A home server is a server In computing, a server is any combination of hardware or software designed to provide services to clients. When used alone, the term typically refers to a computer which may be running a server operating system, but is also used to refer to any software or dedicated hardware capable of providing services located in a private residence providing services to other devices inside and/or outside the household The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family" through a home network A home network or home area network is a residential local area network. It is used for communication between digital devices typically deployed in the home, usually a small number of personal computers and accessories, such as printers and mobile computing devices. An important function is the sharing of Internet access, often a broadband service and/or the internet The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope that are linked by a broad array of electronic and. Such services may include file and/or printer serving, media center A Home Theater PC or Media Center is a convergence device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that supports video, photo, and music playback, and sometimes digital video recorder functionality. In recent years, other types of consumer electronics, including gaming systems and dedicated serving, web serving A web server is a computer program that delivers content, such as web pages, using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), over the World Wide Web. The term web server can also refer to the computer or virtual machine running the program. In large commercial deployments, a server computer running a web server can be rack-mounted with other servers, web caching Web caching is the caching of web documents in order to reduce bandwidth usage, server load, and perceived lag. A web cache stores copies of documents passing through it; subsequent requests may be satisfied from the cache if certain conditions are met, account authentication and backup In information technology, a backup or the process of backing up refers to making copies of data so that these additional copies may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb is back up in two words, whereas the noun is backup services. Because of the relatively low number of computers on a typical home network, a home server commonly does not require significant computing power. Often, users recycle older systems, and home servers with specifications as low as 1 GHz CPU and 256 MB of RAM Random-access memory is a form of computer data storage. Today, it takes the form of integrated circuits that allow stored data to be accessed in any order (i.e., at random). "Random" refers to the idea that any piece of data can be returned in a constant time, regardless of its physical location and whether or not it is related to the can be used. Large, preferably fast hard drives (ATA-100 or Serial ATA Serial ATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) is a computer bus interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives. Serial ATA was designed to replace the older ATA (AT Attachment) standard (also known as EIDE). It is able to use the same low level commands, but serial ATA host-) and a network interface card are usually all the hardware required for home file serving. An uninterruptible power supply An uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically the utility mains, fails. A UPS differs from an auxiliary or emergency power system or standby generator in that it will provide instantaneous is recommended in case of power outages There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network. Examples of these causes include, faults at power stations, damage to power lines, substations or other parts of the distribution system, a short circuit, or the overloading of electricity mains that can possibly corrupt data.
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Operating systems
Home servers run many different operating systems An operating system is the software on a computer that manages the way different programs use its hardware, and regulates the ways that a user controls the computer. Operating systems are found on almost any device that contains a computer with multiple programs—from cellular phones and video game consoles to supercomputers and web servers. Some. Enthusiasts who build their own home servers can use whatever OS is conveniently available or familiar to them, such as Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal, Mac OS X Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, Mac OS X has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems. It is the successor to Mac OS 9, the final release of the "classic" Mac OS, which had been Apple's primary operating system since 198, Linux Linux refers to the family of Unix-like computer operating systems using the Linux kernel. Linux can be installed on a wide variety of computer hardware, ranging from mobile phones, tablet computers and video game consoles, to mainframes and supercomputers. Linux is predominantly known for its use in servers; in 2009 it held a server market share, Solaris Solaris is a Unix operating system introduced by Sun Microsystems in 1992 as the successor to SunOS or BSD Berkeley Software Distribution is the UNIX operating system derivative developed and distributed by the Computer Systems Research Group (CSRG) of the University of California, Berkeley, from 1977 to 1995. Pre-built home servers are usually supplied with Windows Home Server Windows Home Server, code-named Quattro, is a home server operating system from Microsoft. Announced on 7 January 2007, at the Consumer Electronics Show by Bill Gates, Windows Home Server is intended to be a solution for homes with multiple connected PCs to offer file sharing, automated backups, and remote access. It is based on Windows Server 2003 installed.
Home server scenarios
Home servers do not necessarily have to be easy to administer or use; it wholly depends on the home administrator (for example, a person in IT having a complex home network with a Windows domain). However, most of the home servers today do not offer any services to the public internet[citation needed], and operate as simple media-oriented devices[citation needed]. Many are simply glorified NAS Network-attached storage is file-level computer data storage connected to a computer network providing data access to heterogeneous network clients devices[citation needed] and other consumer devices to integrate TVs Television is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic ("black and white") or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission. The word is derived from mixed Latin and gaming consoles with the PC and sometimes the internet[citation needed].
