Getting New server computer - please help

[Kamui]

Hi,

My company is planning to acquire a new server and they assigned the task to me. Since I am not very experienced in the server department, I was wondering if you folks could help me out.

first, we currently use a Dell Server in a Raid-1 configuration. It has a domain and the drives are shared among the other computers in the company. I am planning to upgrade to a much more powerful server running a raid-5 configuration (with 4 scsi 73gb hd). My questions are:

1) How do you create a domain inside windows 2003? The purpose of this domain is so that other workstations will have to login into this domain in order to get access to the server

2) What is the best way to transfer the old files into the new computer?

3) What is a good Backup procedure that I should follow. Meaning, should I use tape backup or is there better technologies out there that will make my life easier?

4) On a Raid-5 configuration, what is the maximum amount of hd space that I will have? I understand Raid-1 is just a mirrored drive, so it is just the space of 1 HD. How about Raid-5? In addition, how many drives would I be able to see on windows? 1? or 2? or 4?

5) Suppose I need to increase the storage capacity of this server, what should I do for a Raid-5 config?

Thanks folks
Kamui

5)

 

[mechBgon]

First of all, this might be worth getting an outside consultant to set up for you.

Secondly, is your current server having a problem keeping up with the load, or running out of HDD space or something? Where I work, we have about 80 users and are running Exchange, a small database and a bunch of shared folders on a Pentium3 933, and it's usually at about 5-10% CPU usage. So ask your people if they know why they want a new server... maybe the money would be better spent on another pair of SCSI drives, another stick of RAM and a gigabit switch and gigabit NIC for the server.

anyway... my 2¢ worth follows:


1) Use the Manage Your Server Wizard to set up DNS, DHCP and Active Directory

2) Definitely the network is the easiest way to transfer the files

3) Tape backup nightly, and have three Friday tapes that you rotate so that two are off-site in case the building burns to the ground. Big tape drives are $$$ so keep an eye on their capacity relative to your disk array(s).

4) RAID5 (assuming all the disks are equal in capacity) has a capacity of all the drives minus one. So 4 x 36GB in RAID5 = 108GB (and a tape drive that can back this up is going to be $2500-$3500 IIRC)

5) You could add more drives to the RAID5 or start a second RAID5, to increase capacity

Hope that helps You might want to download a full trial version of Windows Server 2003 from Microsoft and see if this falls within your comfort zone in real life... a leftover ~500MHz PC with 392MB of RAM will be enough to test with.

 

[jose]

Quote by mechBgon
"First of all, this might be worth getting an outside consultant to set up for you.

Secondly, is your current server having a problem keeping up with the load, or running out of HDD space or something? Where I work, we have about 80 users and are running Exchange, a small database and a bunch of shared folders on a Pentium3 933, and it's usually at about 5-10% CPU usage. So ask your people if they know why they want a new server... maybe the money would be better spent on another pair of SCSI drives, another stick of RAM and a gigabit switch and gigabit NIC for the server."

I concure, best advice given.

Regards,
Jose

 

[Kamui]

Thanks for the people that replied,

We had one of those IT consultant here to do the work. Well, actually the guy was just trying to rip us off. He spend 2 full days installing windows nt 4.0 and the only extraordinary thing that he did was to create a domain controller in my opinion. LOL, he was paid 5k for this job. That is more or less how much money I am going to spend on this server.

About backups, are there better alternatives to Tape? I am thinking that if I set a Raid 5 drive with 4 73Gb (total 219Gb), it is going to cost me a bomb!

Kamui.

 

[Kamui]

Btw guys,

suppose I decide to add a few more HD with higher capacity (say 200Gb instead of 73gb). Would the Raid 5 configuration be able to use the additional space? Or do all the HD have to of the same size?

Thanks
Kamui

 

[Cerb]

USB2 drives are a good option for backup, also rotated offsite like tapes.

However, you haven't mentioned anything this server does that would necessitate, or even offer a slight reason for, upgrading, assuming it is even as fast as a PII 333. Even with Windows 2003, a PIII 600 can fly just being a domain controller and exchange server, and it looks like you don't even need that.

 

[Kamui]

Hi Cerb,

I hear you guys. Basically, this server contains our company's files. We create a lot of databases, excel files and document files and we store them in the server so other users can use it. It doesnt seem that upgrading the server is necessary, but heck, the boss want it .. so i will do it.

Kamui

 

[Sideswipe001]

Setting up a Domain isn't that hard (in my opinion, but I've done it a few times). Get yourself a book about Windows 2003 server if you've never done anything like it before. There is a lot to know.

Tape is probably the best option for backups, if you can do it. It's what I've always used. Windows comes with a built in backup program, but it's very limited in what it can do. If you're serious about it, get Veritas or something like that to run your backups.

I'm frankly amazed that mechBgone can run a 80 user domain on a P3 933 - we have about 30 at this place on a P3 1Ghz (1.5 GB of RAM) running Exchange, file sharing, and also running a spam filter and Symantec Mail Security for Exchange (to block e-mail viruses) and it certainly has been bogged down, especically since installing Mail Security. Of course, the HDs are older SCSI drives as well, and it's almost out of space.

As a clarification, you are currently running an NT 4.0 domain, correct? And you want to replace it with a Windows 2003 one? The files that the older domain shares are easy to transfer over, but it's more of a trick to convert an NT4 domain over to a Windows 2003 one. You REALLY need to read up if you're going to try that. It's much harder than simply installing a new domain.

 

[Kamui]

Sidesweep,

Actually, the plan is to replace the entire server for a brand new one. =) so it is not going to be much of an issue here...meaning, I dont have transfer the domain or anything. I just have to create it from scratch in the new server.

Kamui

 

[Sideswipe001]

Okay, that is much simpler to do. I still do suggest picking up a Windows 2000/2003 server book, and reading up on it. There's a whole wizard that helps you set it up (just install the OS, then go to the "run" box and type in 'dcpromo' (minus the quotes). That will get you through the major portion of it. I would copy over all the files you want to share, and do all your updates before installing the domain, however. Get all the service packs, do the windows updates, etc. You don't want to be rebooting it after it's up and running as your domain controller.

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: Kamui
Hi Cerb,

I hear you guys. Basically, this server contains our company's files. We create a lot of databases, excel files and document files and we store them in the server so other users can use it. It doesnt seem that upgrading the server is necessary, but heck, the boss want it .. so i will do it.

Kamui

Hehe, yeah, that changes things...don't tell the boss no on spending money . Just that often they'll think part X needs it when it maybe needs double the RAM and then $5000 really needs to go on part Y.
Get a decent system and invest in storage, mainly backup. It may never be needed, but if you don't, you will need it for sure

 

[Cerb]

Sideswipe: exchange and AV on it can bog down near anything--the AV bit is what really dogs it.

On the domain...get a couple...well, start here:
book
That link and the other recommended books by him are worth checking out.