Good explanation - thanks for this. Kurt
On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 3:12 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Windows Server Essentials 2016 allows you to use Hyper-V on the host and > Essentials Server as a VM. The product use rights allows one Operating > System Environment (OSE) with Essentials and it must be Essentials. > Basically you do the first part of the install and then cancel adding the > Essentials role. You add the Hyper-V role only on the physical host. Then > you create a VM that runs Essentials only and configure it as wish. So you > can do AD, DNS, DHCP. You can not run any other VMs on that physical box. > This is where the licensing comes in. Technically you could, legally you > can’t. > > > > The bigger question is what version of Timberline are they using? And are > they going to upgrade that also? If so, you have more issues to overcome. > > > > As others have suggested. Get the Server 2016 Standard. Install just the > Hyper-V role on the physical box. Then install Server 2016 Standard in the > first VM and add then add ADDS, configure your DNS and DHCP. Then add the > Essentials role. Be careful with the Essentials role. If you decide you need > certificate services on the server, don’t install them before the Essentials > role. You’ll get error messages. The Essentials role installs certificate > services as part of it’s install. > > > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of Susan Bradley > Sent: Friday, January 26, 2018 1:41 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [NTSysADM] Server build recommendation > > > > What he said. > > It gives you lots more options going forward. > > > > On 1/26/2018 12:32 PM, Michael B. Smith wrote: > > And to clear this up a little for Kurt… > > > > Essentials is available as a Windows Role and as a separate SKU. > > > > The separate SKU has built-in limitations as to what it can do (and is > cheaper because of that). > > > > Most of those limitations do not apply to the Windows Role. > > > > So buy Windows Standard. Put it on the Hyper-V host. Create a VM. Install > Windows Standard with the Essentials Role for that VM. You can still add > another Windows Server Standard VM if you want (this is all based on > licensing – nothing is built into Windows to enforce licensing). And you can > install your client VM, but you do need a separate license for that. To be > legal. But Windows Standard doesn’t care. > > > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of Susan Bradley > Sent: Friday, January 26, 2018 3:17 PM > To: [email protected] > > > Subject: Re: [NTSysADM] Server build recommendation > > > > My apologies I was thinking normal server, not Essentials. I'd recommend > normal Server because Essentials can't be a HyperV host. Essentials has a > funky virtualization eula/rights that it can hyperv but only itself and then > it's only useful for Azure backup. > > Windows 10 - you now need a SA/VL license to have it be headless. > > SMB licensing isn't a cheap as it once was IMHO. > > I honestly would bump the budget up to normal server, that gives you 2 > server in 1 hyperV host. You can still set up the Essentials role for easy > remote access for people. > > > > On 1/26/2018 11:55 AM, Brian Desmond wrote: > > Pretty much. > > > > I believe Essentials has the same license grant as standard (one guest > server VM) but I wouldn't quote myself on that. You'd have to license > additional VMs beyond that. > > > > Thanks, > > Brian > > > > > > Thanks, > > Brian Desmond > > > > w – 312.625.1438 | c – 312.731.3132 > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of Kurt Buff > > Sent: Friday, January 26, 2018 1:21 PM > > To: ntsysadm <[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: [NTSysADM] Server build recommendation > > > > I've never played with Windows Essentials, and have very little experience > with Hyper-V, so I'll need to do some more reading. > > > > Let me parrot back to you, to make sure I understood what you said. > > > > I can set up the new machine with Windows Essentials as a Hyper-V host, and > use that, with the same media and license, to run a VM that will be the DC. > > > > Is that correct? > > > > If it is, could I also stand up a Win10 VM (with its own license, of > course), and use that to run their property management software? > > > > How many VMs does a license for Windows Essentials support? I don't see a > need for more than two at this point, and the hardware will certainly > support their needs, but I want to get myself educated before I go in there > and make a mess. > > > > Kurt > > > > On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 7:57 AM, Susan Bradley <[email protected]> wrote: > > In SMB space I don't see VMware as the virtualization platform of > > choice. I see HyperV, not to mention in a single host, you either go > > with what we used to do: Host is not domain joined, hanging off the > > dhcp/dns of the firewall with static entries. Or what you can do what > > we do now in the 2012 R2 and later era which is domain join the host > > to the DC-VM and it doesn't freak out and boots just fine without DCHP/DNS. > > > > I wouldn't use VMware. I would do