Test Network reccomendation

I would like to setup a test network environment for application
development. I would like this to mirror the parts of our large network
that our applications touch. These applications gather, modify, and
redistribute data from many divisions of the company. Two physical file
servers, two sql servers all under one domain and a file server/sql server
for outside puplic access.
I am thinking that building a test environment with names identical to the
real environment would allow us to test apps and move them directly to the
real setup. In the live environment there is pretty heavy traffic but the
test environment would only need to test individual transactions from one
user (one of us developers).
So I have a few questions:
1. Is this a normal and logical method?
2. Can I purchase one fast server with lots of memory and run the servers
virtually?
3. What problems would come up if I plugged this test environment into the
main network as a different domain. (so we could access from our regular
workstations)
This is a large company and these are critical apps so without going crazy,
the cost factor is not an issue.

Thaks for any tips or advice,
Ken

"ken baxter" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...

> 1. Is this a normal and logical method?

Yea

> 2. Can I purchase one fast server with lots of memory and run the servers
> virtually?

Probably the most common way to do it today.
That's what I do. On a single laptop using VirtualPC I have:

1 DC /Cert Ser - Domain 1
2 Exchange Ser - Domain 1
3 ISA2004 Ser - Domain 1
4 ISA2006 Ser - Domain 1
5 SQL/ IIS Ser - Domain 1
6 XP Workstation - Domain 1

7 XP Workstation - "external / public"

8 DC /Cert Ser - Domain 2
9 ISA2006 Ser - Domain 2
10 XP Workstation - Domain 2


I can *almost* run all of them at the same time with 2gig of RAM on the
Laptop.
I have always at least been able to simulaneously run all of them I needed
for any "test" I was doing. I think it comes out to about 6 or 7 I can run
at once. I could do more with more RAM

You can use Virtual Server instead of VirtualPC if you like,..but I just
prefer VirtualPC for what I do.

> 3. What problems would come up if I plugged this test environment into the
> main network as a different domain. (so we could access from our regular
> workstations)

Avoid IP# Conflicts and Machine Name conflicts,...you might be ok. Most is
just common sense stuff to avoid.

--
Phillip Windell
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

Hi,

Thanks for Philip's inputs. If you have anything unclear or need further
assistance, please post here. I am gald to share my opinion with you.

Have a nice day.



Sincerely
Morgan Che
Microsoft Online Support
Microsoft Global Technical Support Center

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
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--->From: "ken baxter" <(E-Mail Removed)>
--->Subject: Test Network reccomendation
--->Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:17:50 -0700
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microsoft.public.windows.server.networking:14136
--->X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.server.networking
--->
--->I would like to setup a test network environment for application
--->development. I would like this to mirror the parts of our large
network
--->that our applications touch. These applications gather, modify, and
--->redistribute data from many divisions of the company. Two physical
file
--->servers, two sql servers all under one domain and a file server/sql
server
--->for outside puplic access.
--->I am thinking that building a test environment with names identical to
the
--->real environment would allow us to test apps and move them directly to
the
--->real setup. In the live environment there is pretty heavy traffic but
the
--->test environment would only need to test individual transactions from
one
--->user (one of us developers).
--->So I have a few questions:
--->1. Is this a normal and logical method?
--->2. Can I purchase one fast server with lots of memory and run the
servers
--->virtually?
--->3. What problems would come up if I plugged this test environment into
the
--->main network as a different domain. (so we could access from our
regular
--->workstations)
--->This is a large company and these are critical apps so without going
crazy,
--->the cost factor is not an issue.
--->
--->Thaks for any tips or advice,
--->Ken
--->
--->
--->