Hardware for a DC/DNS/AD server?

[MrGuvernment]

New office move coming, going to be doing a a DC/AD and a DNS server, i was thinking the route of a single server running 3 VM's on it one for each item above.

the office will have about 15 users at most with domain accounts, there will be about 10 servers, so i assume the hardware need shouldn't be super powered or anything?

i was considering raid 6 for the redundancy.

• Is it a good idea to run a DC or AD on a virtual machine? or should it be on it's own seperate server?
  
• Do you think a back up DC would be needed? run a a 2nd DC in a VM as backup?
  
• All of the above should run fine in a VM environment i assume?
  
• Should i go with Server 2008, or 2003, i have heard 2003 will be EOL soon..

Any and all input is appreciated, i will be posting alot more questions around matters like these in the coming weeks.

 

[engiNURD]

sure. not really needed.
a backup server would be ideal. no, a physical 2nd server hosting the VMs.
yup, should run fine.
I don't think you can purchase 2k3 anymore.

10 servers for 15 people? jeez, lol.

 

[MrGuvernment]

lol


well the 10 servers are for various reporting systems and http servers and other items, which i am slowly moving together into less servers.

We have 3 MySQL database servers, 2 HTTP servers, 1 server for running script files, a sandbox system, a repository / backup system, a remote access system for various things and another older system with a custom API feed for another company.

i will be so happy when i move most of them together into one system!!