Business/Home Server Setup & Infrastructure

[savaytse66]

I finally got all my new server hardware and have begun to install Server 2008 Enterprise and wanted to get some thoughts on how to set up my infrastructure. A little background information first:

 

• I am using this server in a home office environment
  
• I have one user who will connect from his remote office
  
• Because the server is in my home, it will be acting as a double-duty business server and a local (within my home) media server
  
• Notable hardware includes: 20-bay hot-swap SATA case, Areca 1280ML RAID card, 8GB RAM, Supermicro MB, Xeon E5410 Processor, HP ProCurve 1800-24G switch, 1 business client computer, 1 business laptop, 2 personnaly HTPCs, 2 personal computers.
  

My initial thoughts were to set it up as follows:

 

• Install Server 2008 enterprise as a host OS. This will have File Server and Hyper-V roles installed. This will be the host all of my personal media that my local client computers can access.
  
• Install two Hyper-V machines also running Server 2008. One VM needs to be an Active Directory Domain Controller to handle my business. I would probably also install Exchange on this VM. I also will need to run Sharepoint, SQL Server, and possibly Terminal Services. I'm not sure at this point what the optimal number of VMs is, and what programs should be installed together on each VM. So any advice would be appreciated.
  

My thoughts are to isolate my business serving needs from my personal, and this seems like the best way. I figure it will be easier to access the hardware, specifically the large Areca media arrays, from the host oS as opposed to from a VM. But I'd love to hear any differing thoughts.

 

I also wonder how to handle the domain. I will have a domain (mydomain.local) for my business. Should I join the Host OS (the one acting mainly as a media file server) to the domain? I want to be able to access the large arrays from the domain clients and servers so I can backup VMs, access music, etc. But the content on the media server, by design, does not really contain my critical business data, so I don't want it to be part of the domain. Can I still access the content though? Is is as simple as just mapping a drive on the domain computers pointing to the internal IP of the Host server?

 

On that note, regarding the personal PCs we have (all running some form of Vista), should they just be part of a local Workgroup since they are not in the domain? Should I (Can I?) create a separate VM for a 2nd DC (for a different personal domain like personnal.local)?

 

I hope I have explained everything so it makes sense. I'm pretty new to networking and server OSs, and I'm pretty much self-taught. Any advice is appreciated, and I'll be happy to offer further clarification if needed.

 

Thanks,

Chris

[F2 Staff]

You can join the workgroup computers to the domain if you choose. I prefer doing it that way. Makes your file sharing a little more secure.

 

I have no experience running a domain controller in a VM so I can't offer any comments on that one.