Topic: XP Pro and XP home on same network

[FSCITADMIN]

Hi
I've read all the post on using SME Server on a network at home with a mix of OS involved. My questions probably have been answered in a prior post and I just haven’t found it yet.
To make a long story short; I inherited this mess of a network at a non profit, they have little money. There is a mix of XP Home, XP Pro and Win ME on the network.
I know that XP home cannot log in to a domain, or so I’ve been told.
I need to set up a central server that will support all the OS’s involved here, limit access to confidential files, and require a log on from each user. I can install it on a second drive on an XP Pro machine, or use another machine and start from scratch.
I am not Linux literate, but willing to try.

My questions are as follows and any help pointers would be greatly appreciated. Please understand I am barely Windows literate, so please explain as if I were brand new other wise I will be totally lost.

1.Installing on second drive, what are the steps I need to follow?
2.Install on a clean machine what do I need to know to do this?
3.In either case are there major issues I need to be aware of?
4.Is there a limit to the number of users that can log on to the server once it’s set up and running?
5.I understand that the SME is based on Red Hat; do I need any other Linux version to make this work?
6.From the screen shots I assume that there is some GUI with the SME server controls, is this correct?
7.We have a domain but we do not use it, I have each department setup in workgroups. Will the XP Home machines be able to log in under the workgroups?
8.Can I automate backing up the users files? If so what software do I need to use?
Thanks in advance for any advise. I need all the help I can get.

[boss_hog]

Hi FSCITADMIN,
rest your worried soul! Between the simplicity of the SME Server Manager and the strength of this community(contribs.org, the sourceforge "gang" and many more) you do not have to be a *nix guru or a full-time admin. IMHO.

Q1). "second drive", are you trying to do a dual boot system? I would suggest to disconnect the first drive and install SME on its own drive. This will keep the original drive "un-touched".
Q2). Clean machine==new install? Put the SME cdrom in the cd drive, boot the computer, follow the prompts, and in about 1/2 hour you will be a server admin!
Q3). Major issues are always a possibilty but not likely. If you know what hardware you are going to be using, just do a search on the forum here. Attempt to install on what you have and see what happens. Post here if you need help.
Q4). SME is very powerful. How many people are you going to have on it? Will they all have mail? Do you need a web-site?
Q5). Redhat 7.3 to be precise. SME is ready to go "out of the box". The ties to RH 7.3 are more relevant for developing or customizing.
Q6). You login to the SME through any web browser (Firefox, IE, Opera, etc.). The SME, by design, does not need a gui, you administer it through the web based Server Manager Panel
Q7). Yes.
Q8).Back ups can be done in a number of ways on the SME. I use a tapedrive here, but the Back-up To Desktop feature is very easy to use and effective. Do a search of the forums for specific input.
Give it a try! There are a ton of great people involved on the SME. Post here on the forums and see where it goes.
Good Luck
Joe

[girkers]

I am scarced to provide advise as you stated that you are neither Linux or Windows literate and you are trying to configure a network, be afraid, be very afraid.

To answer your questions, I provide this info:

If you add a second HDD to a Windows XP Pro machine and using it for sharing you will have a maximum number of connections of that number being 10, trust me I have proven it personally.

As to user data, what I suggest is that you change the XP My Documents folder to the users home directory.  To get this to work properly which logging into a domain, configure the Workgroup.

I.E, in the SME "GUI" setup the windows workgroup as eg "FSC", then create all your users with there respective passwords.  On the XP box (either Pro or Home) configure the network workgroup to be the same eg "FSC" and then in the control panel "User Accounts" create the user for the machine ensuring that you set the same password as set on the SME server.

So when the user logs in they will have the access to the SME server and there data then lives on the SME server ready for backup.

As to backup there is a multitude of options of which I don't know SME that well to make a suggestion.

If you would like further info on what I have suggested, drop me an email.

Cheers  

[FSCITADMIN]

Hi!
Thanks for the reassurance that I will not be alone on my venture in to the world of Linux!
I am not afraid because of good folks like you Boss Hog, Girkers and others will be there to advise me and help me keep my sanity which is no small feat!

To answer your question Boss Hog, about how many users, there will be a total of 35 users that will need to log in at any given time. There will be no email or website hosting services on the server.
A little bit about me. I am self taught about computers networking and a million other things.
I currently am the Admin over 3 networks and 65 computers. I manage, maintain, repair, do the actual hardwiring of the networks and the set ups. I also teach computer classes and Microsoft Office. I just don’t want folks to think I am capable of more than I am.
I dread getting into situations where I have little or no technical support but since I can ask questions about the issues (hopefully none) that I may run into with this system on this board then I feel some what reassured.
Is Linux similar to UNIX? It seems that I read some where that it was.
I have decided to disconnect the XP drive, add a third drive and install on the second drive and slave the third drive to the server drive. Any thoughts on that?
Thanks again for the information and I hope that I do not become a pest!
   

Hi FSCITADMIN,
rest your worried soul! Between the simplicity of the SME Server Manager and the strength of this community(contribs.org, the sourceforge "gang" and many more) you do not have to be a *nix guru or a full-time admin. IMHO.

