Teknoise.com has a post about why Amahi should be a good choice if you are searching for an alternative to Windows Home Server or Windows Home Server 2011 after Microsoft's announcement that there would be no new Windows Home Server operating system releases.
Amahi is a Linux based home server software solution which gives it some advantages and some disadvantages:
Amahi is an open-source, free and Linux-based home server equipped with Ubuntu and Fedora versions. It is developed to run 24×7 similar to any other server. Unlike Windows Home Server, Amahi Server is not as intuitive. Yes, it can perform all the tasks that Windows Home Server or any other typical home server can, but many tasks require smaller tasks to be accomplished first. If you are not a Linux user, then you might be unaware of the annoyance these fiddlings can create. Windows provides a smooth GUI through which we can tweak the server according to our needs. Also, there is a vast online support system available for Windows. When it comes to Linux, only Ubuntu Linux has a considerable supporting community. Also, workarounds in Linux (and Ubuntu) environment are highly dependent on command-line, which is quite irritating for novices. Despite all these drawbacks, Amahi is a very nice Windows Home Server replacement equipped with many features. Now, we will take a look at the features provided by these two servers.
Similarities to Windows Home Server include the support of storage pooling - treating several hard drives as one storage pool, and folder duplication - having selected folders duplicated on more than one physical hard drive.
Amahi provides several solutions for backing up other computers on your home network but they are not as easy to setup or polished as the WHS solutions:
Amahi provides a wide range of ways through which we can backup our precious data. The backup is initiated through the client computer. It means that Amahi Home Server doesn’t start the backup and is not responsible if the data is not backed up. Amahi support team on the Amahi website has listed several automated backup methods for major platforms. These methods automatically backup the data to Amahi Home Server. WHS is quite good at automated regular backups, and Amahi just can’t beat WHS in this feature.
File sharing capabilities are deemed to be about equal for the two systems by the article's author.
Amahi also provides for streaming media solutions, security and VPN support.
For most users willing to work a bit to learn a new system such as the Linux based Amahi, Amahi provides a good replacement for WHS and WHS 2011.
Related articles
- Amahi Ubuntu Edition Now Live (nas-pro.com)
- Another RIP for Windows Home Server (nas-pro.com)
- Amahi Releases Ubuntu Edition (linux-magazine.com)
- Skydrive vs. NAS vs. Windows Home Server vs. Windows' Shares (nas-pro.com)
( Leave a Comment )