Windows Server Management

Portal Home > Knowledgebase > Articles Database > Windows Server Management

Posted by ala4900, 08-19-2006, 10:28 PM
Because my the tech side of my life is never exciting enough, my company has 5 servers, 4 are Windows, 1 is Linux. 1 of the Windows is 2000, and has to stay that way, at least for a while, to be compatible with the app that it runs. I'm moving to a yet unchosen new dedicated server provider. Am considering a Liquidweb managed system, but would also like to look at having a neutral 3rd party do the managing. Seems like all the good ones everyone talks about do Linux only, or just Windows 2003. Does anyone have any recommendations for someone that could do all three platforms?
Posted by dkitchen, 08-19-2006, 10:39 PM
What kind of budget do you have for all of these machines, and what do they do? (That will influence price lots). You should be wary of providers that give you a price before they even know what you need managing! Out of interest why do you have to keep one server as Win 2000? Win 2003 will emulate a Win 2000 environment if required (and it's not much different anyway). You'll probably find an "all-in-one" solution provider fits you better. Hardware and software both rely on each other, and if you've got different people managing different parts it can be a mess when things go wrong (disk failures, backup problems, network issues, etc). We stopped doing third party management for this very reason and will only service clients with the full solution now. Last edited by dkitchen; 08-19-2006 at 10:42 PM.
Posted by ala4900, 08-19-2006, 11:04 PM
1 is an app server, 1 is a SQL server, 1 is a mail server, 1 hosts a live chat app (has to be on Linux), and 1 has a few websites and our internal ftp storage. No firm budget, but I am paying close to 2k now. The app is a coldFusion 6.1 app, which apparently needs Win2000. We could upgrade it to cfm 7, but I'm stressed enough over the server thing already! I see your point on "all-in-one," I talked to Rackspace but honestly, I felt a little bit like a number when I was talking to their salespeople, and of course - they ain't cheap. Read some good things about Liquidweb, but also some bad. This a heck of a daunrting task. The servers are very important to us, and we don't need to be screwing around with them. We're not "mission critical," so I don't really think I need to be forking over Rackspace $, but we need someone we can trust to keep us as safe and secure as possible - plus be there if we need them.
Posted by dkitchen, 08-19-2006, 11:21 PM
Coldfusion 6.1 will actually run on Windows Server 2003 without problems (we have client's running it). Do you have any idea of the specs of these servers, and preferred location? As a 2K/month customer you should definately not feel like a number no matter who you're dealing with.
Posted by bluskyguy, 08-20-2006, 02:29 AM
Yeah, I would recommend running ColdFusion 7 and not 6.1. 6.1 has some stability issues especially if you're running multiple CF based applications
Posted by ala4900, 08-20-2006, 07:25 AM
The app server is a dual Xeon with 4G of RAM, the SQL and mail server are single Xeon (though there is some discussion about this being the best spec), and the Linux and other one are P4. These all have 2G RAM. We are still talking about final specs, I was hoping the company we select could participate in that process. Our 5th server jusr hosts a few websites (our own) and our internal ftp. I like it to be seperate from a security standpoint. No preference on location really, I have been advised to stick as close to the main network as possible, and I want them in a good DC where I know the redundancies are appropriate. We don't have 24/7 use - the CF app is the primary function, the others support it - so we pretty much go to zip usage after 9PM. This is the first step in a process for us. Once we have the new servers in place and smooth, then we're going to look at the app and re-writing it. I'm just too damned overwhelmed with the server thing to think about it now. Can't wait until we're prosperous enough to hire someone who understands this to do it! Thanks for the help. Great forum.
Posted by ala4900, 08-20-2006, 07:33 AM
Thanks for that Dan. That's why I don't know how happy we'd be with a Rackspace type of relationship. I got a "small fish in a big pond" vibe from them. I would really like to find some place where the people I talk to can counsel, advise, and support. I don't have to be a big fish, but I would like to be a keeper at least.
Posted by wn_guru, 08-20-2006, 08:17 PM
ala4900, ANY dedicated or managed client who runs a good business, pays his server bills, treats the server provider in a professional manner would be a KEEPER be they a one budget server client or a MAJOR client like you. One thing that I have learned is that it is best to deal with companies that are still growing and are motivated to take care of clients. If you are getting the run around from anyone, and you have respected their resources or time then you should leave. Hands down. That includes RackSpace. Personally I think that all they are is a good advertising program with a premium attached to thier costs. WG
Posted by edwow, 08-23-2006, 03:13 PM
I have no off hands experience with Rack space, however we do have some Rack Space customers that has said many good things about them, but don't like their pricing Company that big oversells a lot and you don't get personalized recommendation nor support. I guess you do pay for all of the advertising and name brand that they offer. Last edited by edwow; 08-23-2006 at 03:19 PM.
Posted by Jay Suds, 08-23-2006, 04:49 PM
As a few folks have commented, ColdFusion MX 6.1 will run on Windows 2003 without any issues. However, as a general rule of thumb, ColdFusion 7 is more stable than 6.1. Of course, most of the stability issues with CF MX (any version) have to do with their horrid ODBC connector services, which are just horrendous. By using a real database such as mySQL, MS SQL, Oracle, etc you don't involve those services and keep things running smoothly. As for the specs on your SQL and mail servers, unless you are handling a large email load (100,000+ messages/day), a single CPU setup should suffice. Generally speaking, email services are very disk intensive so if you are having performance issues with your email, you should consider adding more drives before CPU -- unless of course, your CPU is constantly at 100%. By separating your mail logs and spool from your mail data on separate physical drives, you will get a huge performance boost. SQL, on the other hand, can be pretty CPU intensive and it is also very disk intensive. However, cost is also a factor on SQL as you're paying per processor, per month for the SQL licenses. Therefore, it's really important to evaluate your current setup, along with future growth to see if a second CPU is justified. Additionally, if you are having SQL performance issues, it's also a good idea to use SQL Profiler to do a trace, look for any long running queries, and optimize your database structure by adding indexes or optimize your query. Something else to consider would be moving to a singe woodcrest CPU (or even a P4 Dual Core), which would give you dual cores (and general better performance) without having to pay any additional monthly SQL fees.
Posted by ala4900, 08-23-2006, 05:32 PM
I actually just found out that we run CF 5.0. I will be looking for some upgrade info when the server move is complete, but was initially told that it would be a 100+ hour project to upgrade the app to 7.0 which seems ridiculous to me. Our mail server guru said almost the exact same thing about the HDs on the mail server. Thanks for the info.
Posted by Jay Suds, 08-23-2006, 06:11 PM
CF5 works on Windows 2003 as well
Posted by FHDave, 08-23-2006, 06:35 PM
For managed Windows servers, the folks at handynetworks will serve you well I can recommend them as they know what they are doing.
Posted by WebGuru72, 08-23-2006, 11:27 PM
I have two servers with Rack Space..... Really top notch.... probably you would not deal with sales people as much.... when you need something any time you can call and someone will always pick up. if the person cannot assist, someone else would. I once had a problem with DNS and called and upset as I did not know what I was doing and I was guessing they are at fault, The person I needed got a senior person and the senior person conferenced a third person all within 5 minutes, not only to sort the problem that was my fault, but to suggest a better way of doing it (of course free of charge) If you have the money and require uptime all the time, then reconsider. do not worry about that sales person. I am not saying bad things about liquid as I have heard good things, but you cannot go wrong with Rack Space IMHO.

Add to Favourites Print this Article