Windows 2003 Infrastructure

[KleanX]

Here it is ...

We are redesigning all of our infrastructure to support big web based "Flash Mx" applications over the web. Actually, we are going to be more than 50 so forget about Small business Server edition.

Would it be better if I had 1 administrative server (Exchange, AD, DNS, DHCP) and another server for the IIS and SQL part ?

I really would like some advise on this ...

Mike

 

[martyh]

I would definately keep my IIS server away from everything else. Put it in the DMZ and have your other servers inside the firewall. If you can, keep Exchange on its own box, by the time you run AV and spam filters on it it will be busy.

You could run DNS, DHCP and SQL on the same box but depending on the load with regard to SQL it might need its own box too.

I would think you would need a development environment and a production environment so you would need duplicate servers to mirror your "real world" configs.

Consider using server consolidation using VMware (multiple, separate servers on same box) but make sure you buy a powerful enough box (still cheaper than buying multiple boxes).

Just my $0.02.

Marty
Network Admin
Hilliard Schools

 

[NickFerrar]

I'd agree, keep Exchange, IIS and SQL on their own boxes if possible and have another separate infratructure services type server running DNS, WINS, DHCP etc. I'd have the SQL and Infra server running as DC's.

Again as Marty points to, Microsoft's big push at the moment is to consolidate servers using their Virtual Server 2005 product which is worth investigating but you'd need a big server with good storage IO and capacity.