A public preview release of Windows Server Code Name ?Vail? has been announced by Microsoft.
Version 2 of Windows Home Server, Vail is based on Windows Server 2008 R2. It provides features such as simple file sharing, remote access, expandable storage, backup and internal\external media streaming. Vail also comes equipped with an application catalogue and product wide extensibility model. This means that new services like AV, online sharing, and home automation easily added and integrated into the solution. Vail will be available in preinstalled form or as a software package for those who want to build there own.
Vail will also support some Windows 7 technologies like "PlayTo" that supports the streaming of digital media to DNLA enabled devices, and home group fro the support of simple file sharing. Remote streaming is supported via Silverlight, meaning that users can access their media over the internet. Making it readily available. File types that will be support in RTM are MPEG-4, 3GP, H.264, ADTS, AVI, MPEG-2, AAC, MP3, LPCM and MPEG-1. AC3. The public preview version wont support MPEG-2 and AC3 however. System requirements aren?t too demanding, with a minimum of 1GB of RAM and 160GB HDD.
