Deciding between Standard and Premium

[happyhacker]

The MS site says this is extra for Premium:

"Database:
Based on best practices, Premium includes software to run on a second server that is dedicated to supporting a vast number of line-of-business applications.
A comprehensive data management and analysis solution that makes it possible to use many server-based business applications, such as accounting, business planning, and contact management software, which share a centralized database so that all employees can work from the same information. For more product-specific information, visit the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition Web site."

As premium costs much more is it really worth it for our small charity? If we need DB backed services can we not install software that looks after its own data or install mysql?


Thanks for your time.

 

[1DMF]

Yes, you can run your own SQL. you could run MSDE, Express, or any other DB backend such as mySQL (though I'm not sure if mySQL has a windows platform version?).

It's your box at the end of the day, put what you want on it, you don't have to use MS SQL.

Use MS Access if you really want, it depends on what data you want to store and how much data.

However, if you are planing on running one box with everything on it including some other SQL DB, then expect to have the machine run like a dog!

having AD, PDC, file & print, DHCP, Exchange, IIS, SharePoint all on one box, well i'm sure you can work out what will happen if you then expect it to run a SQL backend DB as well!

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[happyhacker]

We have only 20 users and only 5 of those are active at anyone time. Can the server really be stretched in that scenario?

Thanks for your time.

 

[1DMF]

It depends on what you are doing!

If you have a really badly written report which sucks the resources dry when ever it runs and all 5 users ran it at the same time!

But in reality you should be OK, do you have in house applications or anything bespoke you run?

If you are simply using Exchange and AD/PDC functionality and not using IIS or Sharepoint, then I don't see an issue.

It also depened on what type of box you are planing to put it on, if it's an old P4 or XEON with not much RAM, then you may still have perfomance issues.

If you have a new Dual Quad Core with 12GB of ram and a decent SCSI HD setup, then it will fly!


It's all relative ;-)

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[happyhacker]

It is an HP Proliant Ml115 G5 server with 8Gbyte, 1 x 160Gbyte drive for the OS and tw 1TByte drives in RAID 1 for data, etc. (thoughts on that arrangement welcome). I do envisage Sharepoint being used. The server will be linked to the switch with a 1G Eth. all other PCs are 100Mb. No webserver planned as our website is hosted. At the start we will POP the emails from our ISP.

I would like to start the config. with ESXi as I understand this is easy to configure.

Thanks for your time.

 

[1DMF]

Not familiar with ML115, We have a ML350 G3 with 4gb RAM, 3 x 72gb SCSI HD in RAID Level 5 striping, running SBS2003 and it's a DOG!!!

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[happyhacker]

Does'nt look hopeful for us then! Just have to suck it and see.

Thanks for your time.

 

[1DMF]

How much difference have you been quoted between SBS2K8 STD and Premium?

The fact they throw in a copy of Win 2K8 STD as well, to me makes it not a bad deal.

£1,000 for AD / PDC / File, Print & Fax / SharePoint / Exchange / IIS / SQL / Win2K8 SBS (64bit) / Win 2K8 STD (32bit)

Not bad when you think Adobe creative suite is the same price and as all I ever use is PhotoShop, it was a complete waste of money!

When you think for only £5,000 you could get two new servers and all the OS needed to run them included mirrored RAID OS & level 5 RAID for the data and 5 x external USB drives for backups!

It's peanuts especially as the server will last at least 5 years.

£1,000 per year for a company's internal IT systems (not including clients of course), to me is very good value for money.

If a company isn't making enough money (charity or not) to pay for £1,000 per year IT expenditure, then I'd say the company isn't viable, especially in the current economic climate!

But if you don't have the money for better servers and environment, the cheapest and simplest option is to use MS Access.

But it depends what you are doing with the DB , done in the right way MS Access can be a really powerfull tool to harness DB functionality without the cost!

I've developed many apps using MS Access be it internal DB systems or web applications.

It's not great for large amounts of data, but it'll do the job for smaller applications.






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"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"

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[happyhacker]

I think for a charity (UK) supplier I was quoted £350 for STD and £450 for premium. But as far as I know I don't need Premium initially.

As my time is free the cost (which I shall keep down afap) will be about £1500 including 4 Win 7 licenses and upgrades for PC memory and a switch which can do the VLANs (2 needed).

I have decided to remove the 160Gbyte drive supplied with the server and put in the two 1TByte drives as RAID 1 thus I have a local copy and use a USB drive to take mirrors and backups offsite. This is the server becomes unusable I at least have our data.

I would like to go virtualise and install a Win7 OS for infrequent use (finance guys come in twice a week) but this server may get pushed a bit so I'll leave that for now (enough to get SBS running I think).

I am still undecided about security programs but I am tempted with Symantic Enterprise Protection 11 because we can get it for £70 (25 licenses) and I think that's better than any other offering. Unless of course there is an Open Source security solution with say combining Windows defender, the firewall, router and avira free?

I do rabbit on! I'll stop.

Thanks for your time.

 

[1DMF]

£450 for premium

I'll have two copies please ;-)

Symantic Enterprise Protection 11

Personally I wont put anything with the words "Norton" or "Symantec" on any computer EVER!


I used to be a devout NAV user, but a few years back had so many issues with the corporate edition and crappy support, I moved away and would never go back.

Also the most issues I get as 1st line support of over 250 members is mainly with norton products be it one form of AV or another 360 etc. etc.

Ok some out there will say Norton/Symantec is great, and as I understand it their Ghost product is well respected and used throughout the IT industry.

but AFAIC, and you can ask the missus she's IT manager for over 70 users across two sites, we wouldn't touch NAV with a barge pole.

We both use Sophos for corporate protection, their support is fantastic, and 'touch wood' no nasties have ever got past.

I appreciate Sophos isn't the cheapest option, but as the saying goes 'Good thing no cheap, cheap thing no good!'

We did use AVG on our web server, but that trashed the server when it upgraded from v8.5 to v9, so we took it off got a refund and now use ESET NOD32 (which was recommended by other TT users).

So far it's worked great, the web server hasn't crashed or had problems, it even notifies you when MS updates are needing to be installed!

Plus their standard edition comes with a 5 user licence for less than £100.00 with you being a charity you might get it cheaper. and you may be even luckier as they were doing a deal 2 years for the price of 1.

I'd seriously consider checking them out before ruining your machine with Norton! (but hey YMMV)



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"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"

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