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Windows Small Business Server

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monkey1973

Joined: 17 Jan 2005
Posts: 683
Location: Bonnie scotland

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 4:59 pm Post subject: Windows Small Business Server

We require to upgrade our server for many reasons, not least security, and I was proposing to get Windoze small business server 2003 as a quick fix. I would like to go down a Linux option but it all seems a bit confusing and I feel that the transition would take too long and be too problematic. I do propose however to use the old server as an experimental tool to start tinkering with various Linux bits and bobs to get myself familiar with the programs so maybe sometime soon I can change things over.
Does anybody have any advice with regards to the SBS 2003 installation or about what Linux server products are available.
Any advice would be welcomed.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28237
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 5:06 pm Post subject:
I know just about all Linux installs offer server options. But I need to know more specifically what you are looking for. I guess the main thing is a mail server, and I'm afraid that is one area where I know very little.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 5:07 pm Post subject:
What do you want your server to do? How many users do you have?

monkey1973

Joined: 17 Jan 2005
Posts: 683
Location: Bonnie scotland

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 5:19 pm Post subject:

I should say that I am no expert.
We are a small consultancy (less than 20 staff) all hooked up via a LAN to an NT server. Everybody has permissions to do what they like. We can all surf and send mail and the worry is that anybody could theoretically wipe our server clean by an inadvertant click of a mouse. So far we have had no real probs to speak of but myself and my fellow 'administrator' would like to put more security there.
Basically, we are getting a new DELL poweredge server and it needs to be setup to allow all the staff to access the technical information but not the confidential stuff, for example. It needs to allow web access where appropriate but limit it or bar it where required. Has to be secure from external attack i.e firewall but needs to be easy to manage (because I'm thick!)
We would like to eventually have a works Intranet with job databases and work in progress, and joined up diaries and calendars and stuff like that but from what I can gather most of that comes with SBS anyway.
It definetly looks like we are getting SBS anyway but if you know of any probs please let me know. Thinking ahead though any advice on a suitable Linux installation wouldn't go amiss i.e what are the core programs required to set-up a server (Red Hat? Apache?)
I hope this makes sense.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 5:25 pm Post subject:
Well a fully licensed Windows set up is going to cost some $$$s even with SBS, I've no experience myself but I know someone who runs their mail off a linux server with no hassles. Browsing can be done off Linux clients just as well as Windows. What applications do you use to run your business?

monkey1973

Joined: 17 Jan 2005
Posts: 683
Location: Bonnie scotland

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 5:29 pm Post subject:

All machines run XP but as for software, its a mix of everything from Autocad to Excel. Different users use different browsers, mail clients etc. Personally I use Thunderbird and Firefox for example. I use Openoffice for letters and spreadsheets etc but others use MS Office. There's no real consistency. Other than a couple of structural design packages there is nothing particularly special being used. (At least not that I know of).

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 5:31 pm Post subject:
Do you run this place?

monkey1973

Joined: 17 Jan 2005
Posts: 683
Location: Bonnie scotland

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 5:32 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Do you run this place?

I wish.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 5:42 pm Post subject:

OK from what you're saying it's anarchy there, the whole place looks like it's open to potentially serious virus/spyware problems.

This is what I'd suggest:

Buy a cheap server to set up a mailserver, it doesn't have to be Windows with Exchange you can get Linux solutions too, run this purely as a mail server.

Get everybody standardised on one browser and mail client

Get a serious firewall and make sure someone decent has configured it

Get some serious AV software and keep it up to date

Make sure all your users mailboxes and data are backed up centrally to a server daily, and make sure that you have a fireproof for tapes/drives (whatever your chosen backup media is)

Make sure all your users are on the same "Office" software

How does that sound?

monkey1973

Joined: 17 Jan 2005
Posts: 683
Location: Bonnie scotland

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 5:49 pm Post subject:
It sounds like exactly what I would like to see done i.e everybody using the same stuff but those on top need to be advised that it is crucial to do so. My fellow administrator is one of the Directors but he doesn't seem to appreciate the anarchy going on here so we obviously need to have a chat! I need to scoot home now but thanks for the advice. I'll be back tomorrow.

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