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Win XP, Win2000 Server or Linux?

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by jitterbug

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I need to know the best network solution for this business. They want to bring everything together in a WAN. Currently one department has 30 terminals with Win 98, isolated LAN and P2P. One department has 50 terminal LAN with Win2000 Pro, 3 servers:1-Win NT 4.0-file server, 2-Win2000-Web server, IIS 5.0 and 3-Win NT 4.0 with Oracle. Third department is not automated at all. One department wants Linux with Apache instead of IIS. Need to know what would be the best solution for the first department:upgrade to WinXP, Win2000 Server or Linux and what would be needed to create a WAN with the other departments.

4 replies

by cg it

humm the customer wants to bring everything together in a WAN?? does that means that departments are in different physical locations ? [not in the same building?]

If this is about bring together different sites into a domain structure with Active Directory, theres a lot more information that needs to be discovered. Such as what is the current physical topology site topology, domain structure? what are the DNS, DC, global catalog server placement at sites and what are the WAN links bandwidth between sites and each ones utilization? Assuming only a single domain structure.

What routers are currently being used. What are the cusomers security needs between sites.

Does the customer want new O/Ss to upgrade existing O/Ss? such as getting rid of NT and W9X ?

If the web site guys want Apache heck let em have it. stick the web server out on a perimeter network somewhere off and not accessible by the main network.

more questions but I'll start with these first.

by gdoc

It seems that W2K in hybrid mode (netbios and dns)resoluiton (this is to support the legacy Win9x systems.
The NT servers can remain as is and become member servers to the W2K DS.
Insofar as the Apache vs ISS, there is a build of Apache that runs on the MS Windows system, so linux is not a determining factor here. As you should never use a web servicing server as an interior authenticator or file store, they can still have the linux/apache web server in addition to the standard networking services (file, print, AAA, etc)implemented on the MS platform.

by gdoc

For efficiency across the WAN, the individual sites should each have a separate Domain/login server and domain syncronization should be scaled and clocked to low utilization periods.

by hozcanhan

Users' requestswill always be diverse. As in your case prepare yourself for a cross-platform . Upgrade those 98s to XP for sure . And plan to migrate to 2003 server for AD . NT trust relationships might be a big headache for your case . Whether Linux or Microsoft , Apache or IIS you need router(s) to make a lan . They can be purely hardware (cisco, other ADSL routers), or software based ( a link already connected ) like using 2003 server immitating a router . Look at RRAS utility documentation on this very site. Or you can use other software running on a pc with multiple network cards according to your needs ( configuration forced on you due to geographical locations ) . Good luck .

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