File Server best practices

[sliverwing]

So i just recived a few new servers to put into my organization. Were small, about 140 users and with the 3 new servers i now am at a total of 5 servers. The three new ones are going to be a app server, database server, and a web server. What i am confused about is should these new servers be DC's or just member servers. Currently one server we have are file/print/dns/dchp. and the other one is a back up for dns/dchp and also a file server. Both are DC's. any insight on this would be great. Also the 2 older DC's are 2000 the new ones are 2K3 R2 SP2.

 

[58sniper]

No, they don't need to be (and probably shouldn't be) Domain Controllers.

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Contributing author The Complete Reference: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007

 

[sliverwing]

Thank you for the quick response. After i promoted them to DC's I started second guessing and was thinking the same thing.

 

[sliverwing]

So the next to so fun question. They are already part of the production domain and are all DC's. how dangerous is it to try and demote them. i remember from my classes that demoting a DC didn't work all that well about half the time. I also don't feel comfortable removing metadata from ad if it goes south on the demotion.

 

[LWComputingMVP]

If your AD is clean, then you should be able to demote them fine.

In general, you want to have 2 DCs per site, unless you have a very small site, then one DC is fine.

-Lee

Those who ask why, learn

http://www.lwcomputing.com

 

[sliverwing]

I guess i'm kinda wondering what could go wrong so i can plan accordingly. Again thank's think i'm going for it tommorow time for a brew and less thinking.

 

[58sniper]

As long as they hold no FSMO roles, and you transfer any other critical services such as DHCP and DNS, demoting them is no big deal.

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Contributing author The Complete Reference: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007