Typical MS Server Setup

supasoaker · 10 Dec 2013 at 20:49

Hi all,

something is confusing me - on this page:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc739630(v=ws.10).aspx

it states that both Windows Server 2003, Web Edition and Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition are required.

I don't understand what these are, they are not each an OS, so are they both applications? If so what OS is running? Also, where does Active Directory fit into all of this?

I am used to Linux, so this seems a little confusing...thanks in advance for any help.

[Darkend]Viper · 10 Dec 2013 at 20:55

The page is saying that the first typical server setup won't run if it's using web edition or datacenter edition.

Web edition and Datacenter edition are both different versions of server 2003 OS, they are the OS, they just have different limits, web edition is mainly used for web servers, running .net and similar. Datacenter edition is the top end which supports more memory, processors and such.

Active Directory is where all the info is stored about users, computers, policies and the such like.

Hope this makes some sense.

supasoaker · 10 Dec 2013 at 21:01

[Darkend]Viper;25466727 said:
The page is saying that the first typical server setup won't run if it's using web edition or datacenter edition.

Web edition and Datacenter edition are both different versions of server 2003 OS, they are the OS, they just have different limits, web edition is mainly used for web servers, running .net and similar. Datacenter edition is the top end which supports more memory, processors and such.

Active Directory is where all the info is stored about users, computers, policies and the such like.

Hope this makes some sense.

hehe..whoops! Thanks for that, does active directory come pre-installed in Win Server 2008 for example?

n30_mkii · 10 Dec 2013 at 21:19

That would be a no, extra functionality is added using a combination of roles and features through server manager.

ADDS is a role and will guide you through the process of creating a new domain etc, however it does also require configuration of a DNS namespace etc.

What is it you are trying to achieve? is this for a home lab or just theory?

Servers in a typical enterprise would have role seperation e.g. AD Domain Controllers / PKI Servers / Web Server / Exchange etc

There would also be resilience in terms of key services by having multiple boxes serving the same role and using some fault tolerance / high availability method.

supasoaker · 10 Dec 2013 at 21:29

n30_mkii - thanks, its for theory, I will be taking some MS exams in the next few months and need to catch up quick - can anyone recommend any websites or other materials as a learning aid.

I am already installing server 2008 into a virtual machine so I can mess around. Lots of tutorials on youTube but if anyone knows anything that could turn a REAL beginner into someone who could do a thing or two it would be most appreciated.

Technologies I am expected to learn are:

Windows 7 Configuration
Active Server 2008
Network Server 2008
Exchange Server 2010

If anyone wishes to add their two pennies on these they are welcome, for example I am unfamiliar on the roles of each software technology, win7 configuration I am not really worried about - THANKS!

DRZ · 11 Dec 2013 at 14:52

Do you know what you need to know about those technologies?

The basics of most of that list are quite simple but knowing what you are doing with AD and Exchange is going to take time and experience - quite a lot more than you have unless you're an extremely fast learner!

ecksmen · 11 Dec 2013 at 16:35

I think you are miss understanding the title, when you first boot into the OS (server 2003) for the first ever time you are prompted to configure it with an annoying pop up. This includes things like running windows update.

All this is saying that this wizard does not work in specific situations and most of those (such as being joined to a domain) implies that the server has already been through some configuration and therefore the wizards are no longer applicable.

It's not saying that your first server (as in the first server in the environment cannot be datacentre edition) just that the wizard that doesn't work regardless of server count.