I am in the process of down-grading my business office back to a simple home office and am unsure what direction I should go with regards to the network setup. Originally, and when I had a Network Admin available, I was running a T-1 line in with requisite hardware and a suite of servers handling DNS, e-mail (Exchange), databases (SQL Server) and web hosting (IIS). There were a pair of domain controllers managing users, resources, etc.
I am no longer in need of the horsepower as my role and line of work have changed (nor do I have a Network Admin in my employ). I've downgraded my connectivity to broadband with a router and firewall (SOHO) which provides DHCP and NAT for my internal network. Now I am looking at eliminating some of the extra hardware that I have accumulated. Specifically, all the servers.
Since I am no longer hosting e-mail, large databases or websites internally, I don't need those boxes (along with their power consumption and fan noise!). However, I am unsure if I need to retain a box or two as domain controllers or if there are other options that I should consider, such as peer-to-peer.
My requirements are simple: - I need to be able to share network-based printers and access shared folders. - I also need to be able to setup a shared source control (VSS, for instance) for development work using multiple systems. - I have a tape backup system that I need to have access specified folders on the "network" in order to create routine backups.
I don't need all kinds of security or other features provided by a domain controller. However, when I need to find a particular file, I want to be able to simply go to a mapped folder and get it.
I am also considering using a network storage device for some of the file shares rather than having a dedicated box solely for this purpose.
What are my options?
Note that, while I can do network administration, I'd rather not have to live with the stress and rigors of being one. So I'm looking for the easiest solution to maintain with the least amount of hardware. Implementation can be more tedious in exchange for something that can be essentially hands-free and reliable once in place. One of the most compelling reasons for these changes was the amount of time I found myself working on the servers and/or network (infrastructure) and not on my chosen occupation.
BTW - depending on the answer, be prepared to explain HOW to implement!!!
Well, I guess the first question anyone here is going to ask is: How many shared connections are you going to need at any one time? The reason we need this is that in a P2P network, for instance, using an XP box as a file server, the most it will allow is 10 concurrent connections.. If you have a staff smaller than 10, you can do away with the traditional servers and just work off of a single XP box serving your file shares..
Sharing files on a P2P is very easy, and would take down your overhead considerably.. In fact, here is my basics of P2P webpage...:
FYI: Personally, I am a big fan of Domains, and hate to tell you to do away with yours.. But, you miight consider doing away with most of the network, and moving to a single (or better dual) Domain Controller setup..
Sorry, I was hoping for more users to jump in on the topic.
At this point, I have 5-6 systems on my network with the possibility of adding a couple more in the near future. There is a distinct possibility that we would exceed 10 although I don't know how soon or for how long. Plus, at least half of these systems would rarely access the file server.
Another consideration that I did not mention is our upcoming implementation of a Microsoft Home Server. Does this have any impact on the direction I should go?
First, I am not a fan of Windows Home Server.. in my mind, it is too similar to XP and still has the 10 connection limit on it.. XP will do just about anything Home Server will do, and since I already know XP like the back of my hand, it is a no-brainer.. In fact, I cannot thnk of a single thing the HS does that XP will not do.. So, I guess you have my opinion on that question. :)
One thing you might keep in mind.. if you have a license for 2003 Server (or even 2000 Server), and you already have the Client Licences for your connections, you can just use it as a file server and NOT a Domain Controller.. which would require much less administration..
Well, I'm not sure I agree about XP providing the services available with Home Server but that's a disucssion for a different thread. It seems to me, though, that given Home Server's file sharing capability without a domain and without P2P, I should be able to scale my systems back to their "out of the box" state which means the network connection is used to essentially get online (with the WHS Connector handling the connectivity between boxes).
Whether I go that route, switch to P2P or go with a new domain setup, there are some implementation questions that I have. The first, has to do with removing my systems from their current domain setup without losing all their docs and settings. Is it as simple as removing the computer from the domain? I'm almost positive that the reverse operation (adding the computer to the domain) results in a new profile being created.
I believe that after I login as a different user with admin rights, I should be able to go into Control Panel->System->User Profiles, select the current domain-based profile and click the "Copy To" button to copy it to the new local account. However, when I tried to do this, the button was disabled whenever I selected the original domain account.
I would think that there'd be an easy way to do this by now, so what am I missing? This step is key to making any change.