Administration and configuration
Home servers often run headless, and can be administered remotely through a command shell, or graphically through a remote desktop In computing, the term remote desktop refers to a software or an OS feature allowing graphical applications to be run remotely on a server, while being displayed locally. Remote desktop applications have varying features. Some allow attaching to an existing user's session and "remote controlling" it in front of the user's eyes. Taking system such as RDP Remote Desktop Protocol is a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft, which concerns providing a user with a graphical interface to another computer. The protocol is an extension of the ITU-T T.128 application sharing protocol. Clients exist for most versions of Microsoft Windows (including Windows Mobile), Linux, Unix, Mac OS X and other, VNC In computing, Virtual Network Computing is a graphical desktop sharing system that uses the RFB protocol to remotely control another computer. It transmits the keyboard and mouse events from one computer to another, relaying the graphical screen updates back in the other direction, over a network, Webmin Webmin is a web-based system configuration tool for Unix-like systems, although recent versions can also be installed and run on Windows. With it, it is possible configure operating system internals, such as users, disk quotas, services or configuration files, as well as modify and control open source apps, such as the Apache HTTP Server, PHP or, or many others.
Some home server operating systems, such as Windows Home Server Windows Home Server, code-named Quattro, is a home server operating system from Microsoft. Announced on 7 January 2007, at the Consumer Electronics Show by Bill Gates, Windows Home Server is intended to be a solution for homes with multiple connected PCs to offer file sharing, automated backups, and remote access. It is based on Windows Server 2003 include a consumer-focused graphical user interface A graphical user interface (sometimes pronounced gooey) is a type of user interface item that allows people to interact with programs in more ways than typing such as computers; hand-held devices such as MP3 Players, Portable Media Players or Gaming devices; household appliances and office equipment with images rather than text commands. A GUI for setup and configuration that is available on home computers on the home network (and remotely over the Internet The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope that are linked by a broad array of electronic and via remote access). Others simply enable users to use native operating system tools for configuration.
Centralized storage
Home servers often act as network-attached storage Network-attached storage is file-level computer data storage connected to a computer network providing data access to heterogeneous network clients providing the major benefit that all users' files can be centrally and securely stored, with flexible permissions applied to them. Such files can be easily accessed 24/7 from any other system on the network, provided the correct credentials are supplied. This also applies to shared printers.
Such files can also be shared over the internet to be accessible from anywhere in the world using remote access.
Servers running UNIX Unix is a computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna. Today's Unix systems are split into various branches, developed over time by AT&T as well as various commercial vendors and non-profit or Linux Linux refers to the family of Unix-like computer operating systems using the Linux kernel. Linux can be installed on a wide variety of computer hardware, ranging from mobile phones, tablet computers and video game consoles, to mainframes and supercomputers. Linux is predominantly known for its use in servers; in 2009 it held a server market share with the free Samba suite Samba is a free software re-implementation of SMB/CIFS networking protocol, originally developed by Australian Andrew Tridgell. As of version 3, Samba provides file and print services for various Microsoft Windows clients and can integrate with a Windows Server domain, either as a Primary Domain Controller or as a domain member. It can also be (or certain Windows Server products - Windows Home Server excluded) can provide domain control, custom logon scripts, and roaming profiles to users of certain versions of Windows. This allows a user to log on from any machine in the domain and have access to his/her "My Documents" and personalized Windows and application preferences - multiple accounts on each computer in the home are not needed.
Media serving
Home servers are often used to serve multi-media content, including photos, music, and video to other devices in the household (and even to the Internet; see Place Shifting and Orb). Using standard protocols such as DLNA or proprietary systems such as iTunes iTunes is a proprietary digital media player application, used for playing and organizing digital music and video files. The application is also an interface to manage the contents on Apple's popular iPod and other digital media players such as the iPhone and iPad. Additionally, iTunes can connect to the iTunes Store via the Internet to purchase users can access their media stored on the home server from any room in the house. Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows Vista Windows Vista is an operating system expressed in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs. Prior to its announcement on July 22, 2005, Windows Vista was known by its codename "Longhorn." Development was completed on November 8,, and Windows 7 Windows 7 is a version of Microsoft Windows, a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, netbooks, tablet PCs, and media center PCs. Windows 7 was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009, and reached general retail availability on October 22, 2009, less than can act as a home server, supporting a particular type of media serving that streams the interactive user experience to Media Center Extenders including the Xbox 360 Original models 2.4 GHz wireless, 3 × USB 2.0, IR receiver, 100 Mbit Ethernet .
