benaus

Has to be 64bit. If you want to run windows and linux vm's you will need CPU's that have virtulisation support (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). If you dont require windows vms, you can use any 64bit processor and run linux vms only.

you can have it installed on just one server and it will work fine.

I am also interested in this. If I find anything I will make sure I post it here.

It may have been a bit of an overreaction. But its still a valid point. Being there > software/hardware solutions. Just my opinion.

OpenDNS and actual parenting

If your on a budget you can make your own iSCSI san using linux or solaris. Lots of guides out there and will only take you an hour or two for the setup. Performance wise its no different to big name vendors (havent tested on installations over 35vms + cifs). You wont get the pretty GUI but you can easily add all the features like High availability, cifs and nfs with a few commands (once again from a long list of guides and howtos). No licencing costs and you dont get locked into vendor specific equipment.

On the two new Server 2008 machines, install Active Directory (AD). During the install/config you can create a new AD or join an existing one. When you join it sets up the replication of AD. If you want to replicate the users data/profiles/shares you should start reading about Distributed File System and then start to configure it I sometimes setup a standard pc with Server 2003/2008 and setup AD just to have the data replicated, incase of emergencies (usually thats at single server sites). Hope this helps EDIT: How would your server get stolen? Locked room/cabinet should prevent this somewhat. Even if they got in, servers are rather heavy in my experience...

Hiya EduGeek I been here reading your forums for a while now and only signed up a week or so ago. I'm ICT in 2 primary schools in the NT, only been in this job for about 4 months. Before this job I worked as a Network techy for a local IT company which also ran an ISP for 4 years. Good to be here and seya round