Drive Bender Beta 4 Lands

by Damian on June 21, 2011 · 7 comments

in News

Drive Bender, the DE Replacement Add-in for Windows Home Server 2011, has just released their beta 4 version. A full list of changes can be seen below:

Drive Bender beta 4 has finally landed. This is a monumental release as it represents the last major beta version. From here there will be a number of beta 4 updates (that should come quickly) and a release candidate.

The beta 4 release also signals the end of the beta program, with registration coming to a close very soon. With that in mind we would like to say a big thanks to all those that have helped in getting Drive Bender to this point.

Release v1.1.5.0 – beta (2011-06-21)
- Update: A new version of the WHS 2011 addin.
- Bug fix: WHS client backup could sometimes fail, this has been fixed.
- Bug fix: Drive balancing no longer balances Drive Bender specific files.
- Bug fix: Windows update no longer fails (permission issue fixed).
- Update: The drive merge functionality has been improved.
- Update The drive removal functionality has been improved.
- Update The drive add functionality has been improved.
- Added: Drive convert feature to convert an existing non pooled drive into a pooled drive.
- Added: Option – Smooth Stream. This is file read caching to improve file streaming performance (default = disabled).
- Added: Option – CRC file validation of duplicated files (default = enabled). Disabling this reverts to file size validation.
- Added: Option – Log level. The specifies the amount of logging taking place (default = none).
- Added: Option – Drive balancing. You can enable / disable balancing as required (default = enabled).
- Added: Option – Drive renaming. When adding a drive to the pool, it is now renamed to make its use obvious (default = enabled).
- Added: Option – Drive letter management. Allows Drive Bender to manage drive letters for drives added to, and removed from the pool (default = enabled). Note that due to a bug, this feature was disabled prior to release.
- Bug fix: Renaming and deleting files and folders should no longer fails with errors.
- Bug fix: Recycle bin support have been fixed.
- Bug fix: Remove Windows assigned mount points (i.e. drive letters) if there is a conflict with a Drive Bender mount point.
- Added: Pool recovery feature. This can recover a pool (or pools) from connect drive without any configuration information (to be uses with OS re-installs etc)
- Added: Pool configuration repair. Drive Bender now validates and repair broken configurations.
- Added: WHS running tasks and notification windows (full WHS notification integration to come).
- Known issue: Fault tolerant mode (i.e. when a drive is missing from the pool) is still not displaying duplicated files (will be fixed in the next update).
- Known issue: The WHS move folder feature throws an error (to be fixed in an update).
- Known issue: The opening of web links from the getting started tab are opening on the server, not the client.
- Known issue: Documentation incomplete.

You can download the latest version from http://www.drivebender.com/beta-download/

If you need support with Drive Bender, or have some feedback you would like to share. You can either email us at support@drivebender.com or visit the Drive Bender support site at http://support.drivebender.com


Article by

Hi, my name is Damian, and I'm tech gadget addict! Although I always had some interest in technology, it wasn't until I got my EX470 and more importantly found Mediasmartserver.net, that my interest became an addiction. My goal, aside from world domination and to see the Mets/Broncos win another championship, is to set up the perfect digital home where all my media is available at the click of a button. When I am not writing for Mediasmartserver.net you can find me over at my blog at http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com or follow me on twitter


{ 6 comments }

JazJon June 21, 2011 at 1:23 pm

I couldn’t get whs v1 to re-install on my ex495 so I said F’it and put whs 2011 on yesterday. So far so good. All my data is still there at least in hidden DE folders. I’ve been thinking about putting stablebit drive pool on but now it seems drive bender is closer to the finish line. I’ll try whoever allows me to redirect default music pictures video first at this point. Hmmm so close!

JazJon June 21, 2011 at 3:09 pm

I’d like to understand how BACKUPS will work with the WHS 2GB limit though. Hopefully someone tweaks backups to work correctly once we have giant pool drives again. (or yet another 3rd party add-in solution is created.

Damian June 22, 2011 at 5:20 am

I think you meant 2TB, 2GB and we are all hosed ;-)

I guess the hope is that most people right now aren’t using drives in their PCs greater the 2TB (for example if you have a server odds are you wouldn’t need 2TB+ of storage on a desktop PC). Good question though, I am not sure what would happen if your PC drive was a 3TB

JazJon June 22, 2011 at 5:25 am

Whoops! Yes 2TB. I’m looking forward to more people using WHS 2011 so we can hear what happens with the 2GB limit on 3GB Drives or large Drive Pools. Hopefully someone will figure it out, and create a work around. (or special add-in help)

Damian June 22, 2011 at 5:26 am

Agreed. I am in wait and see mode with WHS 2011. My current WHS machine is still humming along fine, so no need to look at upgrading (plus upgrading will be expensive). Hopefully by the time I need to upgrade all the DE replacement Add-ins will be proven/mature, 2TB limits resolved, etc…

JohnBick June 22, 2011 at 8:01 am

I’m with you, Damian, as a “wait & see” person at the moment. I am still using an EX475 for, in priority order, backups, home security, sharing music, and streaming video. (And I have FAR less video that you do, Damian!)

Most of my consulting clients are staying with WHS v1 for now and looking (near term) at more “formal” servers going forward. (One client has been bought out and all the others, I am happy to say, are experiencing significant growth.)

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