Some "cool" applications of networking?

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Guest

Hi folks --

I'm the (untrained but undaunted) de facto IT guy at our small company, it's
not my job description, but I can so I do...We have a small workgroup in our
main office, 7 machines, with a laptop that roams around. We also have 5
offices in Eastern Europe each with about four people and good broadband
access but (from a networking perspective) unconnected to us in any way.

Our usage of networking so far has been pretty much limited to web browsing
and pop3 e-mail using Outlook, and setting up simple peer-to-peer shares so
that people can trade files. At least for the local office, I'd like to
change us over to a domain-based network and centralize our user profiles and
e-mail. I know how to do all that, and some of the administrative and
performance benefits that come with.

But I don't have enough experience to know all the *cool* things that can be
done with a fully-functioning Windows network that are noticable from a user
perspective. It's fair to say that I know much more about building the tool
than what can be done with the tool once it's built.

I know we can put up centralized shares for people to use, or that people
could log in from any machine and have their setting follow, but I'd like
some suggestions on interesting applications that become possible from this
shift that I could use to capture the imagination of my less