Step Up To A Server

This was a 3500 word article (2500 body, 1000 word sidebars) on the benefits to a small business of installing a dedicated server. It included discussions of security, hardware options, OS choice, and the various roles such a server could play in a typical SME.

It was published in the June 2001 issue of Internetworks magazine (issue 45).

Main article

As many SMEs grow, their computing needs usually become more complex. From perhaps one or two standalone PCs, the first big step is a peer-to-peer network between them. Although a significant investment, doing so brings substantial improvements to workplace efficiency as each machine can share printers, internet access, and other common resources. The next big step is to add a server - one (or more) machines on the network that is reserved exclusively for managing the shared resource. The job of setting up such a server has traditionally been something a black art, shrouded in mystery and jargon, but that is no longer the case. The availability of simple-to-configure, simple-to-maintain servers aimed precisely at the SME market is growing rapidly as more and more companies discover the benefits they can bring. This article examines exactly what a server can do for you and your business and what costs you will have to meet in order to reap these benefits. So, what is a server anyway? A server is any computer on a network which is not used directly by one person, but instead acts as a central connecting point for one or more things shared by everyone else on the network. This might be internet access, email, files, printers, scanners, and so on. Physically, servers are traditionally fairly normal PCs, although their different role tends to lead to slightly different configurations. For example, having a large monitor is unimportant when no-one uses the machine directly, but lots of RAM and hard disk space often is. Having said that, the common perception that servers must always be large, powerful and expensive machines is often false and most SME's needs would be fulfilled by a relatively humble computer. There is also a growth market in so-called "sealed box" servers, which offer a limited range of configuration options in return for ease of setup and use. These are often literally black boxes with plug-in-and-go functions; how they work and what is inside them is deliberately hidden away. What can a server offer me? Servers are complicated, multi-purpose beasts and the benefits of owning one are many and varied. Although no one business is likely to use all the various roles they can play, there are probably at least two or three ways in which a small, simple server could make your life easier. The first and most obvious is sharing hardware throughout the network, chiefly printers and internet access; in other words, the piece of hardware concerned is attached to a server and each computer on the network can use it equally. Although this is possible with a peer-to-peer network, it means the machine with the printer or modem attached must be left switched on so the rest of the network can access it, and it also means that if the user on that machine crashes it, the entire network loses the device. Wire it up to a server, however, and most of those problems vanish immediately. Servers usually run industrial-strength software and hardware, which is much more reliable than a normal PC. You can share a printer seamlessly to each machine, with a queueing system on the server for when more than one person prints at once. Software to do this is built into all of the common operating systems, so is essentially a "free" service. Although dedicated print server packages exist, they are not required for small or medium sized networks. It is worth noting that running a fairly busy print server can be somewhat punishing on the hardware, so may well require a powerful server, particularly if you are printing lots of high-resolution documents. Hook the server up to a modem, ISDN or ADSL line, or other more exotic internet connection and it can share the connection out around the network, allowing each computer to access the internet as if it were connected itself. This can help reduce the cost of access, as only one call is connected at any one time, and give internet access to employees who wouldn't otherwise have been able to have it. It is not unusual for two or three machines in a small business to have their own modems and connection to the internet, which might spend a few hours a day each connected. Under these circumstances, it can often be cheaper to install a single ADSL line, which then also allows each PC on the network to access the internet and is additionally much faster than normal dialup. Again, appropriate software to accomplish this task is built into all common server operating systems, so this is another "value-added" extra which can be run by a server ostensibly purchased for something else. Unlike print serving, sharing an internet connection requires very little performance on the part of the server; even a very cheap, old PC is sufficient for use sharing a very fast leased line. Use a server with appropriate software, and you can vastly improve the flexibility and reliability of email. The server can check regularly for external email, and respond to your customers with a standard "We have received your query and will respond with 24 hours" notification. It can then hold the email in personalised mailboxes for each member of staff or forward it to several members of staff at once. It can also run an internal email system which is distinct from the external one, allowing staff to email each other without incurring internet connection charges. Department-wide mailing lists can be configured to allow the rapid dissemination of information to parts or all of the firm. There are many, many suitable packages for such functions; just about every major company targeting the SME market make at least one email server, including all the usual suspects such as Microsoft, Lotus, 3Com, Intel, and many more. This software is typically expensive, however, so purchasing decisions must be made carefully - many packages are designed to handle hundreds or thousands of users, and so are overkill for SMEs. Just about any server configuration worthy of the name will also permit file sharing; in other words, each user will be able to store files on the server, and to share those files with other users. This brings about two key advantages; firstly, more than one person can work on a project simultaneously. For example, Web designers, graphics artists and developers can all work on a Web site's design, images and code at the same time. Secondly, it is much easier to develop a sensible backup procedure when all important work files are in one place to start with. The importance of effective backups to the livelihood of your business cannot be understated; for all too many SMEs, a single hard disk failure, burglary or fire can wipe out months and months of hard work. However, if staff can be encouraged to store all their important files on a central server equipped with a CD writer or tape drive backup system, and a regular schedule of weekly or even daily backups implemented, then all of these perils can be avoided. It has also protects against staff, generally on a Friday afternoon, accidentally deleting the week's work - something all too many people have painful experience of! Like email serving, there are too many backup software