Simple Server Solution

nicknails · September 6, 2019

I am looking to setup a new server (on a budget) that I'm sure is childs-play for most of you. I have 2 programs that run, one is sql based and the other is access based. Each of our workstations (about 15) runs the client side of the software. We also use the server as file storage for various projects and collaborations. That's all I need! Right now I'm getting a whopping 9MB/s file copy from server to workstation on our powerful Windows 2000 Server (yes, seriously) with standard hard drive. I would like something that can handle the number of transactions that the 2 database programs use.

Electronics Wizardy · September 6, 2019

Budget?

How much storage?

Are you using AD?

Id probably get a midrange premade server, like a dell r440, put windows server 2019 hyper-v server on it.

Then make a few vms, one for ad(if you use that), one for your sql server, one for the access server, one for file sharing.

ALso whats your network setup, probably needs a gigabit upgrade aswell.

nicknails · September 6, 2019

For a little more information, it's a really basic network. There are 2 servers, one is a Windows 2000 Server, vanilla. The other is a standard windows xp computer. There are numerous switches in the server room as well as some scattered about the building. There's no virtual machines or special user rights or anything of that sort. Essentially a computer with shared files on it. We don't need anything more.

There really isn't a set budget yet. I need to gather some info to write up a proposal.

Storage right now is only 100GB, so that's not really an issue.

I don't know what AD is. And I don't know how to setup VMs or if they're necessary.

Would 100GB work on old wiring? We have traditionat CAT5E wiring that's fairly old. Some of the lines are newer. I suspect the file transfer speeds are from the server being old and also having a slow hard drive.

Mattias Edeslatt · September 6, 2019

Not a word about existing routines for backup and restoring that data... that data on ancient, ancient hardware and OS

Walk slowly out of that room, close the door, turn around and run.... run for your life

Even with a small Dell och HP desktop computer you would get better performance paired with a new switch that does gigabit network. The hardware you have is probably only 100 Mbit/s with old and slow SATA1-drives or equivalent.

Electronics Wizardy · September 6, 2019

3 hours ago, nicknails said:

For a little more information, it's a really basic network. There are 2 servers, one is a Windows 2000 Server, vanilla. The other is a standard windows xp computer. There are numerous switches in the server room as well as some scattered about the building. There's no virtual machines or special user rights or anything of that sort. Essentially a computer with shared files on it. We don't need anything more.

There really isn't a set budget yet. I need to gather some info to write up a proposal.

Storage right now is only 100GB, so that's not really an issue.

I don't know what AD is. And I don't know how to setup VMs or if they're necessary.

Would 100GB work on old wiring? We have traditionat CAT5E wiring that's fairly old. Some of the lines are newer. I suspect the file transfer speeds are from the server being old and also having a slow hard drive.

With only 100gb of data, Id be tempted to go all cloud here, and have no local servers.

AD lets you make it so you log into a server, and makes it easier to manage permissions and settings.

You should be able to use gigabit on 5e, but depends on legnth. But Id upgrade all the switches to 1gbit if possible.

9mB/s speeds are probably due to 100mbit, and thats about the limit, and even old servers could easily do more than that.

VIrtual machines on the server are easy to setup and make it much more secure and easier to upgrade and migrate. Its just a better way to go these days .

Also as @Mattias Edeslatt said, you want backups. Id look into cloud, probably something like s3 or b2 is what id do here.