HyperV, and I would make these VMs. > > You never know even in SMB when you have a need for a virtual machine > > to stand up and test something, or a need for another server to put > > the application on. > > > > > > On 1/25/2018 8:29 PM, Kurt Buff wrote: > > > > VMware really wants a DNS server at boot time. If your DNS server is a > > VM on that host, it isn't there for VMware. > > > > This is a problem, to say the least. > > > > It's really the only reason why I have a DC on it's own physical host > > in my server room. > > > > Kurt > > > > On Thu, Jan 25, 2018 at 7:36 PM, Susan Bradley <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Why two hosts? > > > > > > > > > > On 1/25/2018 7:09 PM, Kurt Buff wrote: > > > > I had further discussion with them today. > > > > The LOB is Timberline property management software, and they're > > adamant about keeping it in-house. They were also set on Dell, so we > > finally settled on a Dell T430, with an H330 RAID card, and two 1tb > > NLSAS drives, and 16gb RAM. The Windows Essentials will come from > > Amazon for a lot less than what Dell was charging - and they weren't > > bundling Essentials with this machine anyway. > > > > They have moved their email to gmail (which was news to me - last I > > had heard from them they were still using their SBS 2003 Exchange). > > > > They also wanted to keep their RD1000 unit for backups, which seemed > > pretty reasonable - actually, they'll be getting a new RD1000 bundled > > into the new machine, and probably keep the old one for an emergency > > spare. > > > > I'm going to turn that server into a combined AD/DNS/DHCP and file > > server, and I think I can convince them to keep their Timberline > > software on a domain-joined Win10 machine - I just gives me the > > shivers to install third party software on a DC. > > > > I didn't save them much on pricing (maybe $100-200), but I think I got > > them a much better machine. > > > > And, as a followup, once they have ordered it and it's in house, I'll > > be waling through their guy on setting it all up. > > > > If I could, I'd virtualize it all, but doing that right would involve > > two hosts, and more servers than they need, I think that it's pretty > > good the way we went. > > > > Kurt > > > > On Thu, Jan 25, 2018 at 9:11 AM, Susan E Bradley, CPA/CITP/CFF, GSEC > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > What LOB needs do they have? What storage? > > > > Premise peeps: The Gen 10 Microserver doesn't have the fans it once > > had, my peeps are recommending HP ML110e > > > > Cloud peeps: Do they really need a server or a rethinking of what > > they do needs to be done and office 365/mapped drive to Sharefile or > > Google drive would be a better plan going forward. What LOB is > > keeping the need for the on premise server? > > > > These days, check that chip to see if it will get a spectre/meltdown > > patch. > > > > > > On 1/25/2018 8:18 AM, Rick Berry wrote: > > > > I'd suggest the consideration of something aftermarket as an option > > for them (since you said the words 'property management company' and > > having supported a few of those in the past I'll make crass > > generalizations about budget > > limitations/thriftiness) > > > > www.buysellservers.com ... you can go build a 1U dell for instance > > with what you want in it (like a real RAID card) and also still get a > > drac/warranty/etc at aftermarket prices. > > > > We normally do new ourselves, but I'm also not against getting the > > occasional 1U 'a few years old but with a fresh warranty' dell for > > swiss-army-knife server basic stuff like a dc/dns/ad/dhcp box. > > > > So sometimes we'll grab something like an R420 poweredge and put a > > RAID card in it/drac it and even ESXi it to internal USB bootable for > > a few grand less than new (but still with new hd's) > > > > Just throwing it out there, I know folks sometimes cringe at the 'used' > > market but in certain situations it works. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] > > [mailto:[email protected]] > > On Behalf Of Kurt Buff > > Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2018 6:46 PM > > To: ntsysadm <[email protected]> > > Subject: [NTSysADM] Server build recommendation > > > > The owner of a small 5-6 person property management company has > > approached me to help acquire a new server. They're currently running > > a 10+yo machine with SBS 2003, and wish to replace it. > > > > They've migrated their email to gmail, so don't need exchange, but do > > want a DC for account management, DHCP/DNS, etc., so they're looking > > to go with Server Essentials. > > > > The fellow he's nominated at his firm to be their sysadmin is quite > > green, and got a quote from Dell for a tower box with a software RAID > > card, and I told them to hold off on that purchase, while I look at > > alternatives. > > > > I was leaning toward an HP Microserver, but haven't played with one in > > years, and it looks like the current generation is using an AMD > > processor, and doesn't come with a RAID card to support RAID1. > > > > Anyone have a recommendation they can make regarding hardware? > > > > Kurt > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
