Microsoft axes Drive Extender from Vail software

Microsoft this week warned that its upcoming revamp of Windows Home Server, known under its Vail codename, will no longer offer the promised Drive Extender feature. This was said to bring support for numerous internal and external hard drives and group them together into a single volume. The company argued that the wide access to and affordability of 1TB or larger drives made the feature less useful.

Microsoft also said it would remove the feature from Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials, which are now in beta alongside Vail. Other storage management and protection solutions are still in development, however, in sync with hardware partners.

The Vail Windows Home Server is still scheduled to arrive early in 2011 as a beta, with a complete version due in the first half of the year.

By Electronista Staff