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Seting up Window XP Pro as a PDC

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Hello

I am setting up a small network with (three computers) with remote access through a 3com VPN. Is Window XP Pro capable of acting as the Primary Domain controller? I would like to centralize authorization to our desktop acting as the fileserver. Currently we can not afford or justify a setting up a Window Server. A domain controller will also resolve the NetBIOS name resolution problem I am having with my remote clients

Are there other options that will allow computers on a network to share the user authentication data, username, group membership, and password? I want to avoid the complication of manually setting up and maintaining each user on each computer.

This is the first office I am setting up without a Samba server. Can you recommend a books or online resources that will document the capabilities and limitation of Windows XP.

Thank you
Aaron

Topic

No get Small Business Server

In reply to Seting up Window XP Pro as a PDC

Small Business Server is the MS product that would mopst closly meet your needs. Check the spec online at Microsoft’s web site. I am not sure WHY you want a PDC on a 3 machine network, but assuming that you are going to be under 100 machines for a while, SBS will give you everlything you want at a much lower price.

Enlightment

In reply to Seting up Window XP Pro as a PDC

No, Windows XP Pro is a desktop operating system. It cannot be used as a server operating system; thus, it cannot be an Active Directory domain controller.

Your justification for the expense of a Windows server is as follows:

Cost of your troubleshooting time (hourly) X Number of hours spent troubleshooting netbios issues (yearly) – Cost of software – Cost of implementation – Cost of new server hardware = What the real cost is.

If that figure is negative, you are correct that it costs more to implement a server than it does keep troubleshooting. If the figure is positive, then you are losing money by not implementing a server solution.

Just a second

In reply to Enlightment

If you want to control your domain and your email yourself, Or you plan to offer that service to others, a PDC would be needed

That’s what he was saying

In reply to Just a second

…

Pure Cost Analysis

In reply to Just a second

I was assuming that if only has 3 users that he would be using some kind of hosted Internet mail IMAP or POP3 solution.

But no argument that if he is going to controle the domain and have an Exchange mail server, SBS 2003 is certainly going to be the best cost solution. Ths is provided he stays with an all-Microsoft solution.

If he were to move to Linux and a low-cost mail solution, he could probably save a great deal of money, but it won’t Active Directory, which seemed to be where he was attempting to head.

YES

In reply to Seting up Window XP Pro as a PDC

Install VMWARE & then Windows Server on the XP machine.

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