Server advice... please

[solway]

Hi guys,

Would like some server advice for a small business that i work for.

some requirements that i require would be:

SQL database for business apps
Central storage
Emails (shared calendar and contacts)

I am currently using gmail for my domain to host the emails, just a few annoyances like no contact sync between emails addresses and no central storage.
Everything else it using a peer to peer network to one host machine

having a look around the internet at the cost of servers, it seems a mid range is just similar to a desktop pc. and around the same cost.

However its the software that is very expensive.
Been looking at small business server 2008, as it includes exchange server as well. although can sql be run on one server?

Question is, are there any opensource alternatives? that have sql/exchange/storage capabilities?

 

[solway]

advice on security to all the network as cheap as possible would be useful
currently kasperky on all the desktops

 

[Sin_Chase]

I'm not a open source guy, so cannot recommend here.

SBS is aimed at an all in one server solution, although I think SBS 2008 is a 2 server solution. SBS 2003 will run on 1 server and will happily run SQL alongside exchange and File and Print services.

SQL Express 2005 is a free product and the MSDE successor, so you do not need a fully fledged product for your SQL database.

Server software is not cheap, no. But a decent mid-range server will not run you into too much costs.

Have you considered backups also?

 

[solway]

was thinking of a mirror harddrive solution for backups, with maybe a backup again onto a desktop (currently doing at the moment)

server to sit between router and internal 1gig network

do i require a battery backup? to provided safe shutdown if power fails?

 

[Sin_Chase]

Battery backup/write back cache is not required.

Edit - Oh, I think I just realised you meant a UPS. Kind of handy to have, can help to avoid corruption in a power cut event and one with enough capacity for your server alone wont cost you much at all. Double figures tops.

Mirroring the volume is a good idea, but its not enough. If you corrupt one thing, it corrupts on the entire mirror, same for deletion/modification etc.

Depending on how much data you have you could push to an external drive or another networked system but tape backups are usually the best way and can be stored offsite. This is another hardware cost to consider of course.

 

[solway]

business is around 40Gb in size at the moment

maybe 2 mirror harddrives for storage, 1 for OS and 1 for backup internally?

with mirroring i get double speed? and if one failed i just have to replace one and it'll rebuild?

 

[Sin_Chase]

You wont quite get double speed off a mirror, speeds depend on your controller too.

As for rebuilding, quite right - replace the failed drive and it shall rebuild. Whether this is automated or a manual procedure depends on your solution and whether you use Hardware or Software level raid. I highly recommend hardware level.

40gb is not much at all, you could easily use ntbackup to dump the server to an external drive.

 

[atomiser]

yep, this has sbs written all over it.

i'm still using 2003, havent touched 2008 yet. many of the server vendors will bundle sbs with the server for £3-400ish, which when you look at what you get, is absolute peanuts. dependant on how many users you have, the cost of cals can sneak up on you though.

in terms of drive arrangement, i would recommend two seperate raid arrays - one for the base 2003 server install, and then another to shift exchange, sql, shared drives etc over to. how you go with this is going to dependant upon the controller you get.

with 2003 you can quite happily run sql on the same box, or alternatively you can run a seperate box and just add it as a member server.

for backup sbs has a built-in utility, and there are quite a few really nice hard drive based backup solutions out there too which have 2.5" drives in ruggedised carts which are hot-swap. do a full backup each day, with a minimum of 3 carts to ensure there is always one properly off-site.

i wouldnt recommend putting your server 'between' the router and the network, if by this you mean using it in dual interface mode...if i were you i would attach the server to the network with a single interface and let your router be the default gateway for the network.

couple of other things to think about if you are going to host your own email... what internet connectivity do you have? adsl? leased line? do you have a static or dynamic public ip? you ought also to think about spam filtering too - get the mail filtered before it hits your server.

 

[Sp00n]

SBS 2k8 Premium, job done.

 

[Rob7865]

was thinking of a mirror harddrive solution for backups

RAID is not a backup solution, but a redundancy option - don't get the 2 confused and think your data is safe on a RAID array.
Yes, for a small installation like your talking about, RAID 1 (Mirrored) is fine, but also have a BACKUP solution.
SBS 2008 does NOT Support backup to TAPE, without 3rd party software.
SBS 2008 is a 1 NIC only setup, so either have a GOOD Router/Hardware firewall or put the server behind a Hardware firewall

For the size of Install your looking at, I would try and get SBS 2003 PREM. This includes ISA 2004 (Use 2 NICS for this) and SQL 2005, and is a one box solution. SBS 2008 requires 2 boxes to run the SQL part.

Rob

 

[solway]

can't you run sql on the same box for sbs2008?

business is only 5 users - if i need a temporary guest computer to connect do i require a extra cal? (say a temporary client wants to have access to server)
Also do printers take up cals?

internet is only business adsl - can't odds that


NO COMPETITORS!

 

[Sin_Chase]

business is only 5 users - if i need a temporary guest computer to connect do i require a extra cal? (say a temporary client wants to have access to server)
Also do printers take up cals?.

Printers do not take up CALs.

You will be likely using per user CALs. As such you only need enough CALs in your pool to be assigned to the concurrent amount of users connected to the system at any one time.

If you have 5 business users on, and want a guest connected as well you would need 6 CALs available.

 

[Rob7865]

can't you run sql on the same box for sbs2008?

Nope - SBS 2008 Prem includes SQL 2008 or SQL 2005 (if your LOB app is not SQL 2008 compatible). You cannot run SQL and the SBS Management tools on the Same box.
I think for what your requirements are, SBS 2003 PREM. R2 will be your best bet, this includes SQL 2005, and is a one box solution. You will need an extra 5 User CALS if your wanting to have 6 users.

Rob

 

[solway]

can you remove CAL from computers?

i.e. for example, replacing a pc or a different guest wants to access the network