Using a domain controller as a file server

[Mike]

Looking for people who are using a domain controller as a
file server. It will not actually hold the files, they
are stored in a SAN's, it will just serve up the files.
It will not be very processor intensive but I am looking
for pro's,con's, and "what are you crazy!". I don't
really want to do this because I think it would not be a
good practice, but if others out there are doing this
with high success I would like to hear that.


Thanks,
Mike

 

[Oli Restorick [MVP]]

You don't say how big an organisation you are, but since you have a SAN, you
must either have a lot of users or you have a lot of data.

A DC is also one thing I wouldn't consider a candidate for using SAN
storage.

If you can afford a SAN, surely you can afford a separate file server. From
that point of view alone, I'm struggling to see the logic in wanting to do
it.

Sharing file storage with DCs is something you see in a small business where
cash is really at a premium.

As for pros, it obviously saves you buying an extra box. On the negative
side, it prevents you doing any maintenance on your DC, because your users
will always have files open.

I have witnessed an NT4 DC being on SP5 and incapable of receiving MS03-026
(the patch for the vulnerability exploited by the Blaster worm). This was
because it was a file server and couldn't be rebooted, so it never got
patched.

Of course, you'll still have the problem of patching your file server, but I
really like to keep my DCs in top shape.

Oli