Windows Home Server v2 Leaked [Vail]

Windows Home Server, codename Vail (also referred to as WHS version 2), has been under internal testing for a while now, but thanks to the first leak notification of operating system by Mary Jo Foley, it’s now available all over the P2P & torrents.

Unsurprisingly, Microsoft still won’t talk about Vail officially: “We are not ready to discuss future products but will certainly let you know as soon as more details become available,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Ars. The leaked copy contains the following info:

Windows Home Server – a server operating system with Microsoft, which is targeted at home users (as the name implies) for use in home networks. Windows Server ® Code Name “Vail” is the next generation version of Window Home Server. Vail builds upon both on-premises and cloud technologies to deliver a best-in-class solution for home networks and SOHO. Out of the box, Vail provides simple file sharing, remote access, home computer backup, expandable storage through Drive Extender, and media streaming both inside and outside the home. Vail also contains an application catalog and product-wide extensibility model so that new services such as anti-virus, online sharing, and home automation can be seamlessly and easily added to the solution. Vail will be available pre-installed on systems by OEM partners, and a standalone software package will also be available for those who want to build their own systems.

Vail is based off of Windows Server 2008 R2, meaning it will only come in a 64-bit flavor. WHS version 1 is based off of Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2.

Here are few facts for this version:

As far as minimum requirements go, you’ll need a 2GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM an as already mentioned 120GB/160GB primary hard drive (NTFS).

It’s pretty work-in-progress butWHS v2 will be one of the most exciting releases to come out of Microsoft in a while.

The WHS going public is still cloudy, not clear if Microsoft plans to have Vail ready this year or next, yeah  last time they said 2010, stay tuned we’ll keep you posted

Few screenshots:

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