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http://www.topbits.com/active-directory.html [http://www.topbits.com/active-directory.html] 


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My firm has 2 dcs over 2 sites. Our current &nbsp;pdc is a very old pc with a 664mhz Pentium 3 processor and 512mb ram.<br />
Thats for a firm with around 150 pcs.<br />
<br />
1. Why use a server as a dc instead of a workstation pc?<br />
<br />
2.What are the advantages of using a higher spec machine as a DC?<br />
I was thinking about a single quad core processor server like the Dell Poweredge r200.<br />
<br />
I need to be able to justify to my boss why it would be better to have a server as a dc rather that a normal Dell pc with a teamed NIC setup.<br />
<br />
3. What processes stress the ram and physical processor in a dc?<br />
I believe that if using Universal groups (which all our groups are) causes more stress but not sure of the exact reason.<br />
<br />
Any information so I can justify myself would be great. <br />

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My firm has 2 dcs over 2 sites. Our current  pdc is a very old pc with a 664mhz Pentium 3 processor and 512mb ram.
Thats for a firm with around 150 pcs.

1. Why use a server as a dc instead of a workstation pc?

2.What are the advantages of using a higher spec machine as a DC?
I was thinking about a single quad core processor server like the Dell Poweredge r200.

I need to be able to justify to my boss why it would be better to have a server as a dc rather that a normal Dell pc with a teamed NIC setup.

3. What processes stress the ram and physical processor in a dc?
I believe that if using Universal groups (which all our groups are) causes more stress but not sure of the exact reason.

Any information so I can justify myself would be great. 


Why use a server as a dc instead of a workstation pc?

Servers are computing devices that are similar to desktop computers in that they have the same basic components, but are significantly different in size, configuration and purpose. Servers are usually accessed over a network, and many run unattended, without a computer monitor, input device, audio hardware or USB interfaces. Many servers do not have a graphical user interface (GUI), and are configured and managed remotely. Servers typically include hardware redundancy such as dual power supplies, RAID disk systems, and ECC memory, along with extensive pre-boot memory testing and verification. Critical components might be hot swappable, and to guard against overheating, servers might have more powerful fans or use water cooling.

Server Hardware

Windows Server 2003 was based on Windows XP and was released in four editions: Web, Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter. It also had derivative versions for clusters, storage and Microsoft’s Small Business Server. Important upgrades included integrating Internet Information Services (IIS), improvements to Active Directory (AD) and Group Policy (GP), and the migration to Automated System Recovery (ASR).

Windows Server 2003

Active Directory (AD) is a Microsoft brand for identity-related capabilities. In the on-premises world, Windows Server AD provides a set of identity capabilities and services, and is hugely popular (88% of Fortune 1000 and 95% of enterprises use AD). This topic includes all things Active Directory including DNS, Group Policy, DFS, troubleshooting, ADFS, and all other topics under the Microsoft AD and identity umbrella.