Which version of Windows is right for you? Small business choices

Microsoft has always been happy to offer multiple versions of its products, which is sometimes confusing. And Windows Storage Server and its three versions better than WSS Essentials just confirm this fact. So many versions, which one is suitable for small businesses? How to choose the right version of Windows?

It is understood that Windows Home Server 2011 is a good choice for small business needs, including home office, small business couples, and those that simply require information to be stored and protected. Now I still believe that the program is eye-catching in serving small business organizations, but many companies have clearly put forward higher requirements. You may think that the next step will be Small Business Server Essentials or Standard Edition, but Microsoft has added a new member to the Windows Storage Services (WSS) family, WSS 2008 R2 Essentials, which is basically The best solution currently available for small business environments.

Please note that the above service products are based on the Windows Server 2008 R2 platform. So no matter what you actually do is Windows Home Server, Small Business Server or Windows Storage Server NAS device, what we really use is the same system under different tables: Windows Server 2008 R2.

WSS Essentials is designed to serve organizations with up to twenty-five users, and its features focus on centralized storage and convenient backup/restore of desktop clients and server data itself. Expand (see the overview of WSS). I know that this sounds too similar to Windows Home Server, and it can be said that it is a change of medicine.

In response to this question, I asked Michael Leworthy of Microsoft's Windows Server marketing team why a company would use WSS Essentials instead of Windows Home Server. The answer he made was very interesting to me. Because from his answer, I realized my lack of understanding of small businesses. In summary, computer makers will provide better hardware and storage for WSS products than Windows Home Server.

Why use WSS instead of WHS?

Although many small businesses do not impose too high a requirement on hardware specifications, many users still have the urge to purchase high-performance servers or demand. That's why small businesses should look to WSS Essentials instead of Windows Home Server.

There are other differences in server software that can also affect a user's purchase decision, even if both are tailored to provide IT administrators with no experience and provide the same remote web access. Simplified setup and management panels and support for third-party plug-ins for Small Business Server. For beginners, WSS Essentials allows more users (25 vs. 10) than Windows Home Server, and WSS Essentials supports the option to add dynamic directory domains, so you can connect your Essentials device to your existing infrastructure and In the network. In addition, WSS Essentials supports commercial security and storage applications, while WHS (Windows Home Server) only supports consumer applications that enhance media and storage capabilities —— in other words, the original design of WSS Essentials It's business, not home.

Of course, if there are more than ten users, you may be more concerned about the support of the system, which means that Small Business Server Essentials is more secure for the dynamic directory access security of the internal deployment. WSS Essentials does a better job. But if you just need client backup and centralized storage, WSS Essentials will produce a satisfactory answer to the cost reduction. The addition of domain features allows you to migrate your business to more powerful server products when more advanced features are needed in the future.

Microsoft has always been happy to offer multiple versions of its products, which is sometimes confusing. The Windows Storage Server and its three versions better than WSS Essentials also confirm this fact:

◆WSS 2008 R2 Workgroup Edition, featuring modular storage (iSCSI software 3.3) —— This feature is extremely important for application services like SQL and Exchange.

◆WSS 2008 R2 Standard Edition includes all the features of WSS Essentials and WSS Workgroup Edition. It also provides unlimited storage capacity and number of login users; it can be read-only with WINS, DNS and DHCP support. The domain controller provides branch service services; in addition, it provides a single storage (ie, SIS) function.

◆WSS 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition, which includes all the features of WSS Standard Edition and introduces high availability clustering and branch caching technology.

Microsoft has published the actual details of the above version on its TechNet website.

I have to admit that from the perspective of IT administrators, the need for WSS Essentials for those who build their own devices (or buy expensive hardware) and install the software themselves. Not clear. But from a small business perspective, everyone wants the entire system to be easy to manage and can be supported by various solutions in the event of a problem. If there is a problem with the custom server I am responsible for, then all the faults must be borne by myself. For most small businesses, the consequences of self-sufficiency are absolutely taboo, so support from suppliers is a strong backing for WSS Essentials in marketing.

Operating costs are also a big problem for many small businesses, because obviously they can't afford a technician like me. For this reason, Microsoft recommends using the WSS Essentials system because its asking price is even cheaper than buying a hardware device and installing Windows Home Server itself. This is because Microsoft provides extremely exciting products for computer manufacturers. WSS Essentials Server offer discounts.

The key to wooing consumers is to let them know that they are buying WSS Essentials. This is emphasized because many buyers have not even seen the words WSS Essentials from the hardware product name, because PC manufacturers impose their own custom names on these systems with both hardware and software. But no matter what WSS Essentials host is called in the next few weeks, I believe that this entry-level NAS solution will open up its own unique development space between Server and Small Business Server.