Server 2012 essentials or standard for domain server

Ultra_Extreme · 10 Apr 2014 at 13:08

Hi guys, small setup in the works, 2 offices one with 15 pc's and one with 7, ive ordered a couple of HP servers to handle DNS, AD and user accounts. Im just not sure exactly what server software package to go with?

Any info? Its going to be a fairly basic setup but i want to keep costs down where i can.

PaulB · 10 Apr 2014 at 13:16

Sounds (from the information you have given) like Essentials will be perfect.

Cheaper than 2012 Standard and no need to buy CALS (unlike with 2012 Standard where you do)

Ultra_Extreme · 10 Apr 2014 at 13:23

PaulB said:
Sounds (from the information you have given) like Essentials will be perfect.

Cheaper than 2012 Standard and no need to buy CALS (unlike with 2012 Standard where you do)

yeah i had noticed the CALS thing, which was essentially what prompted me to ask this question, as essentials is half the price of standard and you dont need CALS i wanted to be sure i wasnt missing something like "oh essentials doesnt let you do DHCP" or some stupid thing lol

R088ieS86 · 10 Apr 2014 at 13:31

Server 2012 essentials didn't let you run WSUS from it, but the R2 version does.
Also there is no direct upgrade from '12 to R2, so buy t R2 off the bat.

Ultra_Extreme · 10 Apr 2014 at 13:35

R088ieS86 said:
Server 2012 essentials didn't let you run WSUS from it, but the R2 version does.
Also there is no direct upgrade from '12 to R2, so buy t R2 off the bat.

thats brill info m8 thanks! i probs wouldnt have noted the diff!!

Quartz · 10 Apr 2014 at 13:46

R088ieS86 said:
Server 2012 essentials didn't let you run WSUS from it,

That's not quite correct. There's a hotfix available from Microsoft. See this technet article.

R088ieS86 · 10 Apr 2014 at 14:01

Quartz said:
That's not quite correct. There's a hotfix available from Microsoft. See this technet article.

Thats good to know, cheers