Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Server Roles After Upgrade

0 helpful
5 replies

by bpalmer

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
We currently have a single Netware 4.11 server hosting both file and print services, a web server for email access, and an email server (GroupWise). We also have an engineering dept all using NT4 workstations in a peer-to-peer setup, all sharing files with each other. We are planning to move to a Win2k network, both on servers and workstations. I'd like some input on which applications I should put on which servers. I'll most likely purchase 3 new servers, 1 Compaq Proliant 370, 2 Proliant 350's. The 370 will be our main file/print server. I'd like to put Exchange server and either ISA or Proxy server, and IIS for Outlook Web Access on one of the 350's, and have that as the gateway with the only routable IP address. The other 350 will a file/print server only accessible by our engineering dept, roughly 1/5 of our employee base. We currently only have 50 users, and expect to expand to 75 users within the next couple of years. Will there be any problems running Exchange Server 2000, IIS, and ISA/Proxy all on one box? With AD, should I have replica's of the directory on all 3 servers? Any advice would be appreciated.

5 replies

by shanghai sam

The answer to your question is based on how much money you have.

I would have more than one DC. Just in case one of the DC's go down, you can still authenticate users.

I would make one server have DHCP/DNS/and AD.

I don't think that in yoursituation, you need to seperate your Exchange, IIS, and ISA/Proxy. With only 50 end users, you should be OK. However, if that one server goes down, you are screwed. The cheapest way around that situation is to place a lot of fault tolerance into that one server. I would make sure it has redundant power, NICS..also make sure you have a good RAID card like Compaq 4200 Raid controller. I would not use the on-board. I would buy two RAID controller cards just in case one fails...you can easilyreplace it with little down time. If the onboard raid controller dies, you server will be down for at least 4 hours.

by rcc

For the number of users, you should be able to combine the services. For easy deployment, I'd put ISA, IIS and Exchange on one machine. ISA has a nice wizard to enable you to open the necessary ports for OWA and mail traffic. YOU NEED HEAPS of memory for this (I'd go for at least 512). Make sure that you read about disk configuration for these services (ISA&Exchange) and make the best of it (i.e.: don't put your ISA cache and exhchange databases on the same volumes)...DO NOT MAKE THIS MACHINE A DC.
We are currently running a similar setup, but in NT4 (upgrading shortly to 2K). A good practice is to have at least two domain controllers. Use DNS and WINS on both DC's, set them up as primary & secondary (read only DNS) and set the WINS to replicate between the two. For redundancy, have an AD replica on BOTH machines. Another good idea is to serve DHCP addresses to the clients and have the default gateway, name servers and wins servers included here. Use DHCP on each of the machine, with two non-overlaping IP ranges for redundancy reasons
I'd go for an Internet->Router(with packet filtering)->ISA model for internet access, instead of only connecting ISA directly to the net...
I hope this helps
Regards,
Radu

This discussion is closed to new replies.