- Your advice/Question: Server needed for small business
- Posted by VB Programmer on July 8th, 2003
My friend has a small insurance business with only 5 networked W2K
computers. He wants to get the central data off of his machine and onto a
centralized server.
Few questions...
1. Is there any reason why I cannot use a normal, high-end pc as the
server? Or do you recommend purchasing a "server" machine? What is the
differences? Pros/Cons?
2. Will Windows 2000 work fine as the server OS, or do I have to goto
'Windows 2000 Server' OS?
3. Any suggestions as to what I should buy? I prefer Dell.
4. He also wants a backup system. Any suggestions (HW/SW)? He will be
basically backing up several gigs worth of scanned images, documents, etc...
on a daily/weekly basis.
Thanks,
Robert
- Posted by Colon Terminus on July 8th, 2003
Go ahead and use a high-end PC ... this situation doesn't call for a "real"
server machine.
Win2K Pro will work just fine.
If'n you prefer Dell, then go with it ... get a Dell.
For backup, use external USB 2.0 enclosures ... cheap, efficient, reliable,
fast and simple to recover data when needed. Get 2 enclosures for a
father/son backup scheme or 3 enclosures for a grandfather/father/son
scheme. Be sure to store all backups, except the current one, off site.
"VB Programmer" <growNO-SPAM@go-intech.com> wrote in message
news:ec0llAVRDHA.704@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
- Posted by Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] on July 8th, 2003
If it's worth getting a server, it's worth getting server-class hardware -
RAID, and a server OS, and a tape drive. There are some decent entry-level
Dells that won't cost an arm and a leg. My usual rule of thumb is - more
than five PCs means time to get out of the peer-to-peer business... re
backup, a tape backup unit and the native Windows Backup software will be
just fine...it's a bit more of a pain to configure it (he will probably want
to learn about RSM and script commands), but it's free and works like a
champ once you get it working.
VB Programmer wrote:
