Hi Avast,
Any further news yet on the beta? If not, how and when can we please learn? Judging by discussions on the WHS Forums, the scope and depth of WHS use by testers is increasing rapidly, as is our comensurate need for increased security (especially for those of us who are learning as we go!). WHS, of course, has now gone RTM with an OEM version expected in coming weeks. I might add that there was a post to the WHS forums a few days ago drawing attention to your upcoming release http://forums.microsoft.com/WindowsHomeServer/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1970132&SiteID=50 so anticipation is high. Needless to say, I’m willing to be a beta tester if it would help.
In the meantime, if you’re not doing public betas, I’m running four computers (all Vista) off my WHS, with secured remote access for 8 users + a small public website. Would I be wise to install a trial version of Avast 4 Server edition (60 days trial) in the interim?
Uummm… thanks Tech. Let me rephrase the question! I know that other testers are using Server on WHS and say it works fine. But security software needs to run as a service on WHS - presume Server does that? But, for costs reasons, I’m not going to purchase Server but I will definitely purchase Avast for WHS - I have to assume for the moment there’ll be no problems in the future when uninstalling Server and installing Avast for WHS. If I run the trial verion of Server, will it monitor and update the other machines on the network that are running Avast Home? - as I understand that the new software will do? (I might add, all mine are, I’ve used Avast Home exclusively on all our domestic computers for 4-5 years - long been a favourite of mine).
Anyway, I was being too clever for my own good by the wording of my question - I was also trying to get a hint as to whether, Avast for WHS is a cutdown version of Avast Server, which I suspect it will be (and hence, no compatability problems in the future when I uninstall the trial version of Server in the future…!)
Kind regards,
Bill
The information posted on the MS forums seems to be quite accurate.
There will be a public beta of the upcoming avast for WHS product. The current plan is to have this released by the end of September (if everything goes as expected).
It won’t be stripped-down version of Avast Server Edition. The remote admin features of the WHS product are being developed from scratch (the requirements are sort of different from the usual network admin so the product needs to look differently; also, in the case of the WHS product, the GUI will be integrated directly to the WHS console).
In the interim, Avast Server Edition (trial version) will give you adequate protection of the server - but won’t provide any remote admin functionality.
Vlk, much obliged. Since WHS is technically still in beta (testers not yet supplied with the ‘gold’ version and may not be) I’m slightly concerned about the possible issues when it comes time to uninstall Server Edition - unless, of course, the OEM version is available before the release of the Avast beta. On the other hand, Avast has always been a well-behaved piece of software so the risk is probably only slight. Will proceed as you advise.
Roll on September! BTW: congratulations to Avast for moving so quickly on the appearance of WHS - you obviously share my belief it’s going to be very successful. Nice too to see Avast now accepted as a ‘major player’ in something like the WHS Forums; when I’d recommend Avast Home to people 4-5 years ago, no-one had even heard of it. Quality wins through, eh?!