Feb 7, 2011 19:01 GMT  ·  By

Last week Microsoft not only announced the official brand for the next generation of Windows Home Server but also made available for download the Release Candidate (RC) bits of the platform formerly codenamed Vail. With Windows Home Server 2011 RC’s availability, the Redmond company also provided the first video on WindowsHomeSvr2011's Channel.

Users can now watch Windows Home Server Move Folder Wizard Learning Bite both on YouTube or embedded below in order to get an idea of how to deal with storage in the next major iteration of WSH.

As some WSH users and early adopters may already know, Microsoft has cut Drive Extender from Windows Home Server 2011, a change which is available for testing with the RC development milestone.

With Drive Extender gone, there are some changes in terms of storage features for Windows Home Server 2011.

These modifications are going to impact the way that customers manage their storage, but not all features have suffered so drastic modifications.

A range of technologies from server and client backup, to health monitoring, but also remote web access, streaming media, and dashboard administration continue to be available in WHS.

Make sure to watch the video at the bottom of this article in order to get an idea of how storage management has changed in Windows Home Server 2011 RC.

Also, remember that Windows Home Server 2011 RC is available for download free of charge and that you can spear a machine you can start testing immediately.

“Affordable and easy-to-use, Microsoft Windows Home Server 2011 (WHS) is the ideal solution to help families keep their important digital files and PC’s automatically backed up, organized, and accessible,” revealed a member of the Windows Home Server team.

The Release Candidate (RC) signifies our last mile efforts for releasing this product to our customers, and prepares our network of software and hardware partners for its release."