Any pointers/tips/reccomendations/warnings about a W2K Server File server?

N

NecessaryEvil

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I'll either run W2K Server or W2K Advanced Server. Probably the later (MSDN release).

Asterisked items are not yet acquired and subject to change.
Pounded items are the topics of questions that will be posted at the bottom.

Here's how the hardware should flesh out by the time I'm done.

Chieftec Chassis (CX01)
PC Power & Cooling 450W Server PSU
Pentium3 733mhz
intel i815 motherboard
384mb RAM
ATI Rage LT Pro AGP
Gigabit NIC
3com 10/100 NIC?
802.11g wireless NIC*
Highpoint RocketRAID 404 RAID 5 card.
8x WD 80gb drives in RAID 5
30gb IBM hdd for OS
10gb IBM hdd for alternative OS/mobile drive.
2x Kingwin HDD EZ-Swap mobile trays.*
DVD-ROM*
Floppy


The system will be a closet box. It will have no physical user interaction once I have it running. Press the power button, it logs in automatically locally. (However, there are passwords for network access). #1
Interaction will occur through TightVNC.

The server will share mp3s, videos, etc. to my network. It will also be pulling duty as a Norton Antivirus Corporate Server.

Access at home will occur via wireless. 54mbps is adequate to stream video and mp3s, as I've done that with my laptop already.

At LAN parties, I will serve files (patches & maps for games). If I include the 3COM NIC, I would like to be able to set traffic up to seperate NICs. #2



Questions:
1: TweakXP allowed a person to log into XP automatically even if his account was passworded. I want to replicate this in W2K. What program should I use?

2: Is it possible to set up my system in such a way that uploads to my system can only occur on the 3COM 10/100, while downloads from my system can only occur on the LANready gigabit NIC?

3: If #2 is possible, is it possible to have wireless accept both uploads & downloads? I'll have it disabled at LAN parties, just as I'll have the ethernet NICs "disabled"(loopback plugs) at home when they're not plugged into anything.

4: Any other reccomendations, insights, comments, etc.?


I think the file server should be enough to last me for a year or 2, in which case I'll build a new one with 2+ TB off SATA.
 
Originally posted by NecessaryEvil
The system will be a closet box. It will have no physical user interaction once I have it running. Press the power button, it logs in automatically locally. (However, there are passwords for network access). #1
Interaction will occur through TightVNC.
Click to expand...
Since you are using Win2K-S/AS I would recommend you look into Terminal Server. In admin mode you can have 2 connections to that server and it should be enough for your purposes. IMHO TS > TightVNC, especially you can use a lower resolution in case you are connecting from a slower network. Then leave the server as "not logon" at the primary display. With WinXP client you can just use Remote Desktop and no need for TightVNC.exe copied to the clients.

1: TweakXP allowed a person to log into XP automatically even if his account was passworded. I want to replicate this in W2K. What program should I use?
Click to expand...
TightVNC can do ctrl-alt-delete I really don't see why you need to have the server to do autologon on boot.

2: Is it possible to set up my system in such a way that uploads to my system can only occur on the 3COM 10/100, while downloads from my system can only occur on the LANready gigabit NIC?

3: If #2 is possible, is it possible to have wireless accept both uploads & downloads? I'll have it disabled at LAN parties, just as I'll have the ethernet NICs "disabled"(loopback plugs) at home when they're not plugged into anything.
Click to expand...
I'm no network guru so I am not too sure. It sounds like too much work. I would say you can set up DNS/WINS to have different "names" to the different IPs that are bound to the different NICS and route traffic that way? Sorry can't help much there.

4: Any other reccomendations, insights, comments, etc.?
Click to expand...
This will come sooner or later so I figure we will get it over with. If all you need is file sharing then a Linux box with Samba should do nicely. 2 main advantages that I can think off the top of my head:
1. Less space used if configured properly so you can squeeze more files to share
2. No licensing grey areas with MSDN versions of your server OS.
 
I have my doubts that PSU will give you the amps needed to fire up all those drives at once.
 
I don't.

psu1_001.jpg


I had PC Power & Cooling build me a PSU to power dual Athlons w/ 8 15k SCSI drives. (Unfortunately, AMD said strong 5V rails, so I had it made with stronger 5V rails, at the expense of the 12) I'm pretty sure it can handle a P3 733 w/ 10 (or 11) harddrives.

it puts out more power on the 5V than any 450W PSU out there that I've seen.

It's up there with the 600+

only question is 12v line.


Mine:
12: 18A
5: 50A
3.3: 40A


Enermax 660:
12: 51A
5: 42A
3.3: 38A
 
tweakui powertoys from microsoft can do the auto logon thing. Under logon in that program, you can set it with a password.
 
ATA units pull 2A apiece, simultaneously, on spinup. SCSI units pull between 2-3A apiece, but can be staggered with delayed spinup/unit attention. I have my doubts.
 
if you're not logging into the system locally please explain what autologin is needed for?

you can use IP Security Policies in the Local Security utility. however, i don't think it will allow what you want. you could block everyone except yourself from connecting to one of the NICs. even in your scenario though there is connection incoming and outgoing on both NICs (despite the fact you want 1 to be downloading and 1 uploading) so you can't simply block outgoing traffic on the one NIC and incoming traffic on the other. it won't work like that.
 
Originally posted by Snugglebear
ATA units pull 2A apiece, simultaneously, on spinup. SCSI units pull between 2-3A apiece, but can be staggered with delayed spinup/unit attention. I have my doubts.
Click to expand...

i am pretty sure he will be fine. those are the best PSUs money can buy and provide better amperage than my antec true550. i had a true550 i killed recently running the following:
tyan tiger mp
2 x MP1900
CD-R
DVD-/+R
AMI elite 1600 scsi raid
2 x 15k rpm scsi drives
2 x 10k rpm scsi drives
3ware 7506-8 ide raid
4 x WD1200JB
4 x WD2000JB
ATI AIW 8500
hercules gametheater xp
3Com NIC
pyro firewire card requiring molex power
8 or so fans

the thing just needed a hair more power and it would've been fine. my box is consuming a good bit more power than his will, and he's got a better PSU. in determining how to replace it i looked at the best PC P&C had to offer, but opted instead to just get another true550 and use some old 145W AT psu to supplement it. the PC P&C was just too pricey for me.

that PC P&C should be able to handle that load.
 
thought I should post and let you know...the PSU worked fine.

tonight I'll be putting in another NIC, so I'll have 3 NICS (1 802.11g, 1 10/100, 1 10/100/1000)...then install W2K AS
 
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