Small Business Server, Exchange Server -- Should we move to it?

[GCS]

Here is the scoop.

Small Business - 7 employees and about 15 computers

Current Server -- runs Windows XP Pro. Serves primarily as data storage. The only programs that physically are installed on the server are

Windows XP Pro
QuickBooks Database Manager
Tax Software Database Manager
Acronis True Image for Backups


That's it.


We are set up in a peer to peer 10/100 Wired Network using a Workgroup setup. All computers are set to a specific IP address.

We use Cisco POE Networking equipment including a UC500 for the main component (it's phone system, network switch, fax receiver etc).

The reason I ask if we should change is we are going as paperless as possible and the UC500 will handle our fax situation for us but HAS to use exchange server to do so.

I tried ONCE to install and configure Small Business Server and was never able to get to run correctly (ie all the systems to see and access the server) and I have never used Exchange Server.

My questions relate as follows:

1 - Based on our usage is Small Business Server (or something like it) warranted. Will it help us or hurt us?

2 - What does it take to get it up and running correctly?

3 - Exchange Server does this need to run on the main Server unit or can this just be installed on another machine with Windows XP and let it do it's thing? If so how hard is it to install and configure?

4 - What is a fair price to pay someone to do this work if I cannot pull it off myself?


FYI - I do have all the software already since we are a member of the MS Action pack.

Thanks in advance for any advice you guys can provide.

Greg

 

[RebateMonger]

1) Your office is typical of Microsoft Small Bsuiness Server users. Fifteen computers is a lot to manage manually and most companies find great value in the business features of SBS. If you need Exchange Server, then you don't have much choice. SBS is the way to go in your case.

2) It depends on which version of SBS. SBS 2003 takes about 30 hours of labor to configure. SBS 2008 will take a bit more. Much of that is spent on fixing the client computers and getting things like printers, ten-year-old line-of-business apps running, and integrating scattered email accounts. With SBS 2003, there are hours and hours and hours of updates.

3) If you get SBS, Exchange Server must stay on the main SBS Server. Exchange is configured automatically during the SBS install, like pretty much everything in SBS.

4) As noted, it takes about 30 hours of experienced labor to do it right. Things like mailbox size limits, backups, monitoring, quotas, updates, client joins and troubleshooting, and a bunch of other things have to be done after the basic server installation.

I've never seen an SBS server installation done correctly by people without significant direct experience in SBS. Some cause permanent damage that's expensive to repair. Others just miss things, like configuring monitoring and backups.

If you want to install it yourself, read one of the two or three books available. Don't assume this is like installing XP or even straight Windows Server 2003. Don't do anythiing manually if there's a Wizard for it.

If you think you can do much of the work, you might be able to work out a relationship with an SBS expert who can survey the site, advise you on hardware purchases, and assist you with the initial installation. I did that over the phone with one client and it worked out reasonably well.

If installed and configured correctly, SBS is reliable and easy to maintain. But it needs to be monitored and changes or fixes need to be done carefully. There's a lot of stuff going on inside SBS. Manually changing the internal IP address, for instance, will kill DHCP, DNS, and Exchange. If you use the Wizard further down on the SBS Management page, all is well.

Be sure you implement a solid automated backup system. You DON'T want to have to rebuld your SBS server from scratch if something fails. The built-in SBS Backup is adequate as long as you are restoring just data or email. If you need to restore the whole system to dissimilar hardware, you'd be better off buying backup software made for this, like StorageCraft's ShadowProtect Server for SBS.

 

[GCS]

This does not sound like fun or very simple.

Uggh.

 

[RebateMonger]

This does not sound like fun or very simple.

Hehehe. Sounds like I did a good job describing it.

Most clients don't get involved in the configuration, so it's simple for them. And simple to use once it's installed. It's all quite reliable once it's set up correctly, and, assuming it's put on suitable server-class hardware, it should be usable for five years or so. It just has to be done right the first time and needs to be backed up and monitored.

 

[GCS]

yeah I think you did your job just fine, LOL

 

[mxnerd]

If you never used Exchange before, I would like to suggest Google Apps, 7 emails = 7x50 = $350 per year, probably even cheaper for spam filter/ antivirus software subscription. Exchange require someone with Exchange expertise to maintain it, it's not a easy job.

Its cheaper to maintain and Google will filter all the spam/virus automatically. Google spam filter probably is the best out there.

Check your email anywhere, and no Outlook required, and you don't have to worry server malfunction/crash.

You even get 30 day free trial.

 

[GCS]

Well if we do this we have to do Exchange so that we can have the UC520 take over Fax duties for us.

 

[mxnerd]

forgot the fax thing.

You might be able to find quite a few exchange 2003 tutorial on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=exchange+2003&search_type=&aq=f

 

[RebateMonger]

Exchange itself it pretty trouble-free. But you also need Active Directory, DNS, and other resources to accompany it. That's why SBS is the way to go if you need Exchange in a small business. Those things are set up correctly and automatically and only require a single server. Normally, you'd want two separate servers for the Active Directory Domain Controller and for Exchange Server.

 

[GCS]

Ok so I am probably ok setting up one server to handle it all with SBS 2008.

Anyone have recommendations on hardware to get?

I have been perusing newegg looking to gleen what's out there and I am not sure if I need dual processors for my needs or what.

It appears I should probably lean towards an Intel or Supermicro board with Xeon processor(s) and at least 8gb of ram.

I should be able to carry over my existing drives to the new server once ready but I will need to get a new OS drive to get it all installed.

Greg

 

[mxnerd]

It's better to buy prebuild RAID 1 box (Dell, HP, etc) in my opinion. Self assembled box also works and probably cheaper, but if anything bad happens, all people blames you and you don't get any appreciation.

RAID 1 is a must for server, don't try saving money on that. And get a real SATA/SAS controller, software RAID like Intel's MATRIX sucks.

And it's better get retail version of server software, OEM version saves a few hundred bucks, but if the motherboard went belly up, you can't move the license to another machine.

 

[RebateMonger]

I recently attended an Intel Server seminar. The speaker was a long-term Intel techncial employee. He stated, "Don't Use Intel Matrix RAID." Somebody asked why. He said, "Because it loses data."

The OP already has an SBS license. But, yeah, OEM Windows Server software saves VERY little money over Retail packages. I never buy the OEM versions.

 

[GCS]

Well we are doing a Raid 1 for our data so yes we would stick with that plan in anything new we did.

I wouldn't think the "OS Drive" would really need that since we would not be installing any programs on it after initial install. Updates yes but manual backups would be done when necessary for this piece.

Greg

 

[GCS]

I recently attended an Intel Server seminar. The speaker was a long-term Intel techncial employee. He stated, "Don't Use Intel Matrix RAID." Somebody asked why. He said, "Because it loses data."

The OP already has an SBS license. But, yeah, OEM Windows Server software saves VERY little money over Retail packages. I never buy the OEM versions.

Yeah if we did not have the SBS from our Action Pack I would probably just pony up for a server from Dell with everything already done by them. It would be a lot of dough (3k for everything I think) and we are trying to avoid that big of an expenditure at the moment.

Greg