New Server Infrastructure for MAT - Suggestions?

[Zoom7000]

Wasn't quite sure where to fit this in, so figured I'd go for General Chat.

 

We have recently become a MAT and taken on a local school who was in special measures. I've been tasked with looking at the infrastructure at both sites and putting something new in place. We'll be doing away with our current network environment (both schools are relatively identical) which is made up of 2 servers on 2 separate domains. A curriculum domain with a server running CC4 with Windows 7 clients and an admin domain with a server on a very badly configured vanilla Windows 2008 R2 with Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 clients. The plan is to completely do away with everything and go with a 1 domain on a vanilla Windows Server backend with Windows 10 clients.

 

Both sites are primary and we aren't currently using anything our of the ordinary. The main applications in use appear to be:

 

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

ActivInspire (This is used quite heavily)

Target Tracker

SIMS

 

The children use a range of simple curriculum software applications and nothing that seems to be heavy on resources.

 

Both sites have an LGfL connection with LGfL VoIP and LGfL WiFi on separate VLANs. We will continue to use these services along with the LGfL StaffMail for email provision.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, we also use LGfL GridStore for offsite backup and Sophos Anti-Virus, again, which will will continue to do so.

 

My question is, what kind of server/network infrastructure should I go for? I would like to have a scenario of least possible points of failure at both sites. We would have a MAT domain forest, with the 2 schools as trusted domains under the forest connected via the LGfL connection. Currently the options are:

 

Physical Server on Hyper-V with 2 VMs

VM1: DC, DHCP, DNS, Home Folders, Shared Areas WDS, SCCM

VM2: SIMS, SQL

 

Possible replicated DC held in the cloud either by Azure or on LGfL servers for extra redundancy.

 

The main issue we have at school is space. Our shared areas are constantly being filled up with resources and video evidence files for SEN pupils as we are a SEN specialism school with the latter taking up the majority of space. Is there an option that would allow me to redirect all shared areas (maybe even home areas) to the cloud? Maybe Office 365/OneDrive? Would this option leave us severely hampered in the event of internet connection loss?

 

What option should I look at for application deployment? I've used SCCM in the past and was rather pleased with it, but I was told to look at App-V. Would this be better? To me, the sound of streaming applications to the desktop just sounds like a recipe for bandwidth issues.

 

I've heard of some local schools looking at going down the Google for Education route, however, I'm not sure to what extent. I don't think our users are quite ready for the massive change and I still see it as just a compliment to the Windows Server backend as opposed to a complete replacement as how would you run desktop applications like SIMS, Photoshop, App Inventor, Audacity and other bespoke computing curriculum desktop applications?

 

Am I looking at the possible solutions completely wrong? Would there be a better possible method of solution to look at?

Edited May 11, 2016 by Zoom7000

[mikkydoos]

I would:

 

Choose where the main site will be.

 

 

2 x Hyper-V hosts - 1 for replication.

 

1 x DC at site 2

 

Build/buy a server(s) with loads of disk space and set Windows 2012 up as a virtual SAN with Storage Spaces (Virtual iSCSI)- as shared storage, and your file storage.

 

Back up to a NAS or three and an offsite cloud.

 

You could have as many DC's, and other servers as you want then.

 

Set your forest up as you said above.

 

You don't have to worry about gateways or routing really because you're on the authorities network and they can do all that for you.

 

 

I reckon you could do the lot with switches and UPS's for somewhere around 10K

Edited May 10, 2016 by mikkydoos

[Lonix]

Think @mikkydoos has it nailed on.

 

I like the idea of starting a system from scratch, as long as the budget has been given. Always aim for future proofing and as much redundancy as possible - when it comes to servers I don't get what is needed now. I get what could be needed in 5 Years time. What if you gained another primary, what if those Schools relied more on IT or gained more Students/Staff. Although I wouldn't spend 100K on our servers I certainly would look at 30K-50K if I had to redo ours tomorrow.

 

For backups I would do an on site one and an off site.

 

Also instead of looking at Google for Education, perhaps look at Office 365 (not sure exactly what you want). I've been doing homework on this and my concerns seem to be disappearing and there's a few threads (one recent).

 

With Office 365 this allows all the installs, Staff and Students to have copies at home if they wish, OneDrive for their storage and with restorations made easy it shouldn't be a problem. Space limitations doesn't seem to exist either. Also has email, online Office 365 for those who don't want to install locally (plus tablet apps).

 

I am considering if we go Cloud based, just primarily for Office documents and have internal storage for Art/Film and certain subjects. Although that option creates two areas of saving files for Students.

 

Or simply go mad on a SAN for all storage needs and look at improving our home access to systems.

 

Other than that, Virtualise, Virtualise, Virtualise. With enough redundancy, hot swaps and extras in the servers you should be able to make a hunky dorey system. I actually envy you being able to make it from the ground up. Can't stress the pain at times doing systems on top of others while trying to put no down time.