VISUAL NEWSLETTER –
MAR 2005
For companies wishing to upgrade their File Server
capabilities beyond what Novell 3.x can provide, we are recommending Microsoft Windows
Server 2003 as the platform of choice. This product is the best product that
Microsoft has produced in the file server marketplace and helps to solidify
their dominant position in the market. While some might argue (myself included)
that their market dominance was initially based on name alone, they have used
the money that companies invested to improve the product to the point where we
can recommend it. When you combine this with the hardware compatibility issues
that continue to plague older but otherwise solid versions of Novell Netware,
then Microsoft Windows Server 2003 does seem to be a logical choice.
The giants of the computer and software industry go out
of their way to make sure that their products work with one another. HP, IBM or
Dell servers have to work with Microsoft products or they wouldn’t sell. As
companies become smaller, their clout with the larger companies diminishes and
research and development, not to mention marketing, makes it more difficult to
compete. The old phrase “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a
path to your door” no longer seems to apply in a world where name recognition
and marketing is all that counts.
Windows Server 2003 does do a good job of basic File and
Print Server functions. It really comes into its own as an Application Server
running E-mail and Database functions. It will work with Libra today as well as
other applications in the future. By using Terminal Services in combination
with a VPN (Virtual Private Network) you can use the Internet to dial into the
server from home or while on the road. Additional Licenses are required for
Terminal Service clients over and above user licenses for the Windows Server
2003 itself.
Windows
Server 2003 is marketed in three different versions. Each has a base price for
the product with additional fees for blocks of users above and beyond the
original license.
The
current versions are:
1) Small
Business
2) Standard
Edition
3) Enterprise
Edition
The
Small Business Edition is less expensive for 5 to 10 user networks. At 20 and
more users the higher levels become more economical since additional users are
less expensive. Enterprise Edition is the most expensive edition but is much
more heavily discounted, so it often becomes the best buy for networks of 20 or
more users. It is also rated as the most stable version so it is our
recommendation for most customers.
The
basic operations for all versions are pretty much the same and the major
differences lie in available or optional features. For example SQL Server
cannot be added to Small Business Edition (Standard) but it comes with Small
Business Edition (Premium). By going with Enterprise Edition you keep all of
your options open.
When
you configure Windows Server 2003 it can serve a number of defined functions.
Some of these require additional software or licenses. A short list would
include:
1) File
Server
2) Print
Server
3) DNS
Server
4) DHCP
Server
5) Domain
Controller
6) SQL
Database Server
7) Exchange
E-mail Server
8) Terminal
Services Server
9) Virtual
Private Network Server