Setting Up A Business Server Guide for Dummies

By Christian Nordqvist

Is your business growing, and you can’t address its online needs? This article will help you if you are planning to set it up yourself.  In the this article, we give you a quick guide to help you set up your own server. According to iConnect Montana, implementing a server is never easy. Therefore, you should seriously consider getting professional help. What you see below is only to be a framework for you to know what it might entail.

Things You Will Need

  • Ethernet Cable
  • Cable Management Accessories
  • Hard Drive and Disc Burner
  • Blank Discs
  • A USB stick with Operating System and Utility

Hardware and Software Integration

Install a Virtual Station and Hypervisor with the USB stick. Using Rufus, set up your server as a Vsphere Box. Make sure your hardware has no limitation with SAS drives and OS version. Learn your hardware specs, you can’t install Windows 2012 R2 on Vsphere. Windows has its limits as it only handles 15 users and doesn’t support Hyper V.

Check your SAS drive for mirror configuration.  If you want a seamless integration, use an H700 or H800 control card with 512 sector drives instead of Perc H200 and H300 controller cards paired with 4k Sector drives.

Now configure remote access.

Document Your Network

This should be your first step, but then you will have to troubleshoot the issues mentioned above. Document and inventory your network when integrating a small business service, you have to join your machines to the new domain. Take the following steps:

  • Keepass the database to store your pass-keys
  • Store your basic network info sheet on Google Drive

Avoid sharing your stuff. Use Google Drive for basics as it runs Advance IP Scanner and document that pop up. You can put the following things in your sheet:

  • Full Name of Users on the Network
  • Hostname of every machine
  • IP Address
  • Location
  • Computer Model
  • Current User Name and Proposed User Name
  • OS details
  • Warranty Details
  • Roles of different Users and their Email

You need to download a few tools to help with user accessibility with remote desktop and standardize local admin account. The following tools will help:

  • Remote Desktop Connection (For Windows or Mac)
  • LogMeIn

Promote the New Server Domain Controller

This allows the workstation to join a newly centralized file server and user credential environment. It takes the user information collected and develop the naming conventions including the first and last name. Later, add the users to the active directory of the server and assign them to different security groups based on your data sheet.

You need to create shares for specific groups of users with login scripts for mapping the device letters to their respective workstation.

Add-on and Customization of Network

A Hypervisor made on Windows Service can help address your QuickBooks hosting and remote access needs. The remote desktop connection can offer both WAN and LAN access. So be careful when configuring SonicWALL for WAN.