My Proposed Server/Network Upgrade. Suggestions?

[farquea]

This is what i want to propose to SLT to be done this summer. Can anyone spot any problems or things i should re-think?

 

Keep our Current backup server as it is with PowerVault storage and tape library connected to it.

 

Decommision all other rack servers.

 

Keep all newer blade servers and upgrade RAM and NICs. Host 1 as a standalone DC, 4 hosting Virtual Servers and 1 server spare ready to take any VM's from a server that fails.

 

Using Hyper-V and Microsoft Virtual Machine Manager to manage virtual servers.

 

Rebuild all servers to use Server 2008 R2. Datacentre for all servers hosting VM's, Enterprise for Backup server, standalone DC and virtual server instances. (or should i use datacentre for everything?)

 

All VM's hosted on SAN that is already in place.

 

Upgrade Excahnge 2007 to 2010.

 

Upgrade from Backup Exec 12.5 to 2010

 

Should i consider a 2nd SAN for mirroring?

 

We are running ISA Server 2006 and believe that it doesnt run on Server 2008? Is there something i can do or is there no alternative other than keeping a server 2003 server running to host ISA on?

[gshaw]

If you're going Hyper-V drop Backup Exec and go for DPM 2010, saves money and works better

 

Might be worth looking at backing up to disk before tape, which you'll need to do if you go to DPM anyway...

[psydii]

Here's a question: how does this work and expense support the school's targets?

 

What is the impact of these changes to the end users?

 

What is the risk to the school if there is a problem with these changes in say, July, or August, or early September?

 

What is the risk to the school if this work is not carried out at all?

 

On a technical note: Have you researched the Exchange 2007-2010 upgrade process, and identified impact of changes on end users (Multiple address books scared me off for a while); Consider MS TMG to replace ISA; if you can get enterprise CALs you get a lot of the Forefront toys thrown in (and bitlocker, directaccess, media centre etc etc)

 

P.

[itgeek]

Why no use VMware, this has many more functions and a lot quicker. VMware all the time.. just my opinion and veeam backup

[eddyc]

We use Forefront TMG Server in the place of ISA 2006 which runs fine on Windows Server 2008 & Server 2008 R2 and is available through the volume licensing site.

[zag]

Sounds good but I would move to live@edu for the email and get the 2nd San as a mirror yes.

 

Backupexec 12.5 is a great bit of software, I much prefer it to DPM. Its fine for backing up Hyper-v.

[farquea]

I just found Hyper-V to be cheaper than VMWare but still offering the functionality we need. There also something about using Microsoft that i just prefer for some reason rather than going the VMWare route. I just see Microsoft eventually becoming the standard for virtualisation.

 

As for DPM i read that while it was good, that it was still rather lacking when you compare it to Backup Exec so i think id rather pay for a good piece of backup software and can sleep a bit more soundly.

 

Not heard of Forefront TMG, will have a read up now.

 

As for Server 2008 versions, should i have all my servers and virtual servers running Datacentre or can i just have Datacentre on my virtual hosts and will be fine with Enterprise on the virtual servers?? Any downside to this?