A typical MythTV menu.Windows Home Server Windows Home Server, code-named Quattro, is a home server operating system from Microsoft. Announced on 7 January 2007, at the Consumer Electronics Show by Bill Gates, Windows Home Server is intended to be a solution for homes with multiple connected PCs to offer file sharing, automated backups, and remote access. It is based on Windows Server 2003 supports media streaming to Xbox 360 Original models 2.4 GHz wireless, 3 × USB 2.0, IR receiver, 100 Mbit Ethernet and other DLNA based media receivers via the built-in Windows Media Connect technology. Some Windows Home Server Windows Home Server, code-named Quattro, is a home server operating system from Microsoft. Announced on 7 January 2007, at the Consumer Electronics Show by Bill Gates, Windows Home Server is intended to be a solution for homes with multiple connected PCs to offer file sharing, automated backups, and remote access. It is based on Windows Server 2003 device manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard Hewlett-Packard Company , commonly referred to as HP, is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA. HP is one of the world's largest information technology companies and operates in nearly every country. HP specializes in developing and manufacturing computing, data storage, and extend this functionality with a full DLNA implementation such as PacketVideo PV's customers include mobile operators such as Verizon Wireless, NTT DoCoMo and Orange, handset manufacturers, and consumer electronics companies. PV's software is embedded in more than 249 million devices worldwide and more than 248 different products TwonkyMedia server.
On a Linux server, there are many free, open-source, fully-functional, all-in-one software solutions for media serving available. One such program is LinuxMCE LinuxMCE is a free and open source software platform with a 10-foot user interface designed to allow a computer to act as a home theater PC (HTPC) for the living-room TV, personal video recorder, and home automation system. It allows control of everything in the home, from lighting and climate to surveillance cameras and home security. It also, which allows other devices to boot off a hard drive image on the server, allowing them to become appliances such as set-top boxes A set-top box or set-top unit (STU) is a device that connects to a television and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen or other display device. Amahi is a free Linux Home Server that provides shared storage, automated backups, secure VPN, and shared applications like calendar and wiki. Asterisk Asterisk is a software implementation of a telephone private branch exchange originally created in 1999 by Mark Spencer of Digium. Like any PBX, it allows attached telephones to make calls to one another, and to connect to other telephone services including the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Xine, MythTV MythTV is a free home entertainment application with a simplified "10-foot user interface" design for the living-room TV, and turns a computer with the necessary hardware into a network streaming digital video recorder, a digital multimedia home entertainment system, or Home Theater Personal Computer. It can be considered as a free and (another media serving solution), VideoLAN, SlimServer, and many other open-source projects are fully integrated for a seamless home theater/automation/telephony experience.
Because a server is typically always on, it is often a more logical choice to put a TV tuner or radio tuner for recording broadcasts into a server, than it is to use e.g. a desktop for recording, as it allows recording to be scheduled at any time.
On an Apple Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. Apple software includes the Mac OS X operating system; the iTunes media browser; the iLife suite Macintosh The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a graphical user interface rather than a command-line interface server, options include iTunes iTunes is a proprietary digital media player application, used for playing and organizing digital music and video files. The application is also an interface to manage the contents on Apple's popular iPod and other digital media players such as the iPhone and iPad. Additionally, iTunes can connect to the iTunes Store via the Internet to purchase, PS3 Media Server PS3 Media Server is a DLNA compliant UPnP Media Server for the PS3 , written in Java, with the purpose of streaming or transcoding any kind of media files, with minimum configuration. It is supported by the MPlayer/FFmpeg packages, Twonky Media Server, Nullriver MediaLink, and Elgato EyeConnect. Additionally, for Macs directly connected to TVs, the built-in FrontRow program or Boxee Boxee is a cross-platform freeware home theater PC program with a 10-foot user interface and social networking features designed for the living-room TV. Boxee is initially a fork of the free and open source XBMC media center software which Boxee uses as an application framework for its GUI and media player core platform, together with some custom can act as a full-featured media center interface.
Some home servers provide remote access to media and entertainment content.
Remote access
The Webmin Interface as it would appear in a standard browser.A home server can be used to provide remote access into the home from devices on the Internet, using remote desktop software and other remote administration software. For example, Windows Home Server provides remote access to files stored on the home server via a web interface as well as remote access to Remote Desktop sessions on PCs in the house. Enthusiasts often use VPN technologies as well.
