speckytecky Posted January 8, 2015 Posted January 8, 2015 We are a KS3 / 4 Special School with 70 students who have emotional and behavioural issues. We currently have circa 150 Windows 7 Clients (some home use by staff), mainly desktop units because the lads tend to have temper issues with laptops, 25 iPads and a dozen iPods. All this served by a 6 year old DC (Server 2008 Standard 32 bit with 400 GB LTO backup. This functions as DHCP and several other roles including fileserver. A second 3 year old DC that has 64 bit Server 2008 that functions as the MIS Server (Backs up to 500 GB removable HD) plus some print roles. A third server, R2 64 bit 2008 OS new almost exclusively used as a Terminal Server. Client machines are clean installed 64 bit Windows 7 without the use of an image nor predefined profiles. The original DC was migrated with a domain from a very creaky Server 2003. That happening a heap of rubbish also came across. Some have since been cleaned up but there is still a fair amount to declutter. We have a GB backbone now and a decent floor to ceiling cabinet in an Air Conditioned server room. Infrastructure is in place for VOIP and CCTV systems. Come the summer the original DC will be replaced and I‘m seeking advice on what to replace it with. I guess the best option being a rack mounted server running Server 2012 taking over the DC and it’s roles with a clean new domain making the best opportunity of image deployment, virtual etc. I’d also need some Server 2012 training I reckon! Advice and indeed quotes toward getting this right would be very welcome.
3s-gtech Posted January 8, 2015 Posted January 8, 2015 Don't install Server 2012 on, it's important that you make the distinction. You want Server 2012 R2, they are not the same especially licensing wise as it's not a free upgrade! Server 2012 isn't great IMO, where 2012 R2 is. I also wouldn't install the DC onto the bare metal new server, I would build a Hyper-V host then add VMs under it to host the different roles. You can then license each OS, or buy a Datacentre licence. 1
speckytecky Posted January 8, 2015 Author Posted January 8, 2015 Thanks @3s-gtech just the sort of advice I am looking for. More advice very welcome. I'd like to get this planned so that I don't have to give up my summer holiday to chasing my tail because of poor planning - not that I'm contracted to work holiday time anyhow! Don't install Server 2012 on, it's important that you make the distinction. You want Server 2012 R2, they are not the same especially licensing wise as it's not a free upgrade! Server 2012 isn't great IMO, where 2012 R2 is. I also wouldn't install the DC onto the bare metal new server, I would build a Hyper-V host then add VMs under it to host the different roles. You can then license each OS, or buy a Datacentre licence.
3s-gtech Posted January 8, 2015 Posted January 8, 2015 As a second point - worth speaking to ICT Direct about your new server. You may find, as I did, that you can get two well specced refurbed VM hosts for the cost of one new one, giving you much greater flexibility and redundancy options. You could even stick SSDs in them to really prove a point. 1
jmak Posted January 8, 2015 Posted January 8, 2015 I also wouldn't install the DC onto the bare metal new server, I would build a Hyper-V host then add VMs under it to host the different roles. You can then license each OS, or buy a Datacentre licence. I've been looking at EES prices for Datacenter edition. Quotes are obviously confidential, but you get several years for the price of a single standard licence and you can run unlimited VMs. 1
SHimmer45 Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Unjoin your clients from the old domain before killing it of. Then you can script clients joining to the new domain without it failing due to not finding the old domain 1
speckytecky Posted January 10, 2015 Author Posted January 10, 2015 Chances are I'm going to get someone external in to do the work. As I'm not doing this sort of thing day in day out it seems to make big sense to me. Gulp! Unjoin your clients from the old domain before killing it of. Then you can script clients joining to the new domain without it failing due to not finding the old domain
nwilkie Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 (edited) I would by a beefy Host and get MS datacenter then you are licensed for multiple virtual machines. Keep the host out of the domain so you keep access if the domain fails. And use a third party tool to back up the virtual machines to the cloud or a external hard drive. Azure is looking good ATM for that. All of these can be added to your MS School Agreement if you have one. Later thought: if you buy a good host now you could then buy a second one and set up replication using your self signed certs is tricky but once it is up and running you can have a failsafe set it to do a full replication every 4hours or so. I have found that you have data changes replicated every 10-5 main. Draw back if you buy none enterprise licenaes or an additional licence (i forget which) if your main server fails you have to manually select the secondary server. Lots of things to think about not enough room on my phone to put them all down. Edited January 10, 2015 by nwilkie 1
speckytecky Posted January 10, 2015 Author Posted January 10, 2015 Some crackingly good answers coming up here folks. Thanks very much.
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