packages available to even scratch the surface here, but it is worth pointing out that in order to feasible, your server will need to be fitted with a tape drive of some sort, as backing 30Gb of files up to CD-ROM twice a week is not very fun. Another option is online backup facilities; backing up files onto a DAT tape that is then often stored next to the server will protect against hardware failure, but not against, for example, a fire in the office. Ideally, a second copy of each backup is removed off site and kept somewhere else; with the prevalence of business broadband connections, it is now feasible for some companies to upload their backups to a specialist firm's server automatically. Obviously, the usability of this approach depends on how much data is being backed up, but if your business does not have that large a volume of files this can be an extremely effective solution. Some companies are listed in the links section. Finally, a server can also host a Web site, either externally, internally, or both. For external Web sites, it is often better to seek a third party solution as few companies have access to an internet link of sufficient speed and reliability to host a high-availability Web site. However, it can happily serve Web pages out to your internal staff without any of these reliability hassles. The uses of such a system are quite wide-ranging; set up a company bulletin board, distribute information on projects, allow the staff a personal section for organising company outings, etc. Sounds good. What do I need to do all this? If any or all of the possible roles for a server above sound appealing, you basically have three possible ways to construct one. Each offers varying degrees of power and flexibility, requires varying degrees of technical skill, and - naturally - cost varying amounts of money. Fortunately, competition in this sector of the marketplace is extremely keen and increasing all the time as more and more SMEs move over to server-based networks, so pricing is often surprisingly low. The first is the homebrew solution: take or build a normal machine, possibly recycling an old an unused desktop machine, and install either Windows 2000 or Linux. This is the most complicated method to setup, and the most perilous because it is difficult to find anyone to turn to if things go awry. However, this is also likely to the cheapest option, and is most certainly the most flexible, as it allows the mix of hardware and software used on the server to be exactly tailored to your business's needs. This also means you don't have to pay for functionality you neither want nor can use. If you have a member of staff who already has most or all of the skills necessary to handle setting up and any maintenance, this is often the preferred solution. It must be stressed, however, that once a server is in place - and your network reliant on it - then any downtime can hurt your business quite severely, so it is important to know that there is someone who can fix it within reach. Having said that, servers are often quite happy to sit quietly in a corner and work for years on end without mishap; much of the complexity is in the initial configuration. The second is a sealed box such as the Inbusiness range of SME servers from Intel or the Internet Server from 3Com. These are a class of devices designed precisely to fit the SME market's needs; they offer foolproof installation, coupled with surprisingly broad functionality and support from the manufacturer if things go wrong. Naturally, there is a downside; these devices aren't cheap, typically costing £1000-£1500 and simply cannot offer the flexibility of a customised solution. Nevertheless, a sealed-box solution can provide a very effective solution. Nigel Dight, of Leslie G.Dight and Partners chose the 3Com Internet Server for his network of six machines. It took a little under 20 minutes to configure it, after which it could auto-respond to client emails with a "your query is being processed" boilerplate, handle printer sharing for the network, share their ADSL line so all the connected PCs had internet access, and host the company's intranet Web site. They also plan to expand to hosting their customer-facing internet Web site. In all, the Internet Server has completely lived up to the "plug in and forget" assertions made by 3Com. The third option is to buy a dedicated server pre-built from a vendor like Dell or Compaq. This offers a balance of flexibility and support, as the vendor will offer a wide - and occasionally bewildering - range of products and configurations, whilst also being able to help with any problems that crop up. Most vendors will offer a broad range of servers, from modestly priced machines suitable for a network of half-a-dozen clients up to enterprise-class machines, suitable for running hundreds of client PCs. Somewhere inbetween will be the ideal level for your business. As with any other purchasing decision, careful research before making a final decision will pay dividends. In particular, if (like many SMEs) you don't have an expert on the payroll to help fix it when things go wrong, then it is very important to pick a supplier with a good after-sales support. [***NOTE TO ED: plug another part of magazine here? Not sure which bit would be best though] Security Finally, it is critically important to consider security issues. By definition, you server will be switched on and probably connected to the internet 24/7, making it a perfect target for malicious activity. The solution to these worries is a firewall. A firewall acts as a layer which sits between the internet and your network and examines every piece of data passing between them against a set of internal rules. The pieces of data considered unsuitable are simply silently deleted. Traditionally, a firewall is a dedicated machine or sealed-box solution but most SMEs do not have a sufficiently high speed internet connection to warrant that; rather, a simple piece of software running on the server can do the job admirably. The art of setting up a firewall lies in writing the rules which decide what data is good and what isn't. For a software firewall, this is really a job for the professionals; misconfiguration of a firewall can lead to your network breaking (as the firewall blocks legitimate traffic) or, worse still, leave you open to attack. Fortunately, once a firewall is configured it can be trusted to continue to work, so again, most of the complexities - and the need to buy-in external help - occur during the install process. Having said that, there are sealed box firewall products which can provide perfectly adequate protection and which use default settings which are generally fine for most companies. However, like all sealed-box type solutions, it's rather easy to try and do something the designers didn't think of and come unstuck. Of course, there's also the added expense of buying yet another box to plug into your shiny new server. Conclusion Many SMEs never consider the possible benefits of adding a server to their existing peer-to-peer network, or of installing a server-based network between their PCs. Choosing and configuring a server has, in the past, been a complicated and intimidating process but more and more products are coming onto the market aimed at the needs of a small business. Hopefully, you know now some of the things a server could offer your business, and have an idea of the options open to you if you decide to take the plunge.

