# Server Advice



## staticbyte (Jun 25, 2007)

Hello All,

I am doing some research in to getting a new server for the company i work for.

At present we share infrastructure with a company we used to be partnered with and there's a strong possibility we'll be moving premises sooner rather than later.

I'm trying to get an idea on what specification I need as well as licensing options for server 2012 standard.

We currently have 15 mailboxes on a local exchange server, plus 3-4 distribution groups.

10 users on site that primarily use a single desktop machine; all Windows 7 pro clients.

We need plenty of storage space since we do a great deal of 2D CAD drawings and PDF's - Im looking at SAS drives for reduced latency but if we're not going to have exchange on site we may not need this.

The server would be configured as a print server for 2-3 Xerox copiers

I'd preferably like to migrate our backup and mail server platforms to cloud based solutions such as Office 365.

Will also be used as a web server to grant access to network shares for remote users.

I expect the number of users to expand 30-40% over the next couple of years as the business grows.

I'd like to draw on other network admins experiences with their respective hardware to give me an idea where I need to be aiming.

Happy to provide any additional info i can.

Thanks in advance!


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## TheShooter93 (Jul 10, 2008)

Hi *staticbyte*,

There are way too many servers out there for me to recommend a specific make and model, but I can at least suggest going with Dell or HP. I've worked in environments that use both and both have worked just fine for us.

Based on what you described, it sounds like you'll need the following:

Small Exchange Server
File Server
Print Server
Web Server
Room to Grow
If you're migrating the Exchange Server to Office 365 or Exchange Online, you have enough users to perform a cutover migration (the simplest type of migration). This is the type of migration I have performed before and it went relatively smoothly with a decent amount of planning. :up:

Given your list of requirements, I'd recommend two physical servers or 1 beefy server and the possible utilization of virtualization. Some people like to virtualize Exchange, but recent recommendations from Microsoft suggest otherwise.



staticbyte said:


> 10 users on site that primarily use a single desktop machine; all Windows 7 pro clients.


To clarify, that's 10 users that will use *1* physical workstation? 



staticbyte said:


> I'm trying to get an idea on what specification I need as well as licensing options for server 2012 standard.


I'm no Microsoft licensing expert, but at the very least each user will need a user CAL, and you will need a license for the operating system (obviously) at a minimum. I believe you will also need one for your Exchange Server.


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## srhoades (May 15, 2003)

I would do two servers, or 1 server and a VM. One to serve as the domain controller, and then the other as your file, print, and remote access server. Buy servers that support two processors, that way you can beef them up later as your company starts to grow.


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

What he said. VM would probably be easiest.


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