Windows Server 2003 Network - ideas needed

[toastyman]

Greetings all!

I'm looking to build a Windows based network for employees in my company. There's currently 5 of us, all of whom need to be able to share documents, backup things etc, in a central location. We have a dual xeon server with Windows Server 2003 ready to go, but i'm not sure how to go about this, because i've never built a network before, so have little knowledge of the capabilities of Server 2003 etc...

A few details:

• The server will be based at the company headquarters
• The server will have a printer attached, which users are able to print to across the Internet
• The server will act as a storage/backup solution for all the company documents
• Users need to be able to access the server and it's facilities from across the Internet
• Some users are using computers which are already connected to other domains, and from what i've researched, a pc can only join one domain at a time...
• Client PCs are all running XP and Vista

If anyone has any ideas on how to structure this network, i'd appreciate it

 

[The_KiD]

So you already have a domain and this server will be an "extra" server available on the domain.

So install Windows 2003 on the server, install the printer and share making sure to make available on the domain. Create the folder structure for the file storage. Then set the permissions for who can access what. Then map drives on the clients to the correct areas on the newly shared storage. (better doing this last bit with a logon script).

Add the shared printer to them all and your off.

Who controls the main domain that PC's are part of? can they not help with this setup?

 

[Rob7865]

Hi - Have a look at my suggestions - hope it helps!

• The server will be based at the company headquarters
  OK, thats fine, guess your at that location?
  
• The server will have a printer attached, which users are able to print to across the Internet
  Users will be able to use this printer via a VPN connection.
  
• The server will act as a storage/backup solution for all the company documents
  Yeap, not a problem - this is done via document redirection
  
• Users need to be able to access the server and it's facilities from across the Internet
  This is all done via remote access / VPN
  
• Some users are using computers which are already connected to other domains, and from what i've researched, a pc can only join one domain at a time...
  Yeap - no can do - PC's can only be a member of one domain - if the other domain is under your control, you could set up a trust relationship
  
• Client PCs are all running XP and Vista
  No problem, Win2K3 Loves XP and plays nicely with Vista! ;o)

Hope this helps

TTFN
Rob

 

[toastyman]

So you already have a domain and this server will be an "extra" server available on the domain.

Sorry, that was my poor explanation on my part... we don't have a domain, and I don't think we can as some of the client PCs are already connected to other domains (other companies).

Hi - Have a look at my suggestions - hope it helps!

* The server will be based at the company headquarters
OK, thats fine, guess your at that location?
* The server will have a printer attached, which users are able to print to across the Internet
Users will be able to use this printer via a VPN connection.
* The server will act as a storage/backup solution for all the company documents
Yeap, not a problem - this is done via document redirection
* Users need to be able to access the server and it's facilities from across the Internet
This is all done via remote access / VPN
* Some users are using computers which are already connected to other domains, and from what i've researched, a pc can only join one domain at a time...
Yeap - no can do - PC's can only be a member of one domain - if the other domain is under your control, you could set up a trust relationship
* Client PCs are all running XP and Vista
No problem, Win2K3 Loves XP and plays nicely with Vista! ;o)


Hope this helps

TTFN
Rob

Excellent, definetely given me some food for thought! I'm not located at the company HQ where the server will be... my PC will just be another client PC connecting to it.


Right then, where to start!

 

[toastyman]

• The server will act as a storage/backup solution for all the company documents
  Yeap, not a problem - this is done via document redirection

Ok I might as start somewhere, so here we go! I've tidied the server up and removed Active Directory etc..

I've created a folder called 'users' on the D:\ drive, with a seperate folder for each user within it. Any suggestions on what to do next? Is it a simple matter of sharing each individual user's folder and mapping a network drive on the client pc? Is there any way to stop other users accessing each others folders?

Cheers

 

[Rob7865]

Woo there!!

Hold on! Are you trying to set up a NEW domain or just a fileserver?

