Why shouldn´t a file server act as domain controller ?

[cabetcove]

Hi guys,
someone told me that file servers should always be member servers and installing active directory on them would be of disadvantage.
But that information paper did not give the reason - why !

So can anyone give me some good reasons for not doing so ?
Thanks.
Thorsten

 

[victorv]

hi,
this is a philosophical discussion and probably everyone remain with his ideas. I see the DC(s) implemented by 2 fast PC of good brand (reliable) with 1-2GHhz and 512-1000Mb ram and if possible mirrored disk (the little you find now on the market. (MS says put sysvol on a different HD, but this is a 2nd level improovement)
In this servers, you'll implement also DNS, if you have not yet, and WINS services.

These are the "brain" of your Server Farm, now speak about "muscles":

Now you need 1 or more file servers ( you can deploy the 2nd and 3rd, in different years, following your needing)
In these, you can put BIG disks and can implement MSCS (Cluster) and DB servers

Another Server that may be very important is a printer server.

If you have a big Farm, I suggest 2 DCs, 1 or 2 Fileserver
and 1 printer server .

If you have a little one, 1 DC and 1 FS+printerS

bye

 

[roundman]

I run 20 users on 2 servers. There are two very intensive databases and 4 more that are not hit that hard. I have the file server as the DC. Since I started with the DC first I also made it the file server. You can change the roles without re-installing. The second is a member server. I really can't tell, by the speed, if the second server is up or not. I can shut it down and you don't notice any difference. Server 2003 is very impressive, very complex,and not as easy as Microsoft says. It is still the most impressive software I have ever seen. I am running P4's with the Intel 7205 chip sets. P4 2.4 ghz 533fsb and 1 gig of DDR 2700. Not the latest and greatest, but fast.

 

[victorv]

hi,

another thing to avoid, is to enable IIS on a server with other strategic service on (max with print serv).

IIS requires continuos patching and these may conficts with other important service. Furthermore, WEB service may be an easy way for attach.

bye

 

[DaWorm]

I don't see the reason why not to implement such. I run a relatively small network with 2 Win2k3 standard servers running both as DCs and one as FS. The Global catalog acts as DNS (forwarder), DHCP and WINS as well, while the other acts as FS. Of course, we installed a separate server for mail and IIS.