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Network layout…

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I currently have 48 users with 2 servers. The clients are a blend of xp and 98. Both servers run w2k server. The main server which is a dual xeon pretty much does all the work (DC, file server, printer server, exchange). The second with ias a 850 P3 with 768sdram. is secondary dc and BU server. My e-mail and websites are curretly hosted by my local ISP. I have a sonicwall soho3 that handles the dhcp and filtering/content tracking.

I’m considering the following but needs some input.

1. Hosting a public domain.
2. Taking the second smaller server and hosting my 3 websites, intranet and mail exchange.
3. Utilizing my larger server for print sharing, file sharing, etc.
4. Possible allowing my older 98 clients (15 of them) if not all clients to run as thin clients.

BTW, all users are light users and if a terminal server was used it would run office, a contact DB (ACT), and two industry specific programs. Also, I do not use ISA or SQL, everything is pretty much basic.

I’m not to keen on having the terminal server and the file server being the same machine. I’m also not sure my older server could do much more than act as a mail server, nor would I want my mail server and file server being the same machine.Any recomendations of a # of servers and the duties for each? I will also be obtaining a copy of 2003 server, which will most likely go on my main server.

I’m swaying towards 3 server…

1. Mail for the websites, intranet site and exchange.
2. Terminal server
3. Primary/file for print and file sharing, backups and DC.

Any thoughts or suggestions on any of the above? How is your network set-up?

Thanks…
Chaz

Topic

Try this for size!

In reply to Network layout…

Firstly, we are in the 2rd quarter of 2003 and with W2K just 2 years in, I enjoy its stability over NT 4.0, in my home environment.
So, I take W3K out of the equation.

Server 1 : File, print server + intranet content
Server 2 : DC with DNS, webserver
Server 3 : BDC & Exchange + ACT (good Exchange integration)

Will you use thin clients for full Desktop or only mail?

If full Desktop, then Terminal server on most powerful server otherwise you have the webserver for OWA.

TSP

I hope this helps

In reply to Network layout…

Even though we run Novell, I think the concept of design is most important.
I think your approach is a good start. Spread your services (mail, ACT, file/print, etc.) as much as you can afford between different servers.
I would dedicate one server to be a backup for all your services. This way you’ll have redundancy to some extent – if server hosting service dies/needs repair/etc, you have a ready server to host the service(s) affected. This will save you ALOTS of stress and allows to work on the failed box during the day, rather than all night/weekend long.
Other thing, I don’t know how you run your backups (tape I suppose), I would have tape drive attached to aforementioned ‘backup server’ and have all other servers you backing up run the Remote Agent. (tapes are faulty SOBs and affect servers they run on). For this Remote Agent concept check Veritas v9.0 (I don’t know if it’s the same version for Windows platform).
Good luck with your project.

Forgot to mention…

In reply to I hope this helps

Thanks for all the input…

Yes I do run BU tapes daily and also have backups on an external HD. In addition the system state and exchange are backed up regularly.

As far as my larger server, it’s set in Raid 5 config with a spare HD and multiple power supplies.

Assuming another server is in not in the budget, any thoughts on utilizing the two servers?

With this in mind, I’m think one server as a DC, webserver and exchange server. Then everything else on the other (larger server). For now I may scratch the terminal server.

Thanks again…
Chaz

Spread the load

In reply to Network layout…

Without really knowing what your dual Xeon server is doing it sounds like it has a ton of horsepower and nothing really going on.
It should easily be your file/print/act/exchange/server.

The 850 P3 should do Backup/terminal server without too much hassle. You can try it pretty easily with the XP machines first, since they do not require a Client Access License. Just run Performance Monitor and see how well it takes the load.

As for the Intranet or Websites depending on the actually load on these they can be run on a regular PC. Nt workstation for example for the Intranet site can have 10 simutaneous connections. (I run our intranet on a Pentium 266 with 128RAM with Zero Issues…)Our public webserver does not get much activity either and runs on a windows 2000professional with a Pentium 300 and 268 RAM.
You probably have a couple of carcasses in your storeroom that can do the job nicely.

Give it a try!

[Author]

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