subsonic website. Once you have these downloaded all of the files, copy them to a shared folder on your server if you haven t downloaded them directly on the server itself. Open up a Remote Desktop Connection to access the server and once you re logged in, locate the Java installer you ve just downloaded and double click to start the installation wizard. You can accept the default settings throughout. 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 23

24 Chapter 1: Stream Music & Movies to Android, ios and WP7 Devices With Subsonic Installing Java. Now, install Tomcat. The only thing you need to change in the installation wizard is to check the Service Startup option in the Choose Components dialog, as that will configure Tomcat to run automatically every time your server starts up. 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 24

25 Chapter 1: Stream Music & Movies to Android, ios and WP7 Devices With Subsonic Configuring the Apache Tomcat installation. All other settings should be left as default - the Apace Tomcat installer will automatically detect where Java is installed and will identify if its default ports are already being used. Uncheck the Run Tomcat option on the last screen - there are a few things we want to do before starting it up. 25 Essential Windows Home Server Projects Volume 2 25