| Author |
Message |
Robert E. Spivack
Guest
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 Posted:
Tue Aug 10, 2004 4:33 am Post subject:
WSS versus Windows 2003 Server |
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|
I'm trying to understand the technical differences between WSS and a regular
Windows 2003 Server (std or EE) which is deployed as a storage server.
It's been hard to wade through all the marketing materials, but from what I
have read, I think it consists of the following:
WSS is an OEM product, so there may be pricing differences (better) than
using off-the-shelf Windows 2003 Server (and available is limited to OEM's,
maybe system builders too)
WSS includes the web based management software that has evolved from the
earlier Windows NAS/Hosting appliances. Some of this web "front end" is
bundled with Windows 2003 server also.
WSS has MPIO. It is unclear to me whether this is a built-in feature, or
merely the ability to load a 3rd party DDK-based driver for MPIO. (In the
latter case, the DDK could possibly also be loaded onto regular Windows 2003).
So, if I want to configure a WSS-type server and I don't want to spend the
big $$ to buy from a brand-name company with high-end configurations, and I
also don't want to buy from a 2nd tier brand but would prefer to configure my
own server with my own choice of motherboard and drive subsystem, if I
configure a "storage server" using Windows 2003, do I "lose" any capability
other than the enhanced web "front end"? |
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Pat [MSFT]
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Aug 10, 2004 4:51 am Post subject:
Re: WSS versus Windows 2003 Server |
|
|
Storage Server also includes directory level quotas (vs Volume level) and
reporting capabilities, and most vendors include AV software (which you may
already have anyway) and/or a backup solution/management solution (this
varies significantly by vendor). Otherwise, you should be OK.
Pat
"Robert E. Spivack" <Robert E. Spivack@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message news:11000B17-38AD-4FAF-819B-C3E81B282157@microsoft.com...
| Quote: | I'm trying to understand the technical differences between WSS and a
regular
Windows 2003 Server (std or EE) which is deployed as a storage server.
It's been hard to wade through all the marketing materials, but from what
I
have read, I think it consists of the following:
WSS is an OEM product, so there may be pricing differences (better) than
using off-the-shelf Windows 2003 Server (and available is limited to
OEM's,
maybe system builders too)
WSS includes the web based management software that has evolved from the
earlier Windows NAS/Hosting appliances. Some of this web "front end" is
bundled with Windows 2003 server also.
WSS has MPIO. It is unclear to me whether this is a built-in feature, or
merely the ability to load a 3rd party DDK-based driver for MPIO. (In the
latter case, the DDK could possibly also be loaded onto regular Windows
2003).
So, if I want to configure a WSS-type server and I don't want to spend the
big $$ to buy from a brand-name company with high-end configurations, and
I
also don't want to buy from a 2nd tier brand but would prefer to configure
my
own server with my own choice of motherboard and drive subsystem, if I
configure a "storage server" using Windows 2003, do I "lose" any
capability
other than the enhanced web "front end"? |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jeff Goldner [MS]
Guest
|
| Posted:
Sat Aug 14, 2004 9:17 am Post subject:
Re: WSS versus Windows 2003 Server |
|
|
MPIO is not included on either product, although WSS vendors may include
MPIO with their offerings that attach to SAN storage (e.g., "NAS heads").
You cannot install MPIO from the DDK - that is licensed to storage vendors
and they need to package a complete solution, although in some cases all
they do is rename a few files and build an installer application. They are
required to test and submit these solutions through WHQL before offering
them to customers and the program has numerous other provisions to insure
compatibility of multi-vendor solutions and conformance to standards.
The licensing model for WSS is different from WS03 as well.
"Pat [MSFT]" <patfilot@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:ePrG$QnfEHA.708@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
| Quote: | Storage Server also includes directory level quotas (vs Volume level) and
reporting capabilities, and most vendors include AV software (which you
may already have anyway) and/or a backup solution/management solution
(this varies significantly by vendor). Otherwise, you should be OK.
Pat
"Robert E. Spivack" <Robert E. Spivack@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message news:11000B17-38AD-4FAF-819B-C3E81B282157@microsoft.com...
I'm trying to understand the technical differences between WSS and a
regular
Windows 2003 Server (std or EE) which is deployed as a storage server.
It's been hard to wade through all the marketing materials, but from what
I
have read, I think it consists of the following:
WSS is an OEM product, so there may be pricing differences (better) than
using off-the-shelf Windows 2003 Server (and available is limited to
OEM's,
maybe system builders too)
WSS includes the web based management software that has evolved from the
earlier Windows NAS/Hosting appliances. Some of this web "front end" is
bundled with Windows 2003 server also.
WSS has MPIO. It is unclear to me whether this is a built-in feature, or
merely the ability to load a 3rd party DDK-based driver for MPIO. (In
the
latter case, the DDK could possibly also be loaded onto regular Windows
2003).
So, if I want to configure a WSS-type server and I don't want to spend
the
big $$ to buy from a brand-name company with high-end configurations, and
I
also don't want to buy from a 2nd tier brand but would prefer to
configure my
own server with my own choice of motherboard and drive subsystem, if I
configure a "storage server" using Windows 2003, do I "lose" any
capability
other than the enhanced web "front end"?
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