[sims] Virtualising SIMS server

[Kineas]

I am currently in the process of moving the SIMS server at 2 of my schools from a physical to a virtual server. However, they both have different scenarios. At my one school, the domain controller itself is a Server 2008 R2 virtual server running on Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V, so I've made a Server 2012 virtual machine to run SIMS on, so that's fine. In my other school, the domain controller isn't a virtual machine. I intend on creating a virtual machine using Hyper-V on the DC to make the SIMS server. Does anyone foresee any problems with this being a virtual server on a DC?

[matt40k]

What is the reason why your not just installing SIMS on the DC? Are you thinking long term turn the DC into a virtual server as well? Just it sounds like your making it virtual it for the sake of making it virtual at the cost of complexity and performance.

[Gibbo]

What sort of hardware specs are we talking here, that also makes a difference.

 

Personally I wouldn't skimp or cut any corners when it comes to SIMS.

[Abaddon]

Usual answer I guess - it won't be a problem as long as the DC has sufficient resources to give to the VM, whilst still having enough to perform it's own roles. Advantages are obvious in this scenario - if Capita hose SIMS, then it won't take out your DC as well. Disadvantage is the same as any other, as I have already said - the DC will need enough resources to be able to actually run both at once.

[ehartley7]

Assuming you have 2 DC's and one of them is running SIMS what's the process for recovering SIMS without recovering the whole DC?

 

Standard DC recovers being to rebuild and allow replication from live DC's.

 

Thanks

[SHimmer45]

if it were me i would dedicate a server to sims and that is all it does (either physical or virtual depending on what hardware you have)

[mb2k01]

Exactly the same as what SHimmer45 says!

I didn't think these days people were still installing separate bits of software on DCs, especially if Visualisation is already an option at their site.

[3s-gtech]

I would certainly not put SIMS on the DC itself - simply to give better role separation and easier recovery options. It works fine when virtualised, but does need some power behind it depending on usage scenario etc.

[ehartley7]

Given the choice I would have had it on a separate VM yes, but our MIS team did the install and didn't give my a lot of choice.

 

At the time we had:

1 x Server 2003 DC (Physical Due to be retired)

1 x Server 2003 R2 File server (Virtual)

1 x Server 2012 DC (Virtual)

 

They insisted it needed to go on the 2012 Server (despite the fact that the guy doing the install appeared to have NOT used 2012 before) and did not question the fact that it was a DC or mention anything about disaster recovery.

 

In hindsight I shouldn't have let them do it, but when they have been out and "upgraded" hundreds of schools in the area you would think they knew what they were doing (as the day went on it became apparent that they didn't).

 

I know with a single DC I can recover the whole thing with Veeam, but I'm planning to add a second 2012 VM DC on a second host, which then raises my current question.

 

If I don't, I have no redundancy, if I do then I might have problems recovering SIMS if that server fails.

 

I guess I'm looking for options to get out of the situation I now have?

 

Many thanks,

[bossman]

@ehartley7:

 

Why not build a 2012R2 VM and transfer the FSMO roles from the DC and demote the DC with the Sims, add another 2012R2 DC for redundancy and hey presto you've got what you wanted in 2 easy moves,

 

tara!

 

Or am I talking Foobar!