Hi Anton,
I almost missed this post. This e-groups list has changed so much
since I first used it. I finally figured out how to thread it *lol*
Thanks for your input. I think that after reading all the responses
here that we are already a bit too large for the SBS - especially if
I am projecting out 5+ years on the hardware. Ahhh the perfect
system... one that runs itself with few problems.
I will LAO be following responses to your questions regarding
requirements for a primary domain running Exchange.
Dorothy
Mid-West Spring Mfg.
Mentone, In
--- In vantage@egroups.com, it <it@d...> wrote:
> We also have Vantage 4 running on an NT server with SBS 4.5. The
server is
> a twin Xeon Pentium II, 512Mb RAM, mirrored hard disks etc..
>
> We're currently looking at getting everyone in the office connected
to
> e-mail and the internet. I figure I need to separate the primary
domain
> from Vantage, for both performance and security reasons.
>
> I was thinking about getting in a new server to run Vantage, and
using the
> old one to continue to be the primary domain, host Exchange, and
add more
> storage and just let it run the network basically.
>
> My questions are as follows:
>
> What are the requirements for a dedicated Vantage server?
> and the requirements for the primary domain running Exchange and
being the
> main 'storage' device?
>
> Bearing in mind our current configuration and the fact that I'm
willing to
> start from scratch (i.e. shift SBS over to the new server) if need
be...
>
> any help greatly appreciated as I'm going into this sliiiightly in
the
> dark.... ;-)
>
>
> In response to Dorothy's question regarding SBS:
>
> I've been running our SBS network for about a year now. It pretty
much runs
> itself day-to-day, I just do my backups and leave it to itself.
Vantage
> runs fine. SBS likes to think it does all the network admin for
you but
> doesn't quite manage it, so you're still using the NT admin tools
also, when
> setting up new users etc...
>
> SBS also, apparently, will allow you to run an intranet and various
other
> things, but I damaged that part of the software ;-)
> Still got to re-install that actually.....
>
> Anton Wilson,
> Systems Analyst
> Deanestor Healthcare
>
>
>
>
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 14:44:05 -0500
> > From: Todd Caughey <caugheyt@h...>
> > Subject: RE: Small Business Server 4.5 Delimna
> >
> > We had WIN-NT SBS 4.5 prior to implementing Vantage but added a
second
> > server running straight NT for Vantage. A lot depends on the
size of your
> > organization and number of clients. SBS, as of last year, now
allows a
> > maximum of 50 users. It also restricts you to one NT domain with
the SBS
> > machine as the primary domain controller. But there are
significant cost
> > benefits for small companies especially for MS-Exchange Server.
Speaking
> of
> > "server" I would inquire deeply at Epicor about the SBS version
of SQL
> > server being able to handle Vantage in the future running on SQL
server
> > instead of Progress. At the moment I like being able to have
Exchange on
> > one server and devote the other (Netfinity 5500, RAID-mirroring,
hot swap
> > drives, dual power supply) to Vantage. But I can see the day
coming where
> > company growth will force us over 50 users and I am not sure how
bad
> > switching from SBS to NT (probably Win-2000 by then) will be. I
suspect I
> > will need to add a seperate domain for our engineering department
to
> > segregate their CAD traffic on the network and give them their
own server.
> > I am extremely happy with the Netfinity server and will very
likely
> upgrade
> > to another when we move off of SBS. Another thought - SBS is
cheaper up
> > front but I wonder if there is any migration or upgrade pricing
to regular
> > NT. If you can't get credit for the SBS costs then in the long
run it
> will
> > be a lot more expensive.
> >
> > The 486 PCs will have to be upgraded for Vantage. I am having a
lot of
> > trouble with Pentium-75s not allowing Progress Client to be
installed. On
> > some it works and some it does not. The ones with 64MB RAM seem
to work
> > more often so memory may be the key more than CPU but I am sure
486s will
> > not work. The P-75 systems are agonizingly slow so I bought a
bunch of
> > Celeron 566 systems for $480 each (incl. Win-98 but no monitor or
CD) from
> a
> > local components supplier to replace our old PCs.
> >
> > I run several other Aps on the SBS server including the database
for ADP
> PC
> > Payroll for Windows and sharing several Access .MDB databases.
Also
> Norton
> > Antivirus Corporate Edition and Veritas BackupExec (SBS version
though).
