Very simple setup

[happyhacker]

I am considering getting SBS 2008 for our charity (on microsoft charity license so very inexpensive). We only have about 20 emails for our office and it is still cheaper to have our own server instead of going to an ISP Exchange server solution (anyway we get all the other SBS features as well).

It's the hardware that's a puzzle. I would hope to install it on a 64Kb HP PC. This does not have raid but I was thinking of installing a 2nd drive for backups.

1. Can SBS with exchange running install on this simpler arrangement?

2. If we ever needed SQL server would it configure OK on the same platform?

Thanks for your time.

 

[SilviaS]

One thing you really need to consider is cost over performance and reliability and criticality.
You would be better to purchase a system that has the correct storage performance etc etc than a high power pc.

No i would not recommend installing sql on the exchange box.

http://blog.meigh.eu

 

[Davetoo]

You may want to look for a web host that will provide your email services for free. I know Google offers it as do a few others.

 

[SilviaS]

Checkout Microsoft online services. As a charity you may get a great deal.

http://blog.meigh.eu

 

[ShackDaddy]

If you do go with SBS 2008, don't install an extra drive for backups. Just get two external drives and rotate them. It's self managing and you never have to worry about running out of room on them if they are decent sized.

When it comes to the hardware spec, if you are going to skimp somewhere, don't let it be RAM.

Dave Shackelford
ThirdTier.net

 

[happyhacker]

You're right about backups but could'nt this be achieved with one drive but large and keeping several copies on it? I understand some backup methods keep back copies and just delete the oldest when so many are present.

Thanks for your time.

 

[ShackDaddy]

Yes, you could do that. I was only thinking that if you were not going to have RAID, you may want to make extra sure you have a couple different places to store backups on, just in case.

The SBS2008 native backup will do exactly what you described: delete older images over time while maintaining multiple restore points using a base and multiple incremental images.

Dave Shackelford MVP
ThirdTier.net

 

[58sniper]

And 1 drive is a single point of failure. You should have one drive connected, and one drive offsite. Doesn't do any good if your only drive is connected to the server when the building burns down.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[happyhacker]

Yes, I've often thought about that. The server I have my eyes on has software RAID controller so I could do RAID 1 giving me fail safe (I guess I would need to have a ready commissioned spare put by). We only have 15 users and only 3 of those spend any time on their PCs so that's hardly demanding. If I take a daily backup to another building that deal with the "Fire/theft" situation and take a weekly off site, I now have 3 copies.

Size of backup is an issue because we have 10 - 15 PCs requiring backup and I was intending the server to store these.

Anyone know of a tutorial on backup methods where there may be different levels of restore from single file to complete PCs worth of users' folders? I suppose I'm looking for a backup process which allows that - maybe the server does that anyway.

Thanks for your time.

 

[ShackDaddy]

On an SBS box, it's easy to make every user's My Documents folder actually live on the server, so if they are told that all things they care about should be stored there, you can back them up centrally without worrying as much about the size of non-critical data on their workstations.

Dave Shackelford MVP
ThirdTier.net

 

[58sniper]

Just keep in mind that iTunes stores its music in the My Music folder, which is in the My Documents folder. I had one user with like 300GB of stuff....

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[happyhacker]

ShackDaddy, thanks but what do you mean by "Live"? I have already told users to keep everything in their My Documents folder but I did notice some of them keeping things actually on the Desktop (not shortcuts). I told them they would not be backed up if they keep them there but I think I'm wasting my time.

Thanks for your time.