Server question

[Shooks]

My friend sent me an email saying the following:

Guys, I have a few questions regarding the server at my dad's work. Curently, the server acts as the MS Exchange server as well as a data storage unit in which employees have access files to shared folders. I don't have the complete specs on the server, but it's Dell Server with 2 GB of RAM (can't tell you what type processesors, but from the looks of the machine itselft, it looks pretty robust).

Apparently, between Exchange and the shared data accessing, the server acts really slow when people are trying to access files or shared applications. Basically, I'm asking what would be a good, long-term remedy for this?

With my little knowledge on the subject, increasing the RAM seems like it would be a short-term solution. If we were to get another server to store the data, would an actual server (i.e. something purchased from Dell) be needed or would like a basic computer from best buy be good enough (with some minor hardware upgrades)?

I have no clue what to tell him, or ask him, any suggestions from the experts here?

 

[MustISO]

They should run some type of performance tool that can show what is going on with the system and the network for a period of 24 - 48 hrs so they make a better decision based on their findings. Perfmon would be a good place to start.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: Shooks
I have no clue what to tell him, or ask him, any suggestions from the experts here?

You should tell him to get some one who is a server pro to evaluate the situation.


Server is not a gaming computer and One should not ""Game"" with a Business server.

 

[Shooks]

I don't think anyone is gaming on anything, where did you see that?

I will tell him about Perfmon, good idea to find out what specifically is going on.

 

[ScottMac]

NO.

Department store computers are not servers. They do not have the bus capacity and other "server class" resources that a "real" server has.

It sounds like they're running Microsoft Small Business Server, which provides Exchange, MS SQL, and other services (DNS, DHCP, File Sharing, router/NAT/Gateway/Proxy ...)

It also sounds like they could use some admin.

Suggest to them that they need someone that knows what they're doing to check out their server and network.

 

[Zstream]

Originally posted by: Shooks
My friend sent me an email saying the following:

Guys, I have a few questions regarding the server at my dad's work. Curently, the server acts as the MS Exchange server as well as a data storage unit in which employees have access files to shared folders. I don't have the complete specs on the server, but it's Dell Server with 2 GB of RAM (can't tell you what type processesors, but from the looks of the machine itselft, it looks pretty robust).

Apparently, between Exchange and the shared data accessing, the server acts really slow when people are trying to access files or shared applications. Basically, I'm asking what would be a good, long-term remedy for this?

With my little knowledge on the subject, increasing the RAM seems like it would be a short-term solution. If we were to get another server to store the data, would an actual server (i.e. something purchased from Dell) be needed or would like a basic computer from best buy be good enough (with some minor hardware upgrades)?

I have no clue what to tell him, or ask him, any suggestions from the experts here?

Emm what else are they running? Do they have archiving software? How many mail boxes do they have? How many accounts use the server etc...

You need more information before you can proceed with a honest answer.

 

[RebateMonger]

Something's wrong, but the solution isn't to replace the server hardware or get a second "server" at Best Buy.

Did it EVER work correctly? When did it start giving problems? Who installed and configured it?

You need to garner some more information:

Current hardware (server model, processor, memory, hard drives, drive controller)?
Operating system (Server 2000, Server 2003, SBS 2000, SBS 2003)?

 

[Elias824]

Yeah you need some kind of monitoring tool for it to see what is bogging it down, How big is your network, how many people access the server? What kind of network is it setup on? 100mbit? 1000mbit? Ram may not be the solution if it is a networking issue, which is far more likely.

 

[spidey07]

My guess would be a configuration problem, most likely AD or DNS related.

 

[skyking]

<rant>Our server at work needs some help too. Luckily it is not my deal, I don't have MS certification nor enough experience so it is not my responsiblility. From the times I have done emergency troubleshooting and gotten it back online, I can tell you an expert's assistance is absolutely necessary when dealing with this type of "all in wonder" solution.
I DO NOT approve of lumping all your mission critical apps and services into one box, it makes diagnosis and maintenance more difficult, instead of simpler. Antivirus or antispam programs can go awry and wreak havok on any and all the other services, for example. What does mail serving have to do with server-based applications or file serving? Nothing at all, unless you want the joy of the whole network going down.
Don't even get me started about using it for the NAT router/gateway................</rant>

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: skyking
<rant>...I can tell you an expert's assistance is absolutely necessary when dealing with this type of "all in wonder" solution....</rant>

Please don't compare an SBS Server to an ATI video card. That's pretty low.

Serioiusly, one of the nice things about a properly installed SBS Server is that they are all the same. They only become complicated when folks take off with non-standard configuration techniques. An SBS Server configured to Microsoft's Best Practices is pretty easy to keep running. I much prefer taking over a single SBS Server than three separate servers, all configured according to the whims of whoever set them up.

 

[kevnich2]

Well, I can tell you from my experience, this sounds like a typical small office of around 50 people. These types of companies usually cannot afford dozens of servers to separately host every one of the mission critical programs. Sorry, but it's not going to happen. They usually have an SBS server that probably does....everything. Not an IT best practice but for these, the owners aren't IT minded, they're business minded and usually watch every penny.

My best advice to you OP, is to hire an SBS consultant around your area. Consult with other businesses and find out what they do when they have IT issues, see if there is a common person that a bunch of them go to. Look for a Microsoft certified shop around your area. It might be costly per hour but a good consultant can usually figure out the problem fairly quickly. They can also offer advice more tailored towards SBS's than other consultants who are used to bigger companies where money isn't as much of an issue or IT is more thought of a way to enhance business than a drain on the budget.

 

[Shooks]

Thanks for all the advice in this thread, I have informed him to monitor the situation to see where the problem might be and also to consult a professional. For some that were wondering, there are only about 25-30 employees accessing the network.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: skyking
<rant>...I can tell you an expert's assistance is absolutely necessary when dealing with this type of "all in wonder" solution....</rant>

Please don't compare an SBS Server to an ATI video card. That's pretty low.

Serioiusly, one of the nice things about a properly installed SBS Server is that they are all the same. They only become complicated when folks take off with non-standard configuration techniques. An SBS Server configured to Microsoft's Best Practices is pretty easy to keep running. I much prefer taking over a single SBS Server than three separate servers, all configured according to the whims of whoever set them up.

I can tell by your certifications and good advice you are qualified to do so
I am sure there were plenty of whims applied to the server I'm talking about, enough whims for at LEAST three servers