Starting Out with Servers

[AlexanderCS]

Hi folks,

I did a search on "beginner", "starting out" and "tips". I did get a hit with Julian's thread about segregating his network, but I'm not even at that point yet.

My question is: What is a good starting point for someone looking to learn servers?

I'm also looking to further my knowledge of networking at the same time and have purchased the course in this thread: https://www.technibble.com/forums/t...-the-complete-course.62057/page-2#post-483695

I'd like to follow YOSC's method of jumping right in... purchasing something, setting it up at home. Building a network with the server, rebuilding it, etc.

I don't really know a good deal on a server when I see one, but ideally I'll pick up something up (advice on what to get would be appreciated; I'm thinking a Lenovo ThinkServer of some sort?) and throw Server R2 2012 Essentials on it. (I also purchased a book detailing this from We Got Served)

Any advice, tips, or things to look for is much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[marcink99]

Alexender,
This is what you do.
1) Pick up books for mcsa/mcse and study them.
2) Install server operating system on old computer or virtual box.
3)Practice what you learned.
4)Profit....

Any questions?

 

[Markverhyden]

We Got Served is a great source for books. But I have only bought their OS X server book.

As we all know hands on is just as important as reading/classroom. But you should try to make some kind of budget and put some thought into the process. If money is really tight then you can use any old desktop or laptop for the hardware platform. Linux is free and you can get trial versions of all current M$ server OS's, 180 day licenses if I remember correctly.

But if you can scrape together some money, say $1500, you should think about spending that to buy real hardware if you are really serious about getting into the business support market. You can purchase a M$ ActionPak for around $500 and that gives you access to all of their current hardware with legit licenses. For around $1k or less you can pick up a very nice server on eBay, say a Dell or HP. Not only does that give you real server class hardware, such as real RAID adapters, but they easily support VM's which is all the rage these days.

 

[CompConfig]

Breakdown setting up a server into tasks.
1. Read about setting up RAID correctly and then do it.
2. Install server software
3. Active directory
4. DHCP & DNS
5. Computers & users best practices.
Read about a task and then go to the server and do it and do not move to the next task till you learn it.
For learning server essentials may not be the way to go. You don't want wizards to do things for you. You do not learn like that. Work on a standard server so you can do every setup.

 

[Steve202]

It depends what sort of business you want to support. If you're only going after sb, look at getting a cheap server off eBay and install SBS and follow the instructions on the screen. You can get a SBS up and running in no time.

Also practice, practice and practice. You'll be surprised how quick you'll pick things up.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Along with recommendations above...
*Purchase some REAL server hardware...I'm not talking cheap towers with onboard fake-RAID and desktop SATA drives, I'm talking HP Proliant ML 360 or 380 or DL 360 or 380 models, or Dell PowerEdge T or R400 or higher models. With hot swap drive bays....SCSI or SAS, and hot swap redundant power supplies. For your training purposes...you can find plenty of used computers in this category for a couple of hundred bucks on eBay. GREAT learning materials!

*Microsoft Action Pack...download your server OS's and play!

*Skin the servers with VMWare ESXi
*Skin the servers with Microsoft Hyper-V
*Built guests in each.

Swap out hard drives, learn how hot swap RAID controllers work...on the fly..without down time!

Some websites that I used to frequent...
*TheLazyAdmin
*Petri.com

Pickup some books by Harry Brelsford...he made his name with prior versions of Microsoft Small Business Server setup and management...and he's a big player in SMBNation, still good resource for books on servers for small businesses.

 

[Edge Tech NY]

Like Stonecat said.

I taught myself everything I know when it comes to servers and business environments. You need a server to practice with and some PC's for workstations. Make a lab in your living room like i did


If i don't know something i google it. if google is useless i post here waiting for stonecat to reply

 

[AlexanderCS]

Thanks very much for all the advice, folks! Ideally I'll put together enough of a budget to grab some real equipment. I may be asking which equipment in the next little while. (After I peruse eBay). Workstations shouldn't be a problem for a test environment.

Thanks again!

 

[Edge Tech NY]

Too bad your not local. I have a few I could sell you for a few hundred.. =/

 

[ComputerPro]

You know what the best stuff was for me. CBT Nuggets. The current stuff is good... BUT waaay back around 2000-2001 when they were taught by the CEO himself Dan Charbonneau. Man those videos were great! The way he explained Active Directory and DNS was like learning your ABC's. I learned a TON from him!
And then being thrown in the fire when I had to quickly setup an entire school with Server 2000, AD, mandatory profiles for the students (school wouldn't buy 3rd party lockdown software), this was across a fiber link to each school. It was a huge project and the company I was with at the time was in over their head but we made it work lol. Actually it worked so well we won another school district to setup the same thing.

I would learn basic networking first:
Diff between layer 2 and layer 3 issues.
How Routers, Switches work etc.

Then for servers I would learn:
Diff between workgroup and domain setups and why you would use one over the other.
Basic DNS and how it relates to Servers, AD etc.
DHCP setup on a server.
Active Directory, adding users, how computers are added etc.
Group Policy and when to use Organizational Units over regular folders in AD.
Permission stuff would be very important also. Related to user groups etc. Apply group permission to resource, then add new users to group for streamlined access management etc.
Learn RAID of course, real servers will have RAID implemented on a hardware level.

Ahhh those were the days. Learning that stuff was actually fun and enjoyable to me. Now with YouTube, Google, online training etc there are so many ways to learn the stuff.