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DC tasks

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I administer a small network with three Windows 2000 servers and I would like to ask what you think of having a DC act as a file server and a Intranet Web server. Are there any services I should stay away from running on a DC?

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by nzbn

I have always been of the opinion to keep your servers seperate for both security and performance. You can enable IIS and use the DC as FS but are you going to be just serving internal pages or are your pages going to be published to the external world.

If it is external for security you MUST keep your IIS off the DC. The IIS should then be put into a De-militarised zone. This will keep it seperate from your network.

If you had it on your DC and someone broke through the web server because by default they are vulnerable (Port 80 attacks) then you are seriously screwed.

by cg it

file server, web servers, terminal servers,streaming media servers, unless the network is running Windows Small Business Server which is designed to run those services on the same box as the DNS, DHCP Active Directory DC.

by master3bs

I believe the previous poster was answering the part of your question about "any services I should stay away from running on a DC."

Hence, stay away from running "file server, web servers, terminal servers,streaming media servers, unless the network is running Windows Small Business Server."

by cg it

yes, those types of user services don't belong on a DC. Microsoft Small Business Server 2000/2003 are specifically designed as an "All on one Box" small business solution which would have terminal services, web server, files server and streaming media server services on the DC. [including a DHCP, DNS, RRAS, and the Active Directory DC]. Might want to throw in Exchange Server and SQL Server as services not desirable to run on a DC, but again, Small Business server is designed security wise to have them on the same box [2000 which comes with ISA 2000] and the premium edition 2003 which comes with ISA 2004] plus enhanced IE security.

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