PC to act as file server

[Guest]

I have a Windows 2000 server acting as the PDC and wanted to connect another PC on the domain to act as the file server. The PC would be configured with Win 98/2000 Pro/or XP Pro and three 20gb hard drives. This would be the file server for about 20 teachers. Will this design work without having to make the file PC a server and load it with 2000 or 2003 server? I'm guessing I just need to share the file PC to everyone as I would folders on any other PC, but just wanted to see if I was on the right track

Thanks.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I have a Windows 2000 server acting as the PDC and wanted to connect

another PC on the domain to act as the file server. The PC would be
configured with Win 98/2000 Pro/or XP Pro and three 20gb hard drives. This
would be the file server for about 20 teachers. Will this design work
without having to make the file PC a server and load it with 2000 or 2003
server? I'm guessing I just need to share the file PC to everyone as I
would folders on any other PC, but just wanted to see if I was on the right
track.

Thanks.

This won't work, because you're limited to 10 concurrent connections for a
Win2000 Professional Workstation used as a server. See here:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;122920

 

[Guest]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that windows client OS's are restricted to 5 share logon sessions per system. Have you looked at Small business server? It's very cheap under MS schools agreement and allows up to 50 clients to connect. Or you could just get a bigger disk for your DC
Garet
Network manage
Farnley Park high schoo
Leeds

 

[Guest]

I stand corrected 10 it is then

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that windows client OS's are

restricted to 5 share logon sessions per system. Have you looked at Small
business server? It's very cheap under MS schools agreement and allows up to
50 clients to connect. Or you could just get a bigger disk for your DC.

Gareth
Network manager
Farnley Park high school
Leeds

Small Business Server comes with 5 CALs. If you need more, you have to buy
them. Maybe 50 is the absolute maximum you can have?

 

[Guest]

Yes, it comes with 5 cals, but it can only accept 50 clients. No good as a printer server, as I found out! Doh!

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Must ask why you'd want to use this. In addition to the 10-connection limit,
you also lose the ability to control/backup/manage/secure this data from the
server. Having a domain model means never having to say you're sorry, and
never storing any data locally on any computer. If you're low on disk space

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I usually agree with you but on this occasion I don't. The domain
model gives you these advantages:
- Central account validation
- Central application of user policies
- Central logon scripts
- Microsoft Exchange

Backing up data is not affected by the domain model. Users can
store their files centrally on a pseudo server (i.e. a Win2000 Professional
Workstation) from where they can be backed up by the administrator.


"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

I usually agree with you but on this occasion I don't. The domain
model gives you these advantages:
- Central account validation
- Central application of user policies
- Central logon scripts
- Microsoft Exchange

Backing up data is not affected by the domain model. Users can
store their files centrally on a pseudo server (i.e. a Win2000
Professional Workstation) from where they can be backed up by the
administrator.

I usually agree with you too, so we're even.

You're quite correct - one certainly can backup workstations. As they say,
however, just because you *can*, doesn't mean you *should*.

I just don't see the point of locally stored data at all unless you have a
workgroup model (and with as many users as this network has, a workgroup
clearly wouldn't be the right way to go anyway). Workstation backups are
slow and can be unreliable. Workstation hardware is usually far less robust
than server hardware (how many win2k pro computers do you have that have
SCSI drives, let alone hardware RAID?).
I like to control security, shares, everything, from the server; I don't
grant any user account the right to create shares or have full control over
any existing shared folder.
I like to know that if a workstation crashes and burns, ehhh....no big
deal...just swap out to another (somewhat) identical machine, no problems at
all if you use roaming profiles.

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

Must ask why you'd want to use this. In addition to the
10-connection limit, you also lose the ability to
control/backup/manage/secure this data from the server. Having a
domain model means never having to say you're sorry, and never
storing any data locally on any computer. If you're low on disk
space on your server, add more, or look into a decent NAS box.

 

[Phillip Windell]

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" > I like to know that if a workstation crashes
and burns, ehhh....no big

deal...just swap out to another (somewhat) identical machine, no problems at
all if you use roaming profiles.

So, that said, wanna step outside? <rolls up sleeves>

Now don't make me have to stop this computer! If I have pull this machine
over, you kids are gonna get!


Hey, BTW, I noticed you are MVP-Exchange. Have you seen Susan VanAllen (also
MVP-Exchange) around any more in any newsgroups? I haven't seen her anywhere
anymore except for the MVP Summit back in April.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" > I like to know that if a workstation
crashes and burns, ehhh....no big

deal...just swap out to another (somewhat) identical machine, no
problems at all if you use roaming profiles.

So, that said, wanna step outside? <rolls up sleeves>

Now don't make me have to stop this computer! If I have pull this
machine over, you kids are gonna get!

Awwww, Daaaad....<scowls, kicks Pegasus' leg in back seat, looks around
innocently>

Hey, BTW, I noticed you are MVP-Exchange. Have you seen Susan
VanAllen (also MVP-Exchange) around any more in any newsgroups? I
haven't seen her anywhere anymore except for the MVP Summit back in
April.

I was at the summit, too....guess we didn't meet up in the crowd. Susan's
definitely still around; shows up in the Exchange groups from time to
time...I'll tell her you said hello

 

[Phillip Windell]

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

I was at the summit, too....guess we didn't meet up in the crowd.

I'm sure we saw each other and didn't know it. Those orange Exchange badges
were hard to miss. I think I saw your Lead (the red-headed guy) more than
my own and talked quite a bit with him. He'll remember me as the guy who
kept "hunting for Susan". It was the middle of the second day befoe I caught
up to her.

Susan's
definitely still around; shows up in the Exchange groups from time to
time...I'll tell her you said hello

Ok...sounds great.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

I was at the summit, too....guess we didn't meet up in the crowd.

I'm sure we saw each other and didn't know it. Those orange Exchange
badges were hard to miss. I think I saw your Lead (the red-headed
guy) more than my own and talked quite a bit with him. He'll remember
me as the guy who kept "hunting for Susan". It was the middle of the
second day befoe I caught up to her.

It was quite a madhouse, indeed. Exchange MVP lead is Brandon Hoff; he's a
swell fella.

 

[DS]

I usually agree with you too, so we're even.

You're quite correct - one certainly can backup workstations. As they
say, however, just because you *can*, doesn't mean you *should*.

I just don't see the point of locally stored data at all unless you
have a workgroup model (and with as many users as this network has, a
workgroup clearly wouldn't be the right way to go anyway). Workstation
backups are slow and can be unreliable. Workstation hardware is
usually far less robust than server hardware (how many win2k pro
computers do you have that have SCSI drives, let alone hardware
RAID?).

One reason to have local data files is when you're working with huge 3 or 4
gig CAD files and the office switch is only 100 mBit's and the files are on
a fileserver which also has 3 or 4 or more other people working with other
files that are on the server.