Best server option for Quickbooks server & file server combo

[tankman1989]

I'm not all the familiar with Quickbooks and I have a client who needs to be able to access it from numerous machines, never more than one at a time. So it could reside on a desktop machine and RDP into it. He also needs a file server/backup machine as well. I was thinking of combining the two using ESXi (does it expire or have a time limit?) and then installing Win 7 & a Linux server. The only thing I'm not 100% on is if ESXi is not totally free (site says so, but I would like other input).

I know I could use VMware player and setup virtual machines, but I'd like to have it only run 2 OS's instead of 3.

Does ESXi sound like it will do the job for what I want?

 

[drjones]

I'd build him a Dell server to meet his needs for speed & storage capacity, set him up to RDP direct into that box.

I don't see any reason that a single server could't do both quickbooks & basic file serving.

 

[Markverhyden]

You need to detail "access". LAN or WAN?

As I'm sure you have found any Intuit product database has to reside on a M$ machine. Not just a NTFS partition on a non-M$ OS.

On top of that remote access over VPN is not supported. And I know from personal experience trying to do that is very shaky at best. So RDP is what you need for WAN access.

ESXi is completely free but I am not sure why you want to do two machines. Since it has to be a M$ box why not make it just one. As drjones said just build it off of a server.

Of course there are other reasons for using VM's but you need to have the resources (disk space) for the redundancy.

 

[kwisher]

As I'm sure you have found any Intuit product database has to reside on a M$ machine. Not just a NTFS partition on a non-M$ OS.

Are you sure about this? It cannot be put on a Linux server and shared? I've never heard of a software vender requiring a specific filesystem for their data files, their software is a different story. Can you please provide some links to verify this? I'm not trying to insult your knowledge on this subject but it just doesn't sound correct to me. Probably because I have never used Quickbooks before.

 

[red12049]

Are you sure about this? It cannot be put on a Linux server and shared? I've never heard of a software vender requiring a specific filesystem for their data files, their software is a different story. Can you please provide some links to verify this? I'm not trying to insult your knowledge on this subject but it just doesn't sound correct to me. Probably because I have never used Quickbooks before.

Heh. Try putting a QB data file on a NAS and see how quickly you have to rebuild it, not to mention breaking all access to it.

MS only.

Rick

 

[CLC]

I'm not all the familiar with Quickbooks and I have a client who needs to be able to access it from numerous machines, never more than one at a time. So it could reside on a desktop machine and RDP into it. He also needs a file server/backup machine as well. I was thinking of combining the two using ESXi (does it expire or have a time limit?) and then installing Win 7 & a Linux server. The only thing I'm not 100% on is if ESXi is not totally free (site says so, but I would like other input).

I know I could use VMware player and setup virtual machines, but I'd like to have it only run 2 OS's instead of 3.

Does ESXi sound like it will do the job for what I want?

I have a client that only has windows 7 home on all his machines and a nas with quickbooks. I set him up with a logmein account, and his main machine hosts the muti-user for quickbooks,it works out just fine. All the files for quickbooks reside on the nas so everyone can access them. If they are small this definitely keeps the cost down.

 

[TenYardFight]

Probably because I have never used Quickbooks before.

Confirmed. I also learned the hard way.

 

[Markverhyden]

Are you sure about this? It cannot be put on a Linux server and shared? I've never heard of a software vender requiring a specific filesystem for their data files, their software is a different story. Can you please provide some links to verify this? I'm not trying to insult your knowledge on this subject but it just doesn't sound correct to me. Probably because I have never used Quickbooks before.

Straight from the horses mouth.

2012 edition but applies to all. - http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/articles/INF16393

Database Servers:

Windows: natively installed Windows 7 or Vista with UAC on, XP (SP2 or later), Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 - Terminal Server Config., Small Business Server 2008, Small Business Server 2011

Note: Windows Home Server Edition is not supported.

I speak from plenty of experience as others also apparently have. Many years ago you used to be able to put it on a NTFS formated share off a *nix box. They changed something. You cannot even put it on a Windows formatted drive mounted as a share on a *nix box.

As mentioned if, and that is a big if, you can even get it to open you will have massive corruption issues. The last few times I tried it just timed out. BTW, you can ignore their statement that virualiztion is not supported. They will support running in VM's as long as the guest OS is supported.

 

[kwisher]

Wow, I can't believe they lock you into using MS products. Another reason I support open standards vs. vendor lockin. I would not recomend QuickBooks to anyone just for this reason. I know they are the leaders in SB financial software but there has to be a more open solution.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I'm not all the familiar with Quickbooks and I have a client who needs to be able to access it from numerous machines, never more than one at a time. So it could reside on a desktop machine and RDP into it. He also needs a file server/backup machine as well. I was thinking of combining the two using ESXi (does it expire or have a time limit?) and then installing Win 7 & a Linux server. The only thing I'm not 100% on is if ESXi is not totally free (site says so, but I would like other input).

I know I could use VMware player and setup virtual machines, but I'd like to have it only run 2 OS's instead of 3.

Does ESXi sound like it will do the job for what I want?

Serious overkill. Quickbooks just needs one workstation to act as "server" You can install as many copies of Quickbooks as you need but only one copy can be online per license purchased and installed. If he needs remote access the latest versions have a built in RDP server and client that can be used for that access. But that is only needed if you are accessing it from the internet. In the same office it is a lan based app like zillions of other such apps.

And WINDOWS ONLY. This is a .NET built product running on customized browsers accessing the data. No f-ing way you can do this from Linux or a NAS.

If all they need is a file server and QuickBooks then buy one of HP's basic Windows file servers and use that. You'll be fine.