Number of Servers

[clara17]

How many servers to I need to set up up to 30pcs in 3 different office locations. It will be email, file sharing, printing, VPN functions. Plus organisation will need application and database servers to run their CRM.

 

[kanewolf]

You will probably get lots of answers... Here is mine with reasons ...
Total 6
1 primary DC at main office, a secondary DC at each field office (3)
3 other servers at main office as VM servers for DB, apps and secondary DC

Plus UPS at main office, plus storage, plus backup storage, plus network hardware

 

[clara17]

thanks for your answer. I thought it is possible for DC to have one server in main office. Will 3 routers to set up VPN be enough?

 

[kanewolf]

I only put a replicant DC in each office so that if the WAN is down, the people will still be able to login with full domain credentials. I know there should be saved credentials on the individual PC, but having a local DC replicant can improve the experience for the remote offices.

 

[clara17]

Thank you kanewolf. yes that's make sence it's good to have a back up.

 

[clara17]

So am I right if I say in total I would need: 6 Server 2008 R Licences (Enterprise): 3x for DC, Mail, FTP and 3x DB & Applications & secondary DC , 6 PCs for servers as per required specification, 90 workstations, 6 x18 port switches , 3x VPN routers, 3 Wireless Routers, cat5e cables, 90xIP telephones to record/store messages, firewall software?

 

[kanewolf]

You may not need enterprise for all your licenses... I am not an expert on the differences but standard may be OK for the replicant DCs.

IP telephones will want POE switches. You may need a call manager appliance or call manager software. You may be able to daisy chain your workstations to your phones. Depends on the phone. You probably want switches that can have the phones on one VLAN and the PCs on another -- even on the same port. The DHCP/bootp server for the phones will want to be different than the workstations.

The questions you are asking makes it sound like you are attempting to bid this job but you don't know what you need ....

 

[clara17]

no its not for a real life bidding but it's, it's a coursework I am writing . I didn't have any lectures about servers or networking at all (because my path is digital information) but they put a project management ciourse for me where coursework has this high technical knowledge required spec! I do search for information myself a lot but just couldnt find anywere how many servers would I require. That's why I put a question here. Thanks so much for your help.
The last question , I am reading on Exchange 2010 System Requirements and it says component requirements are : Schema master, Global Catalog server,Domain controller,Active Directory forest, Ipv6 Support. Do these all components have to be installed on one Server machine in main office and then install only Secondary Domain controller component on other 2 office servers or do all these components have to installed again on secondary DC?

 

[kanewolf]

I have never setup Exchange. I don't know. Maybe a separate question on exchange would get you better answers.