When it is worth setting up a business on a domain

DJMK4

DJMK4

DJMK4

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I mean generally most of our customers in my main job are motor factors, we have a lot more bigger customers, but these are generally more users, our motor factor customers may have 5 or so machines on site, and generally are not on a domain.

The project I am working on outside of work at the moment generally will only have 4 PC's, 5 at max, would it be worthwhile for a small business with one premises putting them on a basic domain set-up or not?

They only have one server (at present) which is a dell rack server and will be setting it up with hardware RAID (has 2 disk), and was generally thinking about using it as a file/print/DHCP/Backup server, however is it really worth setting this up as a domain controller for this amount of users?
 
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It's a tough one, a domain gives you a lot more control over each machine and centralised user management. But it also increases the potential for something to go wrong.

I was in a similar situation a couple of years ago and the company had 4 employees and rapidly expanded to about 15-20. At which point I was glad I put a domain in!

Certainly if they have the server already it would be worth using it as part of some sort of backup solution/central storage, which in my mind is probably the most overlooked thing in small businesses.

Do they actually need a print server? If they have a network attached printer it might not be worth having a dedicated print server without a domain and just link each machine to the network printer.

I guess what I'm saying here, like most IT related questions, is it depends on the business!
 
J.B said:
It's a tough one, a domain gives you a lot more control over each machine and centralised user management. But it also increases the potential for something to go wrong.

I was in a similar situation a couple of years ago and the company had 4 employees and rapidly expanded to about 15-20. At which point I was glad I put a domain in!

Certainly if they have the server already it would be worth using it as part of some sort of backup solution/central storage, which in my mind is probably the most overlooked thing in small businesses.

Do they actually need a print server? If they have a network attached printer it might not be worth having a dedicated print server without a domain and just link each machine to the network printer.

I guess what I'm saying here, like most IT related questions, is it depends on the business!
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Dont know on printers yet, but yeah they will proabably end up buying some network printers anyway, so most likely no.

I deal with administering domains so yeah know the benifits, but generally never really made the decision on weather to set-up a domain for a business with this small amount of users.

I think what I will end up doing is just set-up the server with the intention of setting it up as a file and backup server. Do a base install and image the server ready. If they do expand, it generally wont be anymore than 6-8 PC's again, which is not a massive amount anyway, so can't really see a point for a domain yet, and it only add stuff that could potentially occur.

I have seen plenty of our smaller 5-10 user customers survive absolutely fine with a peer-to-peer network. I guess I can always migrate to a domain if they ever needed it in the future (which is looking doubtful)
 
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If the business is forcast to grow (users / servers) then I would be tempted to go for the domain, mostly for small businesses it comes down to cost.
 
If your users need to do any sort of file sharing/shareddocs etc, and can afford a decent (as in high availability) server or two, do it. It'll save you time in the long run, especially when you go on to use redirected folders / roaming profiles to keep their data away from those horrible ticking timebomb workstations.
 
Dropped the two dell workstations off which he was happy with, one of the guys there just needs to install office and sage.

Dropped off some order info for more RAM for the machines, 6U data cabinet and 24 port patch panel, so he is going to let me know when those are in so I can come down and stamp down the CAT5 runs in to the patch panel, and install their switch.

I have brought back their server with me! Dell PowerEdge 1850, booted it up, had a small warning in the BIOS I think the BIOS battery might need replacing, however its a 3ghz processor L2 cache 1MB, 1GB RAM unfortunately, 2 x Seagate Cheetah 10K SCSI Drives for RAID.

AND! it booted in to Windows Server 2003 standard login, however for some reason my USB Keyboard/Mouse didnt pick it up, I will try PS2 tomorrow.

I need to find if what was put on there from the previous owner is legit, I can see any certificate on the server for licence, unless I am blind so it certainly didnt come from Dell with the OS unless they removed it.

If this indeed a legit OS on here, can I carry on using it? obtain the product key somehow and re-install it?
 
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Dells could be bought without an os. I've got 2 poweredge 2950's one with a server 2003 COA and the other with nothing. If you go to the dell site and put the service tag in it should bring back the original spec including os if ordered. I'd imagine it to be 2003 at latest as I don't think these were availble when 2008 came out.

