Server on a desktop

  • Thread starter Thread starter Maurice
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Maurice

Guest
Would like to load the majority of the Microsoft Action Pack onto a home
desktop [Server 2003, Exchange, Sharepoint,etc]. Have a 500Gb SATA drive in
a 3Ghz machine which would be dedicated to this project. My questions are as
follows:

- Is there a way to have Server 2003 running simultaneously and
independently of Windows XP then load the remaining applications to the same
drive? [I do know about dual-boot] Is there a virtualization 'how to'? This
set up would be for a maximum of 10 connecting at any time
- Is there such a thing as a 'virtual RAID' using either memory, free space
on this intended drive or another drive? Looking for fault tolerance for OS,
data and apps
- My internet connection is a DSL. Is there a secure way to connect and
allow a limited number of colleagues to connect to the Action Pact
Drive alone? - I have a hardware firewall but can this be made to be secure
through VPN?
- I am seeking the experience of administering to a true network including
remote administration. Guidance sought
 
Re: Server on a desktop

Have a look here.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/virtualpc/default.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/virtualserver/default.aspx



--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

"Maurice" wrote:
>
> Would like to load the majority of the Microsoft Action Pack onto a home
> desktop [Server 2003, Exchange, Sharepoint,etc]. Have a 500Gb SATA drive
> in
> a 3Ghz machine which would be dedicated to this project. My questions are
> as
> follows:
>
> - Is there a way to have Server 2003 running simultaneously and
> independently of Windows XP then load the remaining applications to the
> same
> drive? [I do know about dual-boot] Is there a virtualization 'how to'?
> This
> set up would be for a maximum of 10 connecting at any time
> - Is there such a thing as a 'virtual RAID' using either memory, free
> space
> on this intended drive or another drive? Looking for fault tolerance for
> OS,
> data and apps
> - My internet connection is a DSL. Is there a secure way to connect and
> allow a limited number of colleagues to connect to the Action
> Pact
> Drive alone? - I have a hardware firewall but can this be made to be
> secure
> through VPN?
> - I am seeking the experience of administering to a true network including
> remote administration. Guidance sought
>
 
Re: Server on a desktop

Maurice <Maurice@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> Would like to load the majority of the Microsoft Action Pack onto a
> home desktop [Server 2003, Exchange, Sharepoint,etc].

Just not ISA.

> Have a 500Gb
> SATA drive in a 3Ghz machine which would be dedicated to this
> project. My questions are as follows:
>
> - Is there a way to have Server 2003 running simultaneously and
> independently of Windows XP then load the remaining applications to
> the same drive? [I do know about dual-boot] Is there a virtualization
> 'how to'?

If you want to use both on the same machine, I'd get VMWare Workstation
(it's not free but it has more features than VMWare Server, such as
snapshots) & load SBS into it. Otherwise, you'll have to dual boot, which
may not be useful in your situation. Make sure you preallocate the virtual
disk when you create it (I'd do it out to, like, 300GB or you will be sad :(

> This set up would be for a maximum of 10 connecting at any
> time - Is there such a thing as a 'virtual RAID' using either memory,
> free space on this intended drive or another drive?

No....

> Looking for fault
> tolerance for OS, data and apps

If you're planning to use this for a dedicated server, rather than a
learning / lab box for yourself, you should probably invest in some better
hardware for it (even if you stick with virtualization). The nice thing
about using a virtual machine is that you can turn it off & simply move it
to another piece of hardware - it won't know the difference.

> - My internet connection is a DSL. Is there a secure way to connect
> and allow a limited number of colleagues to connect to the
> Action Pact Drive alone? - I have a hardware firewall but can this be
> made to be secure through VPN?

Your virtual server will have its own IP address on your LAN (use bridged
mode in the VMWare machine) and your firewall will allow the traffic through
to the IP address you wish. Whether you wish to use VPN or not is up to
you - most small businesses would probably allow RWW & SMTP traffic in
directly.

> - I am seeking the experience of administering to a true network
> including remote administration. Guidance sought

Hope this helps.
 
Re: Server on a desktop

Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]
<lanwench@heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmailatyahoo.com> wrote:
> Maurice <Maurice@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>> Would like to load the majority of the Microsoft Action Pack onto a
>> home desktop [Server 2003, Exchange, Sharepoint,etc].
>
> Just not ISA.
>
>> Have a 500Gb
>> SATA drive in a 3Ghz machine which would be dedicated to this
>> project. My questions are as follows:
>>
>> - Is there a way to have Server 2003 running simultaneously and
>> independently of Windows XP then load the remaining applications to
>> the same drive? [I do know about dual-boot] Is there a virtualization
>> 'how to'?
>
> If you want to use both on the same machine, I'd get VMWare
> Workstation (it's not free but it has more features than VMWare
> Server, such as snapshots) & load SBS into it. Otherwise, you'll have
> to dual boot, which may not be useful in your situation. Make sure
> you preallocate the virtual disk when you create it (I'd do it out
> to, like, 300GB or you will be sad :(
>> This set up would be for a maximum of 10 connecting at any
>> time - Is there such a thing as a 'virtual RAID' using either memory,
>> free space on this intended drive or another drive?
>
> No....
>
>> Looking for fault
>> tolerance for OS, data and apps
>
> If you're planning to use this for a dedicated server, rather than a
> learning / lab box for yourself, you should probably invest in some
> better hardware for it (even if you stick with virtualization). The
> nice thing about using a virtual machine is that you can turn it off
> & simply move it to another piece of hardware - it won't know the
> difference.
>> - My internet connection is a DSL. Is there a secure way to connect
>> and allow a limited number of colleagues to connect to the
>> Action Pact Drive alone? - I have a hardware firewall but can this be
>> made to be secure through VPN?
>
> Your virtual server will have its own IP address on your LAN (use
> bridged mode in the VMWare machine) and your firewall will allow the
> traffic through to the IP address you wish. Whether you wish to use
> VPN or not is up to you - most small businesses would probably allow RWW &
> SMTP traffic in
> directly.
>
>> - I am seeking the experience of administering to a true network
>> including remote administration. Guidance sought
>
> Hope this helps.


Sorry, thought I was in the SBS newsgroup (which is why I mentioned RWW -
you won't have that without SBS). The rest of the advice still applies.

Actually for your learning purposes, SBS2003 (which you get as part of MAPS)
may be just the thing for you. If you're planning on running Exchange &
Sharepoint on a DC (the former is definitely not recommended practice in
general) go with a product suite that's designed to work that way. Or, set
up separate VMs for your DC, and for Exchange, etc.
 
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