Best Operating System

[Big]

What is the best operating system to use with HS3 Pro?

Also, what requirements are suggested? I am going to create an VM from my esxi box and want to make sure I allocate enough resources.

[rdm128]

That's a tough question to answer quickly.

The resources are going to depend on the load you anticipate on the server. I'm running a very low powered server to conserve energy since it runs 7x24 and I'm cheap! Homeseer has released the entire system on the Zee which is also very low end equipment as well.

If you don't anticipate trying to take over the world, very modest resources will be fine. Your OS will require more resources than HS itself.

As for which OS, it depends on your comfort level. I haven't played with the Linux version, as my Linux voodoo is not very strong. I'm running Win 7 x86 and have had no issues. XP is deprecated, Server OS' seem overkill.

I've attempted to run HS as a service with poor results (others may have done better.) Running it in interactive mode requires you to leave the system logged in always. Keep this in mind as you make your choice.

Once you have the HS system setup, you can pick it up and move it between OS' without too much trouble. In the VM environment you can also start with very little resources and bump them up as you need. Flexibility is your friend.

[Rick Tinker]

Yes, there are a lot of unknowns about your use which would go into the recommendation. There are a few "big" questions that can help narrow it down...

1. Do you use or plan to use HSPhone?
   

   The industry has changed a lot over the years to where nobody is making PC cards that do telephony. Modems or even answering machines still exist, but the local handset features not at all, and so the Way2Call Hi-Phone is still the only solution AND people are moving away from using land-lines anyway. Since HSPhone will only be supported under Windows due to the Way2Call only working on Windows, this would limit your choices.

2. Do you plan to use additional plug-ins beyond Z-Wave and HSTouch?
   

   The Zee is low powered/low cost, and as such is limited in what it can do. Regardless of the answer to the first question, if you plan on expanding into more areas of home control than what Z-Wave can provide (e.g. security system, media control, infrared, etc.) then the Zee is a good starting point, but not what you would start with if you know you will be expanding beyond it soon.

So if the answer to #1 is Yes, then Windows is the platform, and as much as they drive me nuts, Microsoft has improved the kernel with each release, and so Windows 8 is the way to go. Always keep an eye on the latest release (8.1) but generally you are better off going with what has been out there for a while so that its issues are known, documented, and perhaps fixed.

If the answer to #1 is No, then Linux may be your platform providing you can handle it. As Dave Barry once wrote, "It takes a real stud-hombre cybermuffin to handle Windows", so I'd hate to see the 400lb gorilla it takes for Linux if you aren't already familiar with it. It is really easy to get a lot of power out of a weak system by just using Linux instead of Windows, but if that means pulling your hair out, then it is not worth it.

The rest tends to be tied to those two questions and the offshoots from them - for example, the amount of CPU horsepower and RAM needed are tied to whether you are going to be running a media plug-in on the system - e.g. Media Player, iTunes, SonosController... and the platforms that they are available for. So without the answers to the big questions, the smaller ones are harder to narrow down.

I tend to not put any sort of focus whatsoever on the power consumption of the system itself. Most of today's computers consume about 40W or less if the monitor is turned off, and given all of the other comforts and ways in which we waste energy, I think that is a small price to pay. You certainly cannot allow a computer to go to "sleep" if it is running your home, and getting one that sips less energy means less horsepower, so that goes back to big question #2 above.

Energy being relative, you would be surprised at how many people who do home automation and A) spend $60 on a light switch or B) do not automate their thermostats, when one of those (light switch) would power a PC consuming 40W for 1.9 YEARS at 9 cents/kWh. Having your heating high when you are not in the house could wipe out in a few minutes the power consumption of a PC for a few days. I would rather spend the money on the 40W (heck, even 60W) PC power supply so that I could use it to control the high-wattage lights and the thermostats. (And have enough power in the PC to track the energy production of my solar panels!)

[Rotech]

Wow, This is very good info!!!

[Bill Brower]

I would say XP 32 bit - but it is coming end of life.

Now I say Win7 32 bit. I have it running on an Atom processor quite well.

[IanIreland]

I've got HS2 running on Server 2012 and HS3 running on Win 8.1!

[Uncle Michael]

I would say XP 32 bit - but it is coming end of life.

Bill,
I'm curious why this is a factor for an HS server, especially since many people have already stopped installing MS updates on their HS machines, claiming it causes problems.

I think it would be helpful to discuss the risks of using XP, so those of us without OS expertise have a better understanding.
If the machine is dedicated to HS (not used for web surfing, etc.), what are the risks of using XP?

[mmn]

Bill,
If the machine is dedicated to HS (not used for web surfing, etc.), what are the risks of using XP?

There are some security risks and some technical risks. If none of these apply then you're good to go.

Security risks: Many of the Windows Updates are internet security oriented. MS finds leaks, holes, exposures, etc. and they fix them and supply patches. If your HS machine is not connected to the internet then these risks are low to no (you still have the risk of a virus coming in on some external media or LAN connected machine). If it is connected then as long as intrusions are being attempted you are at risk, even if you do keep up with updates. The risk is higher if you don't keep up than if you do, but there's still an element of risk.

Technical risks: Sooner or later if you keep up with the software updates, overtime they will exploit features of newer operating systems. End-of-life doesn't mean it quits working. It means they quit supporting older hardware and as hardware gets older and fails it gets increasingly harder to find replacements that don't require you to move to a newer version, model, or even a completely different solution. And many times that forces an upgrade of the OS because newer hardware manufactures don't always supply drivers that work on older OS', i.e "legacy support". Again, if you stay with one version of the OS and HS, your hardware never fails, and you don't need new functions in later versions, there's no real risk. But in reality how likely is that?

Case in point: I have been on HS since dirt. I have a perfectly functioning HS PCI phone modem that I can no longer use because drivers aren't available for it. It's still in the machine and I use it as a fax modem, but HSPhone can't talk to it.

So here I am finally making the move to a new diskless, fanless, lo-power PC, Windows 7 and HS3. And I still have 3 serial devices!