One of the features of Windows Home Server (WHS) that was introduced in the Consumer Technology Preview (CTP) is Add-Ins, WHS specific applications that run via the WHS Console. Unfortunately due to the many issues with the CTP build that I experienced I didn't really get a chance to look into the Add-Ins, but now that the Release Candidate (RC) is out I've made sure to have a play.

So far I have had a quick look at two of the Add-Ins, the two that I could see myself using; Whiist and an unofficial uTorrent Add-In.

Whiist by Andrew Grant

Whiist is a website management Add-In for WHS allowing you to create new websites on your server with out the hassle of having to connect to your machine via Remote Desktop and then configure the IIS Server manually. It also allows you to add links to your WHS website.

Although I don't personally foresee the links to be of great use to myself, they may be to others, being in the web industry I definitely see myself making use of the website management feature.

I've only given this Add-In a small go over so for more information I would suggest visiting Andrew Grant's website or visiting the WHS Forum post.

uTorrent by Marcel Nouwens

The uTorrent Add-In is right up my alley, a perfect compliment to my own guide for installing uTorrent on WHS, although this isn't an official uTorrent Add-In it is definitely something worth looking at.

At first I thought this would simplify the uTorrent on WHS install process but unfortunately that is not yet so. What it does allow you to do is access a simplified UI directly through the WHS Console. Setup is simple, you just need to supply the URL of your WebUI and the login details and you're good to go.

I would like to see some extra features added in the future, such as the ability to use labels (a big must for me) and maybe a solution to the WebUI's lack of RSS features. I guess the main benefit of this Add-In is the convenience of access and the simplicity of use.

For myself it is not quite a replacement for uTorrent's own WebUI but I will definitely be keeping my eye on it.

For more information about this Add-In visit the WHS Forum post.

More WHS Add-Ins and resources

WHS Developer Forums - Get information or support on any of the many and varied WHS Add-Ins.

We Got Served - A fantastic source of WHS related information with a great list of Add-Ins.