Small Business Server

Hi folks,

I am in a Client-based networking course and was given the task of designing a network. We have learned a very limited amount about servers(duh) and I am stuck. So, bear with me, I am completely new to the server side of networking and my vernacular is limited in this category.

I have chosen to design a network for a small retail business in my hometown.

I am looking for a small business server with the following attributes:
-Value (< $800)
-Support < 10 clients
*As I do not know the full capabilities of a single entry-level server, I do not exactly know what a server can do for me but these are the nodes on the network ( 1xPC , 1xCash register , 1xCredit Card reader, 1xPrinter )

Basic network tasks include:
1. File sharing from Cash register to PC/backup
2. Printing/Fax
3. Surfing the Web
4. Credit card transactions

The store also has it's own website that would be more convenient to host internally but I'm pretty sure that requires different server hardware altogether than File Sharing/Printing; which is what I believe to be what I need.

Thanks for the help!

 

Maybe I missed it, but I don't see a question.

A server is just a computer with a special purpose. Any computer can be configured as a server, including whatever you're using right now. If you're looking for a cheap server, you can get home servers from Dell or HP, but it's perfectly fine to buy a "normal" computer and use it as a server. As far as the tasks:

1. Data backup just requires a lot of storage space. I'm pretty sure my desktop can hold near 5 HDDs, more than enough to back up 10 clients.
2. Most business printers are designed to be networked. You don't need a server to print from multiple computers.
3. What computer can't surf the web?
4. Supporting credit card transactions is all software. As long as you have the right software, again, any computer can do it.

 

Just buy a cheap desktop tower (actual towers, not the all-in-one desktops), or you could build your own cheap server.

If you're building, get a full-sized case (extra room to expand), the essentials (motherboard, bit of RAM, CPU, etc) and get a bunch of high-capacity hard drives and configure them in an appropriate RAID confuguration (depends on if you need RAID, however). If all you're doing is recording transaction data and backups, you could proabably get away with an OS drive and two data drives (500GB to 2TB, whatever you need). For those tasks, you don't need much more than storage; you could use a low-end Intel or AMD processor (an Atom could potentially work if all you're doing is file storage) and 4GB of RAM or less.

 

You get to decide how to utilize your server in your environment, as the admin designated with the task of deployment.

What do you need a server to do? Data backup? Do you want it to have physical redundancy in case a hard-drive fails? Do you want a domain controller? Exchange/E-mail server? Are there applications that your business must run 24/7, or are there applications that need to run on the network, communicate with the other computers, and are they database intensive?

Your problem when it comes to hosting a web server comes in a few forms, but I would primarily be worried about security - you're putting a lot of information out there in the world, and there are a lot of people looking for unsecured information. It is generally cheaper and more cost-effective to host web-based services from a provider, especially for small business - obtaining the hardware is outside of your budget, and then you need a connection that won't be violating a EULA (so, a true business connection or handoff - not "business class") by hosting a server (lots of people host small web-servers, but if your business takes off and you start sucking up bandwidth, your provider will notice).

Can we get some more info in regards to where you need some direction?

 

Like I said, I've never had to think from the server side of things, nor have I dealt with a server in any way.

To run a "server" on a network for purposes of data storage/backup, do I need a server OS such as Win 2008 R2?

I'm sorry if my questions seem stupid but I've always dealt with client-side networking so please bear with me.

 

You could run 2008 or 2008 R2. Or (assuming your applications will work under Linux), you could use Ubuntu Server Edition; this comes by default without a GUI though, so you'll either need to download one (Gnome or KDE) or use the desktop version of Ubuntu (which can act as a server).

 

I understand that I can run one of the server OSs, but do i need them if I'm going to be running the server for backup and storage?

 

Not really. There are some advantages of using a purposeful server OS (like AD, DNS, web server, RADIUS, etc), though it sounds like you don't need those services.

I'd grab a copy of Ubuntu desktop, install that, and read this to help you set it up as a file server.

This is a guide for setting up an Ubuntu Server file server. While it was written in 2008 and meant for version 7.10, the same general rules should still apply.

 

You could even just install a standard OS such as XP. That's what I was doing. Though Ubuntu Server Edition would be best, and it's free.