Boxout -- OS Choice

Probably the largest single choice that must be made is not the choice of which hardware your server will run, but which software and which operating system (OS). Servers require, above all else, stability and solidity from an operating system; it's also desirable to have a rich set of server features built into the operating system from the outset. This largely invalidates Windows 95/98, as they simply aren't robust enough. Apple has long been somewhat dormant in the server market. This is about to change; MacOSX will sport a dedicated Server Edition, aimed to compete with Windows 2000 Server on it's home ground. This is based on the same UNIX-like, open source roots as Linux and will offer a broad range of powerful server functions. It remains to be seen if Apple can successfully wed this to their traditionally strong ease of use, but if they can, it will be a worthy product. At the moment, however, the choice is largely between Windows NT or 2000 on the one hand, and Linux on the other. Windows offers fairly easy configuration, with GUIs available for most key tasks, but can still overwhelm novices with a slew of options. If you want the confidence of big brand name solutions, the Microsoft BackOffice Server package bundles Microsoft programs for most common server tasks together in one convenient purchase. The downside? A licence for a five machine network will set you back around £1000, with each additional machine an extra £50 or so. Linux, on the other hand, is even harder to configure initially, with many programs requiring you to hand-edit configuration text files. Although GUI configuration tools for Linux's various server functions are in development and get better with each passing day, they are not up to Windows 2000's high standards and still require a fairly solid knowledge to configure properly. However, there is one significant advantage to Linux: price. For a network of 5-10 machines sharing a printer and internet access, the hardware of the server can easily be built for £500. To install Linux on that costs around £50, and that comes with tech support from a vendor such as Red Hat, and a full range of tools that can generally match and in some cases exceed the power and flexibility of Microsoft's solutions.