Q1). "second drive", are you trying to do a dual boot system? I would suggest to disconnect the first drive and install SME on its own drive. This will keep the original drive "un-touched".
Q2). Clean machine==new install? Put the SME cdrom in the cd drive, boot the computer, follow the prompts, and in about 1/2 hour you will be a server admin!
Q3). Major issues are always a possibilty but not likely. If you know what hardware you are going to be using, just do a search on the forum here. Attempt to install on what you have and see what happens. Post here if you need help.
Q4). SME is very powerful. How many people are you going to have on it? Will they all have mail? Do you need a web-site?
Q5). Redhat 7.3 to be precise. SME is ready to go "out of the box". The ties to RH 7.3 are more relevant for developing or customizing.
Q6). You login to the SME through any web browser (Firefox, IE, Opera, etc.). The SME, by design, does not need a gui, you administer it through the web based Server Manager Panel
Q7). Yes.
Q8).Back ups can be done in a number of ways on the SME. I use a tapedrive here, but the Back-up To Desktop feature is very easy to use and effective. Do a search of the forums for specific input.
Give it a try! There are a ton of great people involved on the SME. Post here on the forums and see where it goes.
Good Luck
Joe

[boss_hog]

Hey FSCITADMIN,
it sounds like your skill set is good. Having background in Unix is a huge bonus. I would not see any problems for you in learning (and continuing to learn) SME in no time flat.

35 users will present no problems for SME, assuming that you are not going to install the server an old i486, LOL. (Which can be done, but the hardware will be the limiting factor.)

The drive thing, if all you need to do is move the data from the XP drive to the future SME ibay or smb share, i would move the drive to another windows box as the slave and do a copy to the appropriate server share. If the drive is formatted in NTFS it <i>could</i> be a little bit of a headache in the SME box. Linux is can be mildly erratic with NTFS partitions.

My reasoning for moving the drive to a XP box? This way you don't need to go into the fstab and map the drives and/or partitions. An XP box will see the drive with no fuss 99% of the time.

And as a safety note, when you install SME, have the XP drive you are trying to salvage disconnected completely. Have a box with 2 empty HDD's ready to do a clean install of SME and set it up for RAID (option comes up during installation). Realize that during the install SME is going to reformat the drive(s) for its own use.
Good luck
Joe

[FSCITADMIN]

Hi Joe! Please call me Trish, FSCITADMIN is a horrible name but the boss likes it.
Thanks for your kind words. I don't want to mis-lead you on the INUX, nut I do have some one that is an INIX expert and can bail me out in that aspect.
 
I've been thinking about this and I believe that I am going to install in a current box I have, I think it will do a fine job. 3.4 2-80 gig hds 1 gig ram 2 NICs 256 video. I guess the only other thing I'd like is to be able to do a hot swap but we can't have everything.
The only thing that might be an issue is the hds are NTFS I suppose I can write 0's and 1's to it and start fresh.
I think I will also install on an older machine I have here at home and run it on my network and test it for a week. I have a healthy mix of OS's here XP Pro, XP Home, Win 95, Win 98, some where a Win 3.0 machine lerks and an Imac. That should  put it thru it's paces and me too for that mater.
What are your thoughts on those ideas?
Question: Are we able to PM on this board or do we need to use a different type of pm program?
Thamks a milliom! I feel much better already!
Trish

[girkers]

With the hot swap thing, that is really hardware dependant and not really something that (I believe) SME has any control over.  I suspect what Joe is suggesting is a software RAID whereas with Hotswap drives this is a Hardware capability.

Setting up the server at home first is the best idea, whilst I have never had the opportunity to put a server into a production environment myself, SME is flexiable enough that you may find you won't want to take it out of your network once you have it set up.

I also don't beleive you will need to zero the HDD you are going to install SME on as it will format the drives when it is installed.

I concur with Joe's advise on not plugging any other drive into the SME box whilst doing the install as it is too easy in any situation to do something to the wrong drive.  (Speaking from the benefit of experience   )

[FSCITADMIN]

Hi Grikers
Thanks for the help, between you and Joe I think I might be safe!

I understand about the Raid. I plan on either a Raid level 1 or 5 haven't decided.I just would  like to have had a box that I could do a hot swap on the HDs.
You may be right when you said that I may want to keep the SME  on my home network. It might make things simpler. It might wind up being the replacement for my NT server at my other facility when that time comes.
The only thing I have found any info on is wireless nics and SME, not really a big issue as I have both hardwired and wireless capability at all locations.
I would like to keep that option availible for future use.
Tomorrow, well today now is the day I set up at home. Pray for me!

[girkers]

Just a tip, don't put your server on a wireless connection, if anything put a nic in it and connect it to WAP.

[FSCITADMIN]

Not to worry I won't! I have to NIC cards on it, I just wonder how it will work with a wireless router when I decide to use the wireless side.
 
Thanks for keeping an eye on me! I'll keep you posted on how the new install goes. I was going to do it this past weekend but had a site hit by lighning on Friday This weekend for sure unless mother nature decides to kick my butt again.
Have a wonderful day, bless you all!
Trish