New Server

[DSapseid]

Hi

One of the the local primary schools in the area that we support need a new Admin server as there one is shot to pieces i have had to save it from dieing twice and county have had to do a full restore once.

Anyways they have recently been asking me is there a way to share their outlook calendars so the heads pa can modify the heads calendar that she then synchronizes with her ipaq. I said yes but only with Exchange - trying to get them to buy a new server to replace said useless one.

There are only 5 people using the current server and that is only used as a file stor and SIMS server. The bursar actually works on the server as her machine!!!

I was wondering can you run an exchange server as a DC? Also where can i buy servers from with exchange already installed on it so i just need to configure it for use etc.

I dont need it rackmounted as they have no racks for the admin network a normall tower would be fine.

Hope that all makes sense.

Dan

EDIT: sorry i forgot to mention money! Obviously as little as possible would be good but i dont want a pile of rubbish!

[speckytecky]

I'd recommend Dell if only on their new absolutley user friendly and helpful support which I have recently found to be above and beyond the offer on the box. Definately 10 out of 10.

[paul]

Whynot look at MS Small Business Server which includes exchnage as part of its default install?

[FN-GM]

yes you can install excahnge on a DC

[DMcCoy]

yes you can install excahnge on a DC

indeed you can, but you shouldn't!

[FN-GM]

yes i know but this guy wants minimum amount of servers.

[Geoff]

Virtualise?

[DMcCoy]

Shutting down a DC with exchange on it can take 30 mins+

[markcuk]

it can but you can get a shut down script of the net which makes it much quicker!!!

mark

[markcuk]

it can but you can get a shut down script of the net which makes it much quicker!!!

mark

[DSapseid]

Thanks for all the replys

Small business server looks the ticket as its only 5 users. I just went onto the dell site to configure a server and was confused by all the hdd options Raid 0, 1, 5?? do i need a 'SAS 5/i Integrated Controller Card for SATA and SAS Hard Drives'

I have specced a 160gb hdd for C and 250gb for data which should be ample.

Comes to £2421 for the following:

- DELL PowerEdge™ SC1430
- 2 x Dual Core Intel® Xeon® 5110, 4MB Cache, 1.60GHz, 1066MHZ FSB
- 2GB,667Mhz,2X1GB,2R
- 160GB, SATA, 3.5-inch, 7.200 rpm Hard Drive
- 250GB, SATA, 3.5-inch, 7.200 rpm Hard Drive
- SAS 5/i Integrated Controller Card for SATA and SAS Hard Drives edit
- PV100T 36/72GB Dat72 Int TBU with 39320A Controller and cable
- 5 x DAT72 TBU Media Cartridges, Dell-branded
- Symantec Backup Exec 11d - Small Business Server Suite
- Broadcom NetXtreme 5721 Single Port Gigabit Ethernet Teaming NIC, Cu, PCIe x1 - Addational to onboard one.
- APC Smart-UPS 750i, 480 Watt, Tower Mount
- 48X CD-ROM Drive
- FP/BL - UK/Irish- 17in (E178FP TCO99) Value Black Flat Panel
- Enhanced Quietkey™ USB Spacesaver Black keyboard
- Entry Level 2 Button USB Mouse

Microsoft Windows Small Business Server R2 2003, Standard Edition
Upg to Basic 3Y NBD Premier Enterprise Support

Have i missed anything??

[paul]

Ring Dell you will get an educational discount, call there schools team on 0870 3664890.

[contink]

You might want to consider a second 160gb drive and mirror RAID the system disk or possibly a set of 3 or 4 160/250gb drives into a RAID 5 array.

That'd give you greater failover capabilities if you worry about hard drive failures.

[FN-GM]

Have you considered building your own server? Also what about opensource solutions such as Samba.

[contink]

I just went onto the dell site to configure a server and was confused by all the hdd options Raid 0, 1, 5?? do i need a 'SAS 5/i Integrated Controller Card for SATA and SAS Hard Drives'

Missed this in my initial reply.

An integrated controller card I'm guessing (someone will doubtless put me right) is likely to be an onboard RAID controlled for your hard drives. It's worth having if your primary starts producing lots of resources or wants to archive data...

As per my suggestion re: RAID you'd need one of these or a separate expansion card with RAID functionality if you wanted to go that route.

Plenty of discussion re: RAID around so a search should help enormously there.