Server Question

[theknight571]

I've inheirited a network that needs a little work.

In my old position (at a large, multinational firm) we had a department that handled all this kinda stuff... so not that I'm "on my own" I have a question.

Environment:
- 20 Users
- 6 or so Printers
- All Users running WinXP Pro
- approx 100-150 GB of existing data

There's currently 2 servers running Windows 2003 and one of those also runs exchange.

Here's my question:

Can one, properly equiped, server handle this?

I say yes... but I'm no expert.

I'm asking because I want to bring in new hardware, but put one server here, and another server elsewhere (offsite) for backup and disaster recovery purposes.

It'll be an easier sell for 2 servers vs 4. lol

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: theknight571
Can one, properly equiped, server handle this?

Of course it can. It's called Windows Small Business Server 2003. It includes Exchange and, optionally, SQL Server 2000 or 2005. I've had several clients with SBS 2003, 20-odd workstations, and a bunch of printers, all using a single SBS server.

If you want new hardware, the fastest and cheapest approach is likely to just get a new SBS 2003 server. It adds a ton of useful features (like full remote access, pre-configured SharePoint Server, and automated health monitoring) that aren't included in your current server(s).

 

[drebo]

I wouldn't recommend SBS for 20 users, particularly if you already have all of your licensing.

If you're just worried about consolidating servers, yes, a single server running both Active Directory and Exchange is possible, and for your purposes very feasable. However, it is generally recommended that you don't install Exchange on the primary domain controller.

Is there any particular reason you don't want to run both servers?

 

[Thor86]

If you can obtain new hardware, I'd highly recommend redundant power supplies, hddisks in RAID5 or RAID10 setups. And don't forget good back strategies for data recovery if you ever need it.

 

[Genx87]

Onsite: Do you need new hardware? How old is it?
Offsite: No need to duplicate servers for DR. Get an array of discs and some block level backup software and run a VPN between sites. The software will pickup any changes at the block level and send it over the wire.

If you are goign to get a new piece of hardware. I suggest one piece but use one of the old machines as a backup AD controller.

 

[theknight571]

For D/R purposes I wanted to have some hardware off-site that would "mirror" the production equipment.

I thought that since we're a small department that I could get away with a single server, that way I would only have to buy 2 servers and not 4.

I'm new to MS Server and AD etc... I was in a Novell environment for almost 15 years.

 

[mcmilljb]

You should also consider contracting the work out. You pay some upfront costs for setting it up and training for yourself, but you don't have to worry about hiring someone to come in later and clean up any mess that is created because you were not ready to handle the task. I'm sure you can find a small business specialist like RebateMonger in your area that can get you setup correctly and quickly and even might provide some training.

 

[mooseracing]

In your scenario I would stick with 2 servers and stay away from Windows SBS, it is a PITA to upgrade/migrate to 2003/2008. With the 20 users and just AD and Exchange that should be easy for you to pick things up quick and on the fly. If the company is losing big bucks if the email goes down or they can't access some files then you may want to reconsider.

For your setup I would run 2, 2003 R2 boxes one as the PDC/print server and one as the exchange/data backup server.

 

[hiromizu]

I use wansync to replicate data/exchange database realtime over a vpn. PM me if you have q's.