Boxout - Cable/xDSL

Internet access technology in the UK is currently going through it's biggest upheaval for years. The new wave of so-called "broadband" connections - cable modems and the xDSL family of technologies - now offer companies the ability to have permanent internet connections faster than many leased lines at a fraction of the cost that even simple dialup would have cost several years ago. There is one fly in the ointment, however; contention. A business ADSL connection with 2Mb download bandwidth (some 40 times faster than a modem) will usually have a contention ratio of 20:1, meaning you actually share 2Mb with another 20 users - if they're all using the line at full rate, there might not be much left for you. To be fair, things are rarely as bleak as that, but it is worth stressing that unlike a leased line you are not guaranteed the bandwidth. Because of this, it is often not worth running a customer-facing Web site, particularly given that doing so introduces even more need for server reliability and that external hosting is relatively cheap anyway. However, broadband still makes some new business practices feasible. For example, an FTP server can be used to allow mobile staff to access files and work when out of the office. Many popular FTP server software packages are available free, so there is no need to incur cost for doing this. More sophisticated remote working solutions are also possible, letting an employee with a laptop with a mobile phone in the middle of field to access his personal files and print documents in exactly the same way as if he were in the office. For example, take a look at Symantec PCAnywhere or AT&T's freeware VNC (see links boxout).

Boxout - Typical Costs

John Doe is the CEO of Acme Corp. He has 15 employees, each of whom has their own computer; some of those have printers and some of them have modems. Members of staff transfer files around the office by floppy disk and go to a machine with a modem to check their email or use the internet. John wants to install a network between the PCs, with a single server to share printers, files, backup and internet access throughout the network. He also want to be able to expand the server later to possibly act as a intranet Web server and email server. For the time being, staff will continue to have individual mailboxes hosted by the ISP. The first step is to install the infrastructure of the network itself. Each machine needs a network card, which will cost around £25 per machine, and it will also require at least a 16 port hub (£100). Cabling itself is quite cheap, but the cost of having it installed varies wildly depending on the layout of the PCs and the building; however, £500-£1000 is fairly typical. With that done, the next step is choosing and configuring the server. With 15 machines, performance is important, and John is lucky enough to have a computer enthusiast on his payroll who can spend part of his time on maintenance duties. He chooses a Dell Poweredge 1400 server, with dual Pentium 800 processors, 27Gb of hard disk space, and 512Mb of RAM; this powerful configuration ensures he will have plenty of room to expand in the future. With Red Hat Linux pre-installed, this comes to £2500; it costs an extra £1500 to specify Microsoft BackOffice Server instead. So, John is looking at around £1500 to install a peer-to-peer network, then another £2000-4500 for the server itself, depending on exactly what he chooses in terms of future expansion and operating system.

Boxout - Jargon Buster

Peer-to-peer: often abbreviated to p2p, this means any network layout where all the machines are equal, ie there is no central server. Broadband: essentially, any always-on, high-bandwith internet connection technology. Generally means a cable modem or xDSL. xDSL: a range of technologies, all of which involve piggybacking an internet connection over a normal copper telephone line without interfering with the use of the telephone. The most common form for home and small business use is ADSL, but several other variants exist. Many low-end leased line packages are based on an xDSL.

Boxout - Links

Server hardware: Intel small business server products: www.intel.co.uk/europe/network/smallbiz/index.htm 3Com Internet Server: www.3com.co.uk/products/servers/inet_overview.html Dell workgroup servers: www.euro.dell.com/countries/uk/enu/bsd/products/series_wrkgp_servers.htm Server software: Microsoft BackOffice Server: www.microsoft.com/backofficeserver/ Red Hat Linux: www.redhat.com/products/software/linux/rhl7_professional.html Remote working: Symantic PCAnywhere: www.symantec.com/pcanywhere/ VNC: www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/ Online backup: Easy Backup Online: www.easybackup.co.uk/ Netstore: www.netstore.net

Screengrabs

All modern versions of Windows come with software to share an internet connection around a network. Windows NT and 2000 offer Microsoft Internet Information Server, a comprehensive Web and FTP server. Even the humble Windows 98 can offer basic printer and file sharing capabilities. A firewall can allow you to configure exactly which programs are allowed to access the internet. Configuring many Linux utilities still requires text file editing, but some tools - such as the Samba file sharing utility - offer GUI based configuration.