S
Steve
Hi,
I hope I can get some practical advice from the experts
We will set up a small network with 5+4+2=11 computers in a small
charity oriented publication production office with three departments
(editorial, design & management).
Our Requirements:
1. Each department will have their own printers and backup units.
2. Each department will need to share some files/directories in their
own department but should only be accessible by user level password.
No need to access on most of the computers in other departments but
maybe one computer/folder just for inter-department level file
sharing.
3. We will have one high-speed internet connection which will be used
by all departments and users.
4. As a further phase we will have our own web-server for a dynamic
website.
5. We need to keep the cost of the software licences as minimum as
possible without any hassle (or should I say with minimum hassle !).
6. Some of the users will use Word and maybe 2-3 people will need
"excel", "power point" and "access" occasionally.
7. All computers will be new systems with amd/celeron/p4 with min 256
memory. We will not have a dedicated network IT manager at this phase
so a solution with minimum administration would be ideal.
My Questions:
1. What is the ideal network/server/client solution for our
requirements?
2. Which server applications (ISA, Small business Server etc.. ??) do
we need?
3. Which version of the XP required for the basic computers in the
departments (is xp home enough or do we definately need xp pro for
better protection and administration?)
4. What is the best licence options to keep the system simple and
economical.
Is there a licence option for the office applications on "one user at
the same time" instead of "per computers"? (instead of installing the
ms office in one computer and asking the user to use that computer
when ever he needs the "word", he can use the application from any
computer but no one else use the same application on the network at
the same time.)
5. How can we track the use of the shared printers by user level (who
print what and when . so we need to know the user, paper size, colour
or black& white etc. to analyse the printing cost per job/user)
6. How do we control the internet acceess (sites, downloads, chats
etc.) and virus/intruder protection.
7. A backup system which will look to the each computers "shared
documents" folder to backup the changed/new files to backup/copy them
to a central file/backup drive.
8. Is there a utility to force the users naming the shared documents
with a common format eg: subject-Department-user-date.
9. Do we need seperate computers for "backups/file server", "printer
server", "internet access control server" or can we use one server
hardware for all the server applications?
Thanks for your helps.
Steve.
I hope I can get some practical advice from the experts
We will set up a small network with 5+4+2=11 computers in a small
charity oriented publication production office with three departments
(editorial, design & management).
Our Requirements:
1. Each department will have their own printers and backup units.
2. Each department will need to share some files/directories in their
own department but should only be accessible by user level password.
No need to access on most of the computers in other departments but
maybe one computer/folder just for inter-department level file
sharing.
3. We will have one high-speed internet connection which will be used
by all departments and users.
4. As a further phase we will have our own web-server for a dynamic
website.
5. We need to keep the cost of the software licences as minimum as
possible without any hassle (or should I say with minimum hassle !).
6. Some of the users will use Word and maybe 2-3 people will need
"excel", "power point" and "access" occasionally.
7. All computers will be new systems with amd/celeron/p4 with min 256
memory. We will not have a dedicated network IT manager at this phase
so a solution with minimum administration would be ideal.
My Questions:
1. What is the ideal network/server/client solution for our
requirements?
2. Which server applications (ISA, Small business Server etc.. ??) do
we need?
3. Which version of the XP required for the basic computers in the
departments (is xp home enough or do we definately need xp pro for
better protection and administration?)
4. What is the best licence options to keep the system simple and
economical.
Is there a licence option for the office applications on "one user at
the same time" instead of "per computers"? (instead of installing the
ms office in one computer and asking the user to use that computer
when ever he needs the "word", he can use the application from any
computer but no one else use the same application on the network at
the same time.)
5. How can we track the use of the shared printers by user level (who
print what and when . so we need to know the user, paper size, colour
or black& white etc. to analyse the printing cost per job/user)
6. How do we control the internet acceess (sites, downloads, chats
etc.) and virus/intruder protection.
7. A backup system which will look to the each computers "shared
documents" folder to backup the changed/new files to backup/copy them
to a central file/backup drive.
8. Is there a utility to force the users naming the shared documents
with a common format eg: subject-Department-user-date.
9. Do we need seperate computers for "backups/file server", "printer
server", "internet access control server" or can we use one server
hardware for all the server applications?
Thanks for your helps.
Steve.