G
Guest
Hello,
Merging from Netware to Microsoft 2003 Server. I need some help making
decisions on my network structure. New network to be as follows:
General:
-Five total offices (4 branch and 1 Corporate) to use centralized SQL
database.
-Wan connections via DSL-VPN from branches to Corp office.
-Terminal server(s) to be used to run sessions of SQL based software package.
-About 30-35 total users company wide
-Exchange server to be added in future to centralize e-mail, share company
calendars etc.
Currently have test environment set up with DC, SQL SERVER, FILE SERVER,
DHCP, & DNS roles all on the most powerful hardware with RAID, redundancy
etc.
DHCP is inactive (I used static IP's on all workstations), and DNS is not
setup as I don't even know why I need DNS on my network? Go figure.
Second, less powerfull server setup as Terminal server with simple mirror,
no redundancy.
I have two servers left (identical to the TS above), one I was going to set
up as a second TS, to load balance the incoming sessions. (If I'm able to, I
don't have ENTRIPRI$E Edition MS due to cost.) I like the idea of redundancy
on the TS.
The 2nd one was going to be my Exchange server.
THE DELEMA:
I was seriously thinking of going live with this setup, until while going
through my disaster recoverd details, I discovered that having a SINGLE DC
(active directory) that needs restored to a NEW server in the event of
serious hardware failure is really NOT going to be smooth.
I'm now stuck at a cross roads. If I lost my DC, could I resonably just
start from scratch with new hardware, install OS, Set up roles, and re-add
all my users, groups etc (30-35) and then restore backed-up profiles and user
files
OR
should I purchase a second DC and MS 2003 server to keep things availible
and avoid this DC problem?
Issues I see here are if a fire destroyes my Corp office, then both DC's are
gone anyway (along with all my servers) and I'm back to square one with
starting from scratch (nothing but backups). (I suppose maybe I could put the
second DC in another location, but then administering is a hassle, I really
want to keep all servers in one local)
I have read that restoring a DC to DIFFERENT HARDWARE is a nightmare,
practically usless, so people just avoid that by having millions of DC's up
and running.
I'm a small company and I don't have millions to spend in MS server software
and new hardware.
Based on this general setup, can anyone give me some good advice?
My now centralized data WILL BE CRITICAL and my max target recovery is 4-8
hours during working hours.
I need to make the right decision and not have to spend another $20K doing
it.
Thank much,
Mark
(I cannot understand why I can't just extract my Active Directory user info
data (and have profiles and user files on backup) and just inject it into
another DC? I could do this with Netware but it appears impossible with MS.
Is it impossible to keep hardware configs and USER data and configs
separate?)
Merging from Netware to Microsoft 2003 Server. I need some help making
decisions on my network structure. New network to be as follows:
General:
-Five total offices (4 branch and 1 Corporate) to use centralized SQL
database.
-Wan connections via DSL-VPN from branches to Corp office.
-Terminal server(s) to be used to run sessions of SQL based software package.
-About 30-35 total users company wide
-Exchange server to be added in future to centralize e-mail, share company
calendars etc.
Currently have test environment set up with DC, SQL SERVER, FILE SERVER,
DHCP, & DNS roles all on the most powerful hardware with RAID, redundancy
etc.
DHCP is inactive (I used static IP's on all workstations), and DNS is not
setup as I don't even know why I need DNS on my network? Go figure.
Second, less powerfull server setup as Terminal server with simple mirror,
no redundancy.
I have two servers left (identical to the TS above), one I was going to set
up as a second TS, to load balance the incoming sessions. (If I'm able to, I
don't have ENTRIPRI$E Edition MS due to cost.) I like the idea of redundancy
on the TS.
The 2nd one was going to be my Exchange server.
THE DELEMA:
I was seriously thinking of going live with this setup, until while going
through my disaster recoverd details, I discovered that having a SINGLE DC
(active directory) that needs restored to a NEW server in the event of
serious hardware failure is really NOT going to be smooth.
I'm now stuck at a cross roads. If I lost my DC, could I resonably just
start from scratch with new hardware, install OS, Set up roles, and re-add
all my users, groups etc (30-35) and then restore backed-up profiles and user
files
OR
should I purchase a second DC and MS 2003 server to keep things availible
and avoid this DC problem?
Issues I see here are if a fire destroyes my Corp office, then both DC's are
gone anyway (along with all my servers) and I'm back to square one with
starting from scratch (nothing but backups). (I suppose maybe I could put the
second DC in another location, but then administering is a hassle, I really
want to keep all servers in one local)
I have read that restoring a DC to DIFFERENT HARDWARE is a nightmare,
practically usless, so people just avoid that by having millions of DC's up
and running.
I'm a small company and I don't have millions to spend in MS server software
and new hardware.
Based on this general setup, can anyone give me some good advice?
My now centralized data WILL BE CRITICAL and my max target recovery is 4-8
hours during working hours.
I need to make the right decision and not have to spend another $20K doing
it.
Thank much,
Mark
(I cannot understand why I can't just extract my Active Directory user info
data (and have profiles and user files on backup) and just inject it into
another DC? I could do this with Netware but it appears impossible with MS.
Is it impossible to keep hardware configs and USER data and configs
separate?)