Expanding Network - design from scratch?

Hello,

I need some help / design ideas on how to build our expanding network.

Currently we have two locations (they are not connected).
Location A has one dell 1600sc w2k server with approx 40 users.
It has our DNS, Exchange 5.5, QuickBooks, Veritas,

Location B has 14 PC's, networked but no server.

We have to move out of Location A and users are moving to either
Location B (20-25 users) or New Locations C (25-30 users) or D (20-25
users).


So all together we will have three locations. Location D would be our
Admin Offices.

We need to consider growth for at least 50 + users in each location.
All places must be able to email and view/share calendars and
documents.

What would be the best game plan as far as servers. One in each
location, all servers in one location (Admin Offices).

What are typical costs of connecting each location? Lines and
Equipment?


What to do with the original server? Its specs (xeon 2ghz, 1gb RAM, 2x
36gb SCSI HD, 20/40 BKUP)


I am open to any and all ideas.

Help is Greatly Appreciated .

Thanks.

"Dannie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> What would be the best game plan as far as servers. One in each
> location, all servers in one location (Admin Offices).

DC in each location. Use Active Directory "Sites" to segment and control the
replication between them over the slow links. That is what AD Sites are for.

> What are typical costs of connecting each location? Lines and
> Equipment?

Depends on which of the hundreds of possible choices you make. Ask a
service provide what options they will give you. There is no set $$$ amount
that any of us can tell you that will mean anything,...only the providers in
your area can answer that.

> What to do with the original server? Its specs (xeon 2ghz, 1gb RAM, 2x
> 36gb SCSI HD, 20/40 BKUP)

Use it.
It is better than anything we have around here,...I run most of my system
350mhz Pentium IIs with 512 meg or RAM (keep that quiet, it's embarrasing).

Since it is probably the only DC you have, it is probably the one with the
"PDC Role",...so use that one at whatever office you would consider the
"main" office or the office that is the logical "center" of everything.

--
Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com

Hey Dannie,

Are your applications network dependant or are they internet based and your
servers are not hosting any intensive applications? There are lots of
different ways you can do and it's hard to give you some direction since I
am not knowledgeable about your business. Recently for one of my clients
that had three locations we installed servers in their primary location and
did site-to-site vpn connections from the other locations. Thus users
connected to one domain, one set of servers. This allowed a central
management of things. What allowed us to do this was that their applications
were web based and rarely did they need server access.

Best thing to do is draw up or whiteboard some ideas and see what is most
cost efficient to do.

As far as the server, you can use it for whatever. If your company is
looking to upgrade it's servers you can make it a BDC or whatever you like.
If the 2x HD are mirrored you can get away with it being your PDC. I
personally always like my PDCs tohave some sort of redundant level.

Hope this helps,
--
Louis Vitiello Jr.
------------------------------
MCSE, MCSA, MCP, A+/N+
ERCP XP Pro / Net Concepts



"Dannie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I need some help / design ideas on how to build our expanding network.
>
> Currently we have two locations (they are not connected).
> Location A has one dell 1600sc w2k server with approx 40 users.
> It has our DNS, Exchange 5.5, QuickBooks, Veritas,
>
> Location B has 14 PC's, networked but no server.
>
> We have to move out of Location A and users are moving to either
> Location B (20-25 users) or New Locations C (25-30 users) or D (20-25
> users).
>
>
> So all together we will have three locations. Location D would be our
> Admin Offices.
>
> We need to consider growth for at least 50 + users in each location.
> All places must be able to email and view/share calendars and
> documents.
>
> What would be the best game plan as far as servers. One in each
> location, all servers in one location (Admin Offices).
>
> What are typical costs of connecting each location? Lines and
> Equipment?
>
>
> What to do with the original server? Its specs (xeon 2ghz, 1gb RAM, 2x
> 36gb SCSI HD, 20/40 BKUP)
>
>
> I am open to any and all ideas.
>
> Help is Greatly Appreciated .
>
> Thanks.
>