What roles to set up my 2 new servers with 25 users 1

[zeusdice]

Good Day All

I just got 2 new servers "hp proliant ml150 g5" with windows 2008 server.

I am not sure what roles to set up the server's with and hence need advice.

At out place we have about 25 Users (7 desktops with Xp and 18 Lap tops (3 with Vista business and the rest with Xp).

We only have a pop3 mail servers which resides at another company that provides us with the pop3 mail accounts. ( My internet provider does not supply us with a SMTP gate way as this is a extra cost) But we use the same pop3 address for our smtp which works fine.

We do not have any servers at the moment so this servers will be the first. All workstation are connected to a switch and through 2 Cisco routers. ( 1 512 adsl line for our vpn to a outside source and web traffic the other router is a 128k digi net line for pop3 and smtp) Thre adsl router does have a access list to restrict certain Ip address from different ports.

Our main issues is that we do not have a back up system for all our information e.g.. mail, excel,doc, and pics.

Please advise on what roles I should set up on the two servers I have.

I have thought of making the one a domain controller and the other a back up server. But then I sit with the problem with the lap tops as every ones takes there lap top home and if we were on a domain they would not have any information on the laptops as he information resides on the domain

Please advise

And Thank You in advance

 

[pagy]

Server roles;

Active Directory Domain Services

DNS (Required for the above)

DHCP

File services

You could use offline caching of files so that they would be available to users at home on the laptops.

Use Windows server backup to backup files and system states of your servers.


Paul
MCSE 2003
MCTS:Active Directory
MCTS:Network Infrastructure
MCTS:Applications Infrastructure

If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions?
Scott Adams

 

[58sniper]

And, you can configure those services on both servers so that if you have a failure, there is some redundancy.

Make both of them Domain Controllers and Global Catalogs.
Install DNS on both.
Install DHCP on both, and configure via the 80/20 rule (google it)
Install and configure DFS between the two, then point your login script to the DFS name.

Pat Richard MVP

 

[w33mhz]

If you wanted you could setup some type of vpn server/client senario for the laptops.

Here is a good article for setting it up via RRAS 2008

http://www.windowsecurity.com/artic...-2008-Remote-Access-SSL-VPN-Server-Part2.html

 

[w33mhz]

that is a 2 part article here is part 1

http://www.windowsecurity.com/artic...-2008-Remote-Access-SSL-VPN-Server-Part1.html