Small company server (max 6-7 users)

nffc10

Active Member
Basically my dads company has 6 computers that run a visual basic program for scanning items on the shop floor into an MS Access database. Currently the database and all the relevant files are stored on one of the computers in the office which is left on almost 24-7 to allow the other computers access to the database.
Due to recent hardware failures, they have decided they want a dedicated server setting up for the database to be located on. One thing I've never done is set up any sort of server, I've done home networking and set up their business peer to peer network but nothing else. What would be the best way of doing this?
I've read that it could quite easily be done by building another computer and just putting windows on and still use a peer to peer network, but not use this computer for anything other than a file storage system.
Other options I've come accross are micro servers like this:
http://www.serversdirect.co.uk/Hewl...P_250GB_LFF_150W_PS_Mi_658553-421/version.asp

What would be your recommendation?

Cheers,
Liam
 

Vipernitrox

New Member
Looking at the size of the business i assume the budget isn't that big?

For something as simple as file access. I think you're better off getting a simple NAS. And if you're afraid of hardware failures just get 2 of them and let them sync at night. So if one fails you can switch over to the other easily.

You could always just get 1 NAS and set it up with Raid 1. So a hard disk failure won't disrupt uptime.
 
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