I dont think this server will run 2008 r2 as not sure it's 64bit. So if thats the case your limited to 2003 or 2008. More memory and i'd be tempted to go for 2008 if possible.
 
I don't want to side track you thread,,, but if I can just ask... the poweredge server that yourself and DarkendViper mention only have a total top capacity of 600Gb?. Is this normal?... just seems a little small?. Or have I fallen into the media file size trap. ie most buisness files are docs in the low MB size and not stonking great mega video/blueray files? Nope .....I'm not a Server/IT man... :)
 
It was probably normal for when the server was bought probably 5-6 years ago. Storage needs seem to have grown over the last 3 years at 4x the normal rate, or should I say thats what i've seen at my work.

If you needed storage then it was a cause of buying a dedicated storage device, dell powervault was one, use to be called EMC Clarion CX4 I think, which is where you could get big storage from.

I remember the days where 18gb was considered large storage for a server!! Couldn't get my deployment share on that now!!
 
[Darkend]Viper;21816160 said:
It was probably normal for when the server was bought probably 5-6 years ago. Storage needs seem to have grown over the last 3 years at 4x the normal rate, or should I say thats what i've seen at my work.

If you needed storage then it was a cause of buying a dedicated storage device, dell powervault was one, use to be called EMC Clarion CX4 I think, which is where you could get big storage from.

I remember the days where 18gb was considered large storage for a server!! Couldn't get my deployment share on that now!!
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I think it woul be more accurate to say storage needs minus email have grown slowly compared to drive size...

Google apps for email, Depending on what they are doing 500gb storage should be more than enough storage for docs, as long as no joker puts their music, film or pic library on it...
 
Essexraptor said:
I don't want to side track you thread,,, but if I can just ask... the poweredge server that yourself and DarkendViper mention only have a total top capacity of 600Gb?. Is this normal?... just seems a little small?. Or have I fallen into the media file size trap. ie most buisness files are docs in the low MB size and not stonking great mega video/blueray files? Nope .....I'm not a Server/IT man... :)
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I go to about 25 small business regularly 2 to 15 users one has 120gb of storage used, however he has his 40 gb music collection on the server... The rest are using high 100 low GB space.. If I spec new servers I stick 2x 2tb mirrored drives in since they are only 200 a pop from mr dells company... I they had pushing 1tb of data to store I might spec 3 2tb in a raid 5
 
edscdk said:
I go to about 25 small business regularly 2 to 15 users one has 120gb of storage used, however he has his 40 gb music collection on the server... The rest are using high 100 low GB space.. If I spec new servers I stick 2x 2tb mirrored drives in since they are only 200 a pop from mr dells company... I they had pushing 1tb of data to store I might spec 3 2tb in a raid 5
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Yup... I think I did fall for the "home media file size trap"

back to the thread topic guys... and thanks :)
 
I have found a programme which will show the product key used on this install thats already on this server, if I can obtain this, and the media for Windows server 2003 standard (may have it somewhere) can I use this an option if they dont want to go down the route of paying however much for small business server with 5 CAL's?

Just do a clean install and use this key?
 
DJMK4 said:
I have found a programme which will show the product key used on this install thats already on this server, if I can obtain this, and the media for Windows server 2003 standard (may have it somewhere) can I use this an option if they dont want to go down the route of paying however much for small business server with 5 CAL's?

Just do a clean install and use this key?
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You can do it but I dont think they would be properly licenced. They really need the paper cals/licence that came with the install.
 
Will find out if any paperwork on the licencing came with the server,

Iv managed to blank the password using a linux disk, quite surprised they didnt wipe it tbh who ever they got it off

Edit: Just managed to extract the product key/cd key from that Jellybean programme
 
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If its OEM, the sticker will be obvious on the top right hand side of the chassis (on the top of the unit), so if its licenced it will be eopen
 
tribz said:
Also, Google your extracted code. If you get no hits its a legit key. If you get hits, its a leaked key.
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OK, Will try this, if it is legit, I do have an installation iso for windows server 2003 standard, but I am guessing the install is locked to the cd key.

If I can somehow install Windows server 2003 on there, can I change the product key and get it verified online?
 
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