Replacing Server 2012R2

[andyt57]

I have recently taken over a small primary school which has a server running Microsoft Server 2012 R2 and which is only used for DHCP, DNS and print services.

 

The school previously changed to using Microsoft Office 365 A3 licences for all the teachers and office staff and A1 licences for all other staff. All data is stored on One Drive. The children all use Chromebooks. So there is no requirement for AD.

 

Since Microsoft are withdrawing support for Server 2012 R2 in October 2023 I am considering how to replace the server. We no longer require a large server with loads of storage as everything is stored in the cloud.

 

Would something like an HP Microserver with the latest version of Microsoft Server do the job? Or should I consider using a Linux server to provide DHCP, DNS and print services?

 

Has anyone else gone down this route?

 

Andy

Edited September 7, 2022 by andyt57

[FragglePete]

Do you need a server? Time to get Server-less ? Just get staff to login into Microsoft365 directly. You've got A3 in place, so you can use P1 features (intune, MFA, etc). Get rid of the domain completely especially if students are using Chromebooks.

 

Get a Synology NAS to run your DNS, DHCP and have it backup your Microsoft365 for free as well! Print Services could use PaperCut Hive (if your using PaperCut).

 

It's something I was aiming to do at the primary school I looked after, everything was being stored in Sharepoint and OneDrive but unfortunately my services have been pulled because of the school joining a MAT in the future.

 

Pete

[mavhc]

Need to define exactly what you need/use

 

You have DHCP, but how does your DNS work? Dynamic updates? Do you need local DNS? How do you remotely connect to computers? Classroom monitoring?

 

Do you use GPOs? Login scripts? Proxy auth? Single Sign On?

 

If the children are using chromebooks why is there a whole onedrive/msoffice thing going on?

 

Printing, can you print directly to the printers via IP? I don't bother with print servers in 2022

[andyt57]

Do you need a server? Time to get Server-less ? Just get staff to login into Microsoft365 directly. You've got A3 in place, so you can use P1 features (intune, MFA, etc). Get rid of the domain completely especially if students are using Chromebooks.

 

Get a Synology NAS to run your DNS, DHCP and have it backup your Microsoft365 for free as well! Print Services could use PaperCut Hive (if your using PaperCut).

 

It's something I was aiming to do at the primary school I looked after, everything was being stored in Sharepoint and OneDrive but unfortunately my services have been pulled because of the school joining a MAT in the future.

 

Pete

 

Thanks for that. I have a Synology DS 218+ on my home network and am impressed with its functionality. The school doesn't currently use PaperCut, but with just one MFD it shouldn't be too expensive.

 

Andy

[andyt57]

Need to define exactly what you need/use

 

You have DHCP, but how does your DNS work? Dynamic updates? Do you need local DNS? How do you remotely connect to computers? Classroom monitoring?

 

Do you use GPOs? Login scripts? Proxy auth? Single Sign On?

 

If the children are using chromebooks why is there a whole onedrive/msoffice thing going on?

 

Printing, can you print directly to the printers via IP? I don't bother with print servers in 2022

 

As I said the Server is currently providing DHCP and DNS as well as print services. The staff log on to all their machines (which are running Windows 10 Professional) with their Office A3 or A1 accounts so there are no GPOs or logon scripts.

 

The staff use MSOffice/OneDrive and there isn't really any choice as documents that come from the council and academy come in Microsoft format. The academy made the school go down the Google Classroom route during the lockdown and, with Chromebooks is the classroom, that made sense.

 

I have manually installed the printer driver on recently arrived machines, along with other specific software that is required. As I said it's a small school so it's just as easy to go to each machine rather than using remote access software.

[chaplic]

I was in a similar boat

 

No solution for DHCP so I have a little NUC box running DHCPServer.De as does the business managers PC which also runs sims. dhcpserver.de can do DNS and basic web site to host pac file if required

 

NUC box also runs a VM which has PRTG and related just to give me some basic monintoring. Powershell job copies the monitoring VM to the business manager PC weekly for convenience.

 

I just do printing IP direct.

 

It's been pretty bulletproofproof since it went in a couple of years ago.

[mavhc]

As I said the Server is currently providing DHCP and DNS as well as print services. The staff log on to all their machines (which are running Windows 10 Professional) with their Office A3 or A1 accounts so there are no GPOs or logon scripts.

 

The staff use MSOffice/OneDrive and there isn't really any choice as documents that come from the council and academy come in Microsoft format. The academy made the school go down the Google Classroom route during the lockdown and, with Chromebooks is the classroom, that made sense.

 

I have manually installed the printer driver on recently arrived machines, along with other specific software that is required. As I said it's a small school so it's just as easy to go to each machine rather than using remote access software.

 

In which case just replace the server with your router, set it to do dhcp and dns, and set the printers to print to the printer's ip.

[Delgado]

Ubuntu Linux Server - night and day. Set it to do DHCP. Your ISP name server is all you need on your desktop clients DNS to get on the internet. If your network drives map to the IP address of your Linux box you don't even need a local DNS server on your LAN.

[Sonic007]

What do they run their MIS on?

[andyt57]

What do they run their MIS on?

 

It's hosted online. There is no local MIS.

 

Andrew