> So
> > I don't think the SBS version is very restrictive of other
software. Deep
> > down it is just NT with a license limit. The book from Microsoft
Press
> > "Running BackOffice Small Business Server" states "you'll have a
fully
> > operation NT network" which indicates to me there are no
restrictions
> other
> > than number of users. Because of the overhead of all the SBS
server
> > products (Exchange, Proxy, SQL, etc...) if you try to run Vantage
too I
> > would get LOTS of extra memory. Our dedicated Vantage server has
512MB so
> > on a SBS system I would not go with less than 768MB or maybe two
512MB
> > modules and limp by if one ever fails.
> >
> > Good luck,
> > -Todd C.
> > Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.
> > Woodbury, MN
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: D. Enderle [mailto:denderle@r...]
> > Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2000 6:56 PM
> > To: vantage@egroups.com
> > Subject: [Vantage] Small Business Server 4.5 Delimna
> >
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > My name is Dorothy and I work for a small spring manufacturing job
> > shop with about 40 nodes. At present, we are still running
Classic on
> > a Novell server. Many of our machines are 486 DOS based PCs. The
rest
> > of them are running Win 95 or 98.
> >
> > We are in the process of migrating to Vantage 4.0 and in the final
> > stages of selecting our server. I have almost lived here in the
> > Vantage E-groups while researching all the possible ways to do
this
> > migration by reading what you have all posted on topics such as
RAID
> > 5, yes or no. Windows 2000, yes or no. What we have decided to do
is
> > to go with NT 4 and mirroring, as Epicor does not
> > currently "formally" support either Windows 2000 or RAID 5.
> >
> > Now that we are down to the wire in the selection process, another
> > obstacle has come up and I could use some input from anyone who
can
> > help.
> >
> > Since the decision to stay with NT 4 has been made, another
> > alternative for us has come up that I need some input on...
whether
> > or not to go with Microsoft Small Business Server 4.5. It seems to
> > have many of the features we need both now and within the next few
> > years for our type of operation.
> >
> > Does the Vantage software have any problems with MS Small Business
> > Server? I have had one PC support place not even let me get SBS
4.5
> > out of my mouth before telling me that I am heading in the wrong
> > direction and another service center who takes the postion that it
> > will run fine.
> >
> > Does purchasing SBS mean that it has to be a server of its own?
Can
> > other apps be installed on the SBS other than MS Office (i.e. 3rd
> > party software)?
> >
> > I can use any tips and suggestions anybody can provide :-)
> >
> > Thanks, Dorothy
> > Systems Administrator
> > Mid-West Spring Mfg.
> > mailto:denderle@r...
> >
> >
> > We no longer allow attachments to files. To access/share Report
Files,
> > please go to the following link:
http://www.egroups.com/files/vantage/
> > <http://www.egroups.com/files/vantage/>
> > (Note: If this link does not work for you the first time you try
it, go
> to
> > www.egroups.com, login and be sure to save your password, choose
My
> Groups,
> > choose Vantage, then choose Files. If you save the password, the
link
> above
> > will work the next time you try it.)
We also have Vantage 4 running on an NT server with SBS 4.5. The server is
a twin Xeon Pentium II, 512Mb RAM, mirrored hard disks etc..
We're currently looking at getting everyone in the office connected to
e-mail and the internet. I figure I need to separate the primary domain
from Vantage, for both performance and security reasons.
I was thinking about getting in a new server to run Vantage, and using the
old one to continue to be the primary domain, host Exchange, and add more
storage and just let it run the network basically.
My questions are as follows:
What are the requirements for a dedicated Vantage server?
and the requirements for the primary domain running Exchange and being the
main 'storage' device?
Bearing in mind our current configuration and the fact that I'm willing to
start from scratch (i.e. shift SBS over to the new server) if need be...
any help greatly appreciated as I'm going into this sliiiightly in the
dark.... ;-)
In response to Dorothy's question regarding SBS:
I've been running our SBS network for about a year now. It pretty much runs
itself day-to-day, I just do my backups and leave it to itself. Vantage
runs fine. SBS likes to think it does all the network admin for you but
doesn't quite manage it, so you're still using the NT admin tools also, when
setting up new users etc...
SBS also, apparently, will allow you to run an intranet and various other
things, but I damaged that part of the software ;-)
Still got to re-install that actually.....
