braid11

Please help me, I've spent well over 40 hours trying to figure this out. I think many other small businesses may have similar questions. I own a small business with a small network (wordprocessing/in house office accounting). I would really appreciate some advice on upgrading my hardware, that would be nt 4 server compatable. Sorry this is so long, but I guess defining my current system and needs is important. For the impatient, please skip to my target system and Qs at the end of all this. We currently run a server with 5 workstations. It was assembled in 1997. The basic hardware is as follows: Server WIN NT 4.0 SP4 server -atrend vx chipset motherboard & P 166 processor and 64 k ram -adaptec 2940u scsi controller -4.3 quantum Ultra narrow scssi HD -3com NIC -seagate 24000n DAT 4GB tape backup with execview 6.0 -SMC3616tc 12 port hub workstations Win 95 OS -atrend atrend vx motherboards & 133 to 166 processor with 16 to 64 meg ram We only run wordproccesing, client management, and accounting software (it's fairly complicated accounting with time/billing, ledgers for about 18 bank accounts, finacial statemtns etc). The programs are on the workstations, and shared data files on the server. I'm about to install a shared cable internet connection through a router. My problems with the system are these. 1. On the workstations, the 2 or 3 programs are usually open, and they often crash (but only rarely does the win 95 os crash.) 2. The accounting program runs are slow to processing any type of data. 3 The server has rarely if ever crashed. It is on 24/7 for four years. Our data is cricial, as is keeping the system going. If it were to be down for more than a couple hours on a weekday it would be a disastor. I hate the idea of having to change hardware, then be told it will only run with WIN 2000 or XP OS, and then be told the application programs must be upgraded to run on a new os. I don't need nor want state of the art today, but maybe something that was outstanding 1 or 2 years ago. I plan to upgrade the workstaions to NT workstation, on a motherboard based on the sis 630 chipset so all is fully integrated (ASUS cusi m or fx), with 128 meg ram, and put in new 10 gig hardrives (the old ones are slowley crashing and only programs and tiny bits of data files reside on the workstations). I understand this is a reliable setup, on which I could one day install WIN 2k pro or xp if I had to. For the server, I'm having difficulty. The NT compatabilty list at microsoft seems either to only deal with much older hardware, or only tests newer hardware on WIN 2k/XP. I want reliability, redundancy, and speed knowing it is only word processing/accounting. I would like to be able to change the OS to WIN 2k server or xp down the road. I really want value, and although I can stratch the budget if I had to, I think I can stay in the 1000 - 1500 range. I rather take the money home. I think I only need a processor of about a P III 700 to 1.0 g. Would ram of 256k - 512. Can't decide if scsi is neccesary, I understand todays IDE harddrives are faster than my old scsi HD. Here's what I'm thinking. I want reliability, redundancy, and speed knowing it is only word processing/accounting. I would like to be able to change the OS to WIN 2k server or xp down the road. I really want value, and although I can stratch the budget if I had to, I think I can stay in the 1000 - 1500 range. I rather take the money home. I think I only need a processor of about a P III 700 to 1.0 g. Would ram of 256k - 512. Can't decide if scsi is neccesary, I understand todays IDE harddrives are faster than my old scsi HD. TARGET SYSTEM: reliable 24/7 with redundancy Here's what I'm thinking. BX chipset, on a first class motherboard. ASUS CUBX-E or something. 256 meg SDRAM at 100 hz. Dual 30-40 gig IDE Harddrives mirrored with a Promise raid ATA 100 card. Maybe go to scsi down the road 3-6 months. D-link busmaster 10/100 NIC Use old tape backup system (seagate 24000n DAT 4GB tape backup with execview 6.0) New 300 watt ATX 19" case UPS of about 1200w. Could someone please advise about the following: 1. Will NT 4.0 run on the CUBX-E motherboard. Is there another more modern motherboard (top name board with tons of ongoing support)that NT will run on, that might support PC133 SD RAM without overclocking. I would buy one with even a P IV processor, if I knew that WIN NT would run on it. Than down the road could run WIN 2kxp server. I don't mind spemding an extra 100-200 on the motherboard/CPU combo, if it's NT compatable. 2. what make Hardrives are extremley reliable that will be recognized by NT server. 3 if anyone runs a good reliable server within my needs, please post or email your full configuration for me. 4 I know advertising is not on, but if a dealer wants to advise me here or privatley, thats cool to. Thankyou to anyone who managed to read this, and could please comment.

Now that I've been convinced to go upgrade the OS, a new motherboard will be chosen. The problem is finding one that will take advantage of up to 1 gig of ram or more. It looks like it must either 1. AMD Athlon XP 1600 with 512-1gig DDR SDRAM, on a motherboard like like the Giga-byte GA-7XDR+ (onboard 2 x UDMA ATA133 promise raid), Asus A7V266E, MSI KT266Pro2, or 2. Intel PIV with 512 - 1 gig RAMBUS on the i850 chipset, on probably the ASUS P4T-E. The RAMBUS is just so expensive, so I looked at the i845 chipset on the ASUS P4B, but read lots of negative things about PC133 RAM with the PIV processor. So I thought AMD, as above, for a less expensive RAM solution. I thought they were getting reliable enough for mission critical applications like a small file server. But now I'm not so sure. Should probably just buck up and do the Pentium/RAMBUS route. In either case, my application is simple enough that I don't need dual processors, or a specialized serverworks based motherboard. Thanks very much for the guidance. Tom

OK, so I'm going to convert to Win2k sever OS on the server, Win 2kpro OS on the work stations. I'll go with Asus cusi-m workstation. I'm stuck for the server motherboard. The cusl and tusl are limited to 512k ram. What would be a good server board for 1gig+ non Rambus ram. Rember, the server only shares data files, and an internet cable connection. Workstations run wordprocessing and accounting applications.

Thanks for the advice, that is helpful. This is a server that applications will run through (ie sharing data files and printers), not on. I see what you mean about reliability/redundancy and cost. I guess I'm not willing to spend enough for the best avaiable. In terms of reliabilty, I was thinking more about name brands that work with NT, and a reputation for not breaking down or crashing. For redundancy and back up, I'm thinking I could recover quickly with a mirrored harddrive, the old seagate back up exec data back up system, and maybe a WR CD ROM for the few crucial data files. The data files are small enough that in the event of disastor, they could be copied onto the workstations, and the work station applications would then read data locally. At least until the server is up. So, for $1500, ASUS CUBX-E& PIII 200 256 K Ram 50 2 40 gig ADA 100 HDs 300 Raid controller card 100 CD ReW 150 NIC card 100 New ATX case 150 Old tape back up nil -seagate 24000n DAT 4GB tape backup with execview 6.0 New APC UPS 500 Total 1500 Could upgrade motherboard & CPU to PIV and 133hz ram, but I don't know what motherboards work with NT 4.0 I would really like to do this, any idea's? Writing this out really helps, thanks for the bandwidth.