On a Linux server, two popular tools are (among many) VNC and Webmin. VNC allows clients to remotely view a server GUI desktop as if the user was physically sitting in front of the server. A GUI need not be running on the server console for this to occur; there can be multiple 'virtual' desktop environments open at the same time. Webmin allows users to control many aspects of server configuration and maintenance all from a simple web interface. Both can be configured to be accessed from anywhere on the internet.
Servers can also be accessed remotely using the command line-based Telnet and SSH protocols.
Web serving
Some users choose to run a web server in order to share files easily and publicly (or privately, on the home network). Others set up web pages and serve them straight from their home, although this may be in violation of some ISPs terms of service[1]. Sometimes these webservers are run on a nonstandard port in order to avoid the ISP's port blocking. Example web servers used on home servers include Apache and IIS.
Many other webservers are available; see Comparison of web servers.
Web proxy
Some networks have an HTTP proxy which can be used to speed up web access when multiple users visit the same websites, and to get past blocking software while the owner is using the network of some institution that might block certain sites. Public proxies are often slow and unreliable and so it is worth the trouble of setting up one's own private proxy.
Some proxies can be configured to block websites on the local network from being viewed if it is set up as a transparent proxy.
Many home servers also run e-mail servers that handle e-mail for the owner's domain name. The advantages are having much bigger mailboxes and maximum message size than most commercial e-mail services. Access to the server, since it is on the local network is much faster than using an external service. This also increases security as e-mails don't reside on an off-site server.[2]
BitTorrent
Home servers are ideal for utilizing the BitTorrent protocol for downloading and seeding files as some torrents can take days, or even weeks to complete and perform better on an uninterrupted connection. There are many command-line based clients such as rTorrent and web-based ones such as TorrentFlux available for this purpose. BitTorrent also makes it easier for those with limited bandwidth to distribute large files over the internet.
Gopher
An unusual service is the Gopher protocol, a hypertext document retrieval protocol which pre-dated the World Wide Web and was popular in the early 1990s. Many of the remaining gopher servers are run off home servers utilizing PyGopherd and the Bucktooth gopher server.
Home automation
Home automation requires a device in the home that is available 24/7. Often such home automation controllers are run on a home server.
Security monitoring
Relatively low cost CCTV DVR solutions are available that allow recording of video cameras to a home server for security purposes. The video can then be viewed on PCs or other devices in the house.
A series of cheap Universal serial bus-based webcams can be connected to a home server as a makeshift CCTV system. Optionally these images and video streams can be made available over the internet using standard protocols.
Family applications
Home servers can act as a host to family oriented applications such as a family calendar, to-do lists, and message boards.
IRC and instant messaging
Because a server is always on, an IRC client or IM client running on it will be highly available to the Internet. This way, the chat client will be able to record activity that occurs even while the user is not at the computer, e.g. asleep or at work or school. Textual clients such as Irssi and tmsnc can be detached using GNU Screen for example, and graphical clients such as Pidgin can be detached using xmove. Home servers can also be used to run personal XMPP servers and IRC servers as these protocols can support a large number of users on very little bandwidth
Online gaming
Some MMORPGs such as Continuum, Tremulous and World of Warcraft have server software available which users may download and use to run their own private game server. Some of these servers are password protected, so only a selected group of people such as guild members can gain access to the server. Others are open for public use and may move to colocation or other forms of paid hosting if they gain a large number of players.
3rd Party Platform
Home servers often are platforms that enable 3rd party products to be built and added over time. For example Windows Home Server provides a Software Development Kit and over 60 3rd party products are available for it.
See also
Operating systems
- BSD UNIX
- Various Linux distributions - some are specifically made for home servers
- Mac OS X Server
- Sun Solaris
- Windows Home Server and other variants of Microsoft Windows
Products
Technologies
- Client-server architecture
- Dynamic DNS
- File server
- Home network
- Network-attached storage
- Residential gateway
Media serving software
Server software
- Comparison of web servers
- List of mail servers
- List of FTP server software
- List of XMPP server software
- Samba (software)
- RealVNC
References
External links
Categories: Networks | Home appliances | Home servers
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Andrew Edney
ue, 24 Mar 2009 01:35:00 GM
Today finally sees the announcement that Windows . Home Server. Power Pack 2, formally known as Snoqualmie, will be released tomorrow via Windows Update. Power Pack 2 is a minor release for Windows . Home Server. but it is also a must have ...