Anton Wilson,
Systems Analyst
Deanestor Healthcare
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 14:44:05 -0500
> From: Todd Caughey <caugheyt@...>
> Subject: RE: Small Business Server 4.5 Delimna
>
> We had WIN-NT SBS 4.5 prior to implementing Vantage but added a second
> server running straight NT for Vantage. A lot depends on the size of your
> organization and number of clients. SBS, as of last year, now allows a
> maximum of 50 users. It also restricts you to one NT domain with the SBS
> machine as the primary domain controller. But there are significant cost
> benefits for small companies especially for MS-Exchange Server. Speaking
of
> "server" I would inquire deeply at Epicor about the SBS version of SQL
> server being able to handle Vantage in the future running on SQL server
> instead of Progress. At the moment I like being able to have Exchange on
> one server and devote the other (Netfinity 5500, RAID-mirroring, hot swap
> drives, dual power supply) to Vantage. But I can see the day coming where
> company growth will force us over 50 users and I am not sure how bad
> switching from SBS to NT (probably Win-2000 by then) will be. I suspect I
> will need to add a seperate domain for our engineering department to
> segregate their CAD traffic on the network and give them their own server.
> I am extremely happy with the Netfinity server and will very likely
upgrade
> to another when we move off of SBS. Another thought - SBS is cheaper up
> front but I wonder if there is any migration or upgrade pricing to regular
> NT. If you can't get credit for the SBS costs then in the long run it
will
> be a lot more expensive.
>
> The 486 PCs will have to be upgraded for Vantage. I am having a lot of
> trouble with Pentium-75s not allowing Progress Client to be installed. On
> some it works and some it does not. The ones with 64MB RAM seem to work
> more often so memory may be the key more than CPU but I am sure 486s will
> not work. The P-75 systems are agonizingly slow so I bought a bunch of
> Celeron 566 systems for $480 each (incl. Win-98 but no monitor or CD) from
a
> local components supplier to replace our old PCs.
>
> I run several other Aps on the SBS server including the database for ADP
PC
> Payroll for Windows and sharing several Access .MDB databases. Also
Norton
> Antivirus Corporate Edition and Veritas BackupExec (SBS version though).
So
> I don't think the SBS version is very restrictive of other software. Deep
> down it is just NT with a license limit. The book from Microsoft Press
> "Running BackOffice Small Business Server" states "you'll have a fully
> operation NT network" which indicates to me there are no restrictions
other
> than number of users. Because of the overhead of all the SBS server
> products (Exchange, Proxy, SQL, etc...) if you try to run Vantage too I
> would get LOTS of extra memory. Our dedicated Vantage server has 512MB so
> on a SBS system I would not go with less than 768MB or maybe two 512MB
> modules and limp by if one ever fails.
>
> Good luck,
> -Todd C.
> Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.
> Woodbury, MN
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: D. Enderle [mailto:denderle@...]
> Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2000 6:56 PM
> To: vantage@egroups.com
> Subject: [Vantage] Small Business Server 4.5 Delimna
>
>
> Hi,
>
> My name is Dorothy and I work for a small spring manufacturing job
> shop with about 40 nodes. At present, we are still running Classic on
> a Novell server. Many of our machines are 486 DOS based PCs. The rest
> of them are running Win 95 or 98.
>
> We are in the process of migrating to Vantage 4.0 and in the final
> stages of selecting our server. I have almost lived here in the
> Vantage E-groups while researching all the possible ways to do this
> migration by reading what you have all posted on topics such as RAID
> 5, yes or no. Windows 2000, yes or no. What we have decided to do is
> to go with NT 4 and mirroring, as Epicor does not
> currently "formally" support either Windows 2000 or RAID 5.
>
> Now that we are down to the wire in the selection process, another
> obstacle has come up and I could use some input from anyone who can
> help.
>
> Since the decision to stay with NT 4 has been made, another
> alternative for us has come up that I need some input on... whether
> or not to go with Microsoft Small Business Server 4.5. It seems to
> have many of the features we need both now and within the next few
> years for our type of operation.
>
> Does the Vantage software have any problems with MS Small Business
> Server? I have had one PC support place not even let me get SBS 4.5
> out of my mouth before telling me that I am heading in the wrong
> direction and another service center who takes the postion that it
> will run fine.
>
> Does purchasing SBS mean that it has to be a server of its own? Can
> other apps be installed on the SBS other than MS Office (i.e. 3rd
> party software)?
>
> I can use any tips and suggestions anybody can provide :-)
>
> Thanks, Dorothy
> Systems Administrator
> Mid-West Spring Mfg.
> mailto:denderle@...
>
>
> We no longer allow attachments to files. To access/share Report Files,
> please go to the following link: http://www.egroups.com/files/vantage/
> <http://www.egroups.com/files/vantage/>
> (Note: If this link does not work for you the first time you try it, go
to
> www.egroups.com, login and be sure to save your password, choose My
Groups,
> choose Vantage, then choose Files. If you save the password, the link
above
> will work the next time you try it.)