Upgrading Server
Hello all! This is my first post, and everyone here seems to nice!
Okay, here is what i want to do. I'll start off with what i got.
Our main office: We here have a server that is a Proliant ML370, running Windows SBS 2000 with SQL Server, which is the key to running our business software. We do not use Exchange, or anything really besides that to host our software, and data storage (pictures, word doc's and so on)
When i started working here a few years ago we had 7 people running on the server, now we have 30 and are planning to move our office.
It is a domain server, we connect our java based software through it by mapping it to a shared drive over the server and connecting a ODBC file system.
plays the rolls of: Print Server, Browse Master, Domain Controller, SQL Server, Terminal Server, Time Source
On the road : We have 2x IBM T30 laptops running SBS 2000 (1 being a backup) running now 40 laptops also used as a print server. Basically doing the same thing we have running at our office except internet access. We travel around the United States and deploy our server at each site. I connect it to switches and we go off that. I set it up maybe 10-15 times a year. I already had to change the screen, fans, and keyboard. I’m scared something like the 40gb 5200rpm drive is next.
I’m basically scared to touch anything because it’s so old.. Now since we keep adding employees I’m scared the server(s) are becoming old and inefficient. We hope to have everything updated by June.
My question is:
For our office:
1. How can we migrate from SBS 2000 to SBS 2008 or SBS 2011? Or whichever one you guys would recommend. Iv been reading up on VMware and Hyper-V would that be a good route to go?
2. Right now we have a 24 port Cisco Switch, I have taken a few netgear switches to make the other desktops work. Is that okay to do?
3. We have 30 CAL’s on our home server, would we be able to keep those? Or do we have to purchase all new CAL’s? I’m not 100% how the CAL system works.
4. What software would be best to deploy and install software on the client so I won’t have to do it manually?
For the road:
1. The laptop bogs down when we do any queries or print. I would like to see a mini tower running a RAID and so on, what are my mobile options for this? . What hardware would you recommend to run an operation of 40 and growing laptops that go on the road every other month? Mind you we need two servers one being a complete duplicate of the other.
2. Would we have to purchase another server OS to add to the road server or could we use the new OS we purchased for our home server?
If anyone has any questions please ask, i know i might be forgetting crucial information
Thanks
Andy
Okay, here is what i want to do. I'll start off with what i got.
Our main office: We here have a server that is a Proliant ML370, running Windows SBS 2000 with SQL Server, which is the key to running our business software. We do not use Exchange, or anything really besides that to host our software, and data storage (pictures, word doc's and so on)
When i started working here a few years ago we had 7 people running on the server, now we have 30 and are planning to move our office.
It is a domain server, we connect our java based software through it by mapping it to a shared drive over the server and connecting a ODBC file system.
plays the rolls of: Print Server, Browse Master, Domain Controller, SQL Server, Terminal Server, Time Source
On the road : We have 2x IBM T30 laptops running SBS 2000 (1 being a backup) running now 40 laptops also used as a print server. Basically doing the same thing we have running at our office except internet access. We travel around the United States and deploy our server at each site. I connect it to switches and we go off that. I set it up maybe 10-15 times a year. I already had to change the screen, fans, and keyboard. I’m scared something like the 40gb 5200rpm drive is next.
I’m basically scared to touch anything because it’s so old.. Now since we keep adding employees I’m scared the server(s) are becoming old and inefficient. We hope to have everything updated by June.
My question is:
For our office:
1. How can we migrate from SBS 2000 to SBS 2008 or SBS 2011? Or whichever one you guys would recommend. Iv been reading up on VMware and Hyper-V would that be a good route to go?
2. Right now we have a 24 port Cisco Switch, I have taken a few netgear switches to make the other desktops work. Is that okay to do?
3. We have 30 CAL’s on our home server, would we be able to keep those? Or do we have to purchase all new CAL’s? I’m not 100% how the CAL system works.
4. What software would be best to deploy and install software on the client so I won’t have to do it manually?
For the road:
1. The laptop bogs down when we do any queries or print. I would like to see a mini tower running a RAID and so on, what are my mobile options for this? . What hardware would you recommend to run an operation of 40 and growing laptops that go on the road every other month? Mind you we need two servers one being a complete duplicate of the other.
2. Would we have to purchase another server OS to add to the road server or could we use the new OS we purchased for our home server?
If anyone has any questions please ask, i know i might be forgetting crucial information
Thanks
Andy
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You are still in the SBS range -- but you need to decide which way your business is going. Would you be better off paying for and moving to standard edition?
Unfortunately, I can't give you advice on this. I have always been in situations where we had full domains with offsite BDC's so we were always "up".