Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

server novice looking for direction

Options
  • 16-08-2010 9:09pm
    #1
    Prefect_1998
    Registered Users Posts: 972 ✭✭✭


    hi i am trying to get to grips with a server i have become proud owner of poweredge2800:D

    i have vmware on it now and have put server 2003 and a copy of xp,
    active directory is running and seems to be grand. dhcp and dns also up and running, now... hers the thing, where do i go from here? i am trying to get some hands on experience ,

    i would like to know backup methods, there is a tape drive and i would like to configure this to back up at set time etc.

    also i would like to set up either active directory/ mail daemon,

    and a file server.

    heres the question ... the hard drives are in a raid format, the vmware has set the os both xp and srv03 at 20 gigs, can i sort this out?

    i am bit overwhelmed as this is my first venture into this alone


    thanks for help:)

    r


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    ressem
    Registered Users Posts: 2,426 ✭✭✭ressem


    You're looking to resize the NTFS partition on the 2003 server virtual machine?
    You can increase the size of the disk in VMWARE, but lots of free partition resizing tools won't like changing a server partiton as they have overpriced server versions for that.

    As for things to experiment with.
    Is the server 2003 running as a domain controller, with XP as a client?
    You could download and install group policy management console on the XP machine and try creating a policy to...

    hide 'run' from the XP start menu of a particular domain user.
    run a simple script to say map a network drive every time that user logs in to the XP machine.
    deploy install one of microsoft's MSI based programs to the XP machine using group policy.

    Backup methods... just about all use commercial software. There's loads of time limited trial software for online backup/ tape backup/ RDX disk backup.


  • Options
    #3
    Prefect_1998
    Registered Users Posts: 972 ✭✭✭Prefect_1998


    Great thanks, yes the xp is running as a client in the domain controller. I will look into policy management today:-),

    I have 2 cusco 2600 and a 2950 switch that I want to add to the setup also I was thinking adding 3 vlans and getting rhe router to connect them bit unsure about vlan when server 03 is a dhcp server also.


  • Options
    #4
    rolion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,362 ✭✭✭rolion


    nice one...but,we have to learn to walk before we start running ! !

    VMware is very complex environment to play with,at your level.

    If you want to play with Microsoft stuff,start looking online for ebooks or offline in local shops for Microsoft Training Kits. Also, a good starting point is CBT or Train Signal video training guides...

    Is easier to learn it that way...DHCP & DNS is easy to enable but troubleshooting is the harder part...actually is the part that distinguish a good engineer from a engineer ! !

    To enable the internal backup tape in VMware environment is going to be a painful process,sometimes going to command line level ! Is easier to hook-it up to another PC and play with from there...but that requires scsi cards/usb card,software for backing up with the virtual agents installed on the VMs...ok,you got it ! !

    Cusco aka Cisco...you cannot use them in a virtual setup unless you have multiple network cards in the physical box and enable the internal/virtual switch in VMware for connections outside and so on....forget it ! ! Won't work...basically,RTFM first and then use the physical setup that you have it in there...

    Good luck & have fun...if i can assist you,just say it here !


  • Options
    #5
    brianoconnell
    Registered Users Posts: 33 ✭brianoconnell


    It's not recommended practice, but in a test lab, who cares, but you can use vlans with a single nic on an esx host. It just needs to be configured as a TRUNK port on the switch and create additional portgroups on the vSwitch in the ESX console. You then configure ports on the cisco switch to be in various vlans and away you go! Of cource you will need to plug some other device into your cisco switch to know it working!

    That brings in how devices on the different vlans will communicate with each other, even if only to get out on the Internet. That will introduce a router into the picture but you probably have one of them already. So then it become a matter of configuring your router for vlans and letting them out to the Internet.

    Loads of fun to be had, but more a networking project that a windows server project!


Advertisement