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Server Setup
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Old 30-12-2004, 17:57   #16
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Re: Server Setup

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Originally Posted by leggom
Thanks for the advice. Ive got to meet up with the local business later on in the week but they said they want this to be as cheap as possible so I will tell them. I'm only the person who has been told to implement this and I haven't done many like this before. I have never used SBS so I will coming on here for help if and when the choose to get this setup.

Thanks for the advice so far guys.

please dont take this personaly , but do you have the slightest clue as to what you are doing !!!!!!!! , i know everyone has to learn and will never stop learning but ........ , if you get this wrong you are going to cause so much damage to your rep and to potentially someones buisness that you will end up looking like a right useless **** , tread carefully , like i said , nothing personal
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Old 30-12-2004, 18:17   #17
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Re: Server Setup

By the looks of things you are getting quite committed to this solution. May I suggest that before you progress too far, you set up a small test environment. Get yourself the server, load it up in default, and connect up a PC or two only to it, so you can see how it all works. Then you can have a play around, find out what needs tweaking. Meanwhile the rest of the company isn't disrupted. Only then will you realise how best to setup the server for the live environment, including drive partition sizes, exchange limitations (do you have SMTP feed or POP for incoming mail - you really want the former for versatile email so you can control the addys). I learn't the hard way, loading it all as the default, running on a live network for a few days, with everyone screaming at me due to problems. Even then I've reloaded and the system twice so as to optimise for my needs, and each server reload has often meant reloading the Workstations too, simply because they didn't pick up the new network configurations properly.

The SBS software is not the only thing to consider. Look at antivirus - you must protect the server, and that needs to update automatically at least once a day. The A/V soft3ware needs to be SBS compatible. I use Pandasoftware, but there are others especially Trend.

How are you going to backup? The SBS includes windows NT backup which is OK, but limited especially for Exchange i.e. it backusp up the whole exchange Database as one. You can't reinstall just one users mailbox, you have to do the lot. You must use an exchange aware backup though or the various logs won't delete and you run out of HD space. Make sure whatever medium i.e. tape will have enough capacity now and in the future.

You need to sit down and price it all out. If you get an off the shelf server, and add some bits to it, you will be able to get OEM versions of SBS, but do allow for the client licences for it (also available as OEM).

My experience, now that I know what I am trying to do, is that the server load and basic configuration of users, etc takes at least a day, especially if there is existing data to be moved over. Then you need time on each workstation to make that speak to the server properly, download software and settings such as Outlook and the ISA client, set the various file paths etc. Some of that is automated, but not all and inevitably you have to do some tweaks.

Yes they may want it done cheap, but they will also want a scapegoat if it doesn't work. Are you prepared for that. Few firms these days are happy once their computers go down.
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Old 30-12-2004, 18:20   #18
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Re: Server Setup

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Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts


<snip>

Yes they may want it done cheap, but they will also want a scapegoat if it doesn't work. Are you prepared for that. Few firms these days are happy once their computers go down.

more or less where i was coming from
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Old 30-12-2004, 18:27   #19
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Re: Server Setup

No offence taken. I know what I am doing as I have setup many smaller networks before but never really used a Server OS like SBS before so I think before we take it any further I will have to setup a test bench. The business already has a network but it's not suitable for what they need now and need everything centralising.

MovedGoalPosts we will be sitting down and discussing some of the points you have made. With regards to anti-virus Sophos will be what we use as I am famillar with that, used it many a time. As for workstations each one will be wiped and setup individually, I know it will take time but I know we can get it right.

I think that the main thing is the configuration of everything. They do not mind if most of the network is down for a week or two as its not heavily used, as long as there are 5 ish machines that can be used for word, excel they are not bothered as they are only just starting to use e-mail so its not really a problem.

Once we get a list of what we need and anything that I need help with I will come here.
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Old 30-12-2004, 18:30   #20
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Re: Server Setup

Is this a migration, or a completely new installation? What OS are/will the clients be running? Does sound like an SBS solution, but there's quite a lot to consider if it is a migration from what they already have.

[Edit] just read your latest post - looks like can be treated as a new install, presumably with XP on the clients?
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Old 30-12-2004, 18:52   #21
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Re: Server Setup

Ideally clients want Win XP Pro (you cannot use home), but Win 2k Pro is almost as good, just that XP configures easier. Win 98 SE can be used at a push, but it's messy and doesn't give you the security issues.

Look at what software is being used on the network. If you are hoping to keep Office 97 running, you can, but it deosn't integrate tightly with the security systems of win 2k or XP which means your users have to have admin rights to their workstations. You really want at least Office XP (I'm not sure of Office 2000). ONe of the big adavantages of the business class network OS is tha ability to assign users specific rights that stop them tinkering with key parts of the workstation's setup, even to the extent of them not adding software. That can be useful so you, the IT admin, knows exactly how it is set up and thus troubleshooting is a lot easier.

Check with the ISP for email and the web stuff. Can they support the new server connections? Many ISPs cannot.

SBS is a product which has taken a number of M$ consultants by surprise as many small businesses are running it with little or no assistance. Indees the M$ SBS newsgroups are full of privateers looking for small siolutions. I suppose I'm a prime example of that. I'm still learning today. If you are capable of setting up a peer to peer windows network, you can set up an SBS one, it's less about the Server OS, more about the configuration of the added components, but many of the wizards do help you through that. There are plenty of info sites out there to help. But do give yourself plenty of time, and do expect to have to start over a few times while you work out the steep learning curve.

Migration of most data will just be time consuming, a simple network probably only uses Outlook Express for email, and that's where you biggest challenge will be moving that to Exchange and Outlook. Once that is sorted you can add the other extra facilities of SBS as a need arises.
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