We are a small business that relies heavily on various types of technology.
A dozen desktops, 1-3 users running RDC sessions via VPN tunnel.
Video encoding/capture (done on dedicated video servers) that is written to the server
Alot of scanning to PDF
And then mostly email and calendar and simple file sharing and the normal business stuff. There are probably 20 users with Exchange emailboxes, 5 users on the BES server...I can provide more info upon request...
I have two servers, and would contemplate at least one virtual server (or more) on each.
Server 1:
Dual Quad Xeon 3.0
8GB RAM
WinSvr 2003 Enterprise
This server in my opinion does WAY TOO MUCH. I would love to put a virtual server on here if I could and offload at least a few things to it - but, will that really help???
This box is my file server, and has Exchange 2003, BES Server, ACT (Client Relations and Invoicing), Symantec Antivirus, BackupExec, is my DC, does Dhcp and DNS, has DFS replicating to server #2, and I am probably forgetting a couple more minor things...
So, how do i determine what kind of strain is really being put on this server? How do it tell if it IS really doing too much, and then how do I decide if it can handle a virtual server, and what to move to it? These are my types of questions? Is it worth it? Do you have to allocate certain amounts of drive space and processor cores and RAM to each virtual machine vs the actual machine? If I feel like my Exchange is slow, what can I take off the load of this server to make it run better - or will it?
Server 2 is in a different location (in another state) and was purchased for disaster recovery as a backup to "kick in" should my main box go down. All in all - for as overworked as the other box is, this one is underused! There is a VPN tunnel open between them...and again - I am willing to describe more if needed.
Specs are:
Dual Quad Xeon 2.83
8GB RAM
WinSvr 2003 R2 Standard (yeah, I know it only recognizes 4 GB of RAM - I am trying to decide on what to do with the other 4. Upgrade to Enterprise? Move it to my other server [which has Enterprise] and bring it up to 12GB? - OR - will this "extra" 4GB of RAM be available to another OS on a Virtual Server???)
So, whaddya think?
As one of my other open questions (
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Storage/Storage_Technology/Q_24204421.html)
states, I have thought about moving server #2 to the same (or at least adjacent by a few floors) location as server #1 and putting it to much more use for what I paid for it and put into it (though I would then be thinking about upgrading the OS to Enterprise) and putting it to work for real, and then buying an "entry-level" HP or IBM to put off-site for backup DR purposes, and then attach my desired storage solution to it...
But then that defeats the whole taking advantage of this virtual world...
So, is virtualization for me?
I have many questions, but am looking for an overview from you experts of what I need to think about beforehand, the pitfalls, the myths, and then some recommendations on VMware vs. VirtualIron vs. Microsoft's new Hyper-V etc etc...so much to wade through?! Help?!