If your wanting a new domain, you'd better put Active Directory (AD) back on! (DCPROMO.exe).
Then create your domain users and their relevant directories - with AD on create a Group Policy for document redirection (ie \\{yourservername}\Users\%username%) this will direct your users "MY Documents" folders to a share on your Server call "Users" and the subdirectory will be their username (ie JoeBloggs)

What exatly are you wanting to achive? You say your not a the main company site? Is there not a IT bod there who's job is to set your companies servers up??

ttfn
Rob

 

[toastyman]

Woo there!!

Hold on! Are you trying to set up a NEW domain or just a fileserver?

If your wanting a new domain, you'd better put Active Directory (AD) back on! (DCPROMO.exe).
Then create your domain users and their relevant directories - with AD on create a Group Policy for document redirection (ie \\{yourservername}\Users\%username%) this will direct your users "MY Documents" folders to a share on your Server call "Users" and the subdirectory will be their username (ie JoeBloggs)

What exatly are you wanting to achive? You say your not a the main company site? Is there not a IT bod there who's job is to set your companies servers up??

ttfn
Rob

I was experimenting with a domain, but then found out half the client PCs are connected to other domains, so having a domain isn't possible. This is why I produced this thread... to try and get some ideas of workarounds.

Nope i'm not located at the company HQ, but have been tasked to set up the network. I'm a web developer really, so this is all out of my field, but i'm also the most IT competant person in the company, so this is my task!

 

[Rob7865]

Ok, so all you really after is a big file store? Are the other client PC able to be disjoined from their current domain?

From what your looking to achive, you may be better of with a NAS unit, Network Switch and a VPN end point device - Some good ADSL modem/routers have this function.

Your clients would then be able to VPN from the internet to the VPN end point unit, and access the NAS and printers...
..
I think for what your maybe trying to achive a full blown Win2k3 Server is over kill if your other clients cannot be joined to "your" domain

ttfn
Rob

 

[Deleted member 58846]

homework ? LOL

You should not be touching any network if your asking questions like this. Sorry but It should be done properly. If you are doing it then I really hope you no about the security implimentations that the network needs.

 

[Magsy]

Quick and dirty option, which will be frowned upon, is to create matching accounts on the server and client.

So for eg.

I login to my XP box as "magsy/password123"
Now on the server create an account called "magsy" and give it the password "password123"
Assign the permissons to the folder/share on the server and away to go, the client will have seamless access until they change their local password.

Yes there are issues with this but it does not sound like a major company anyway, so it'll do?

The other option is to just give them all second accounts on the server, so that when they try to access the network share it asks them to login, at which point they enter their 'network' credentials. This is probably best because they can then use these credentials to connect via VPN or dialup.

Of course, what you should be doing is adding them all to the domain because it will be much easier in the long run

 

[m4cc45]

Or you could have generic passwords.

I.e. if you have a public share you could create a login script like this:

net use z: \\share\share /user:jsmith password /persistent:no

Just to explain the above. It will map Z: to the share \\share\share using jsmith as the username and password as the password. The reason for none-persistency is that this can cause errors when you log back on if you run the script again.

Just another option.


M.

 

[M0KUJ1N]

homework ? LOL

You should not be touching any network if your asking questions like this. Sorry but It should be done properly. If you are doing it then I really hope you no about the security implimentations that the network needs.

Don't worry, you'll soon get numbed to this thought and start to ignore the "how do I set up my Exchange server/ Windows Server/ Group Policy" threads

If nothing else these forums highlight the number of "sysadmins" flying by the seats of their pants doing things they haven't been trained to do (not their fault, usually management not investing in training/hardware/software or expecting them to make a silk purse out of a sows ear).

In response to the OP, if you're not planning on implementing AD and are just using the box as a file and print server why bother wasting money on Server 2003? A linux box running Samba or even a Windows XP box would probably do everything you need especially with such a small user base.

 

[The_KiD]

If nothing else these forums highlight the number of "sysadmins" flying by the seats of their pants doing things they haven't been trained to do (not their fault, usually management not investing in training/hardware/software or expecting them to make a silk purse out of a sows ear)..

lol sounds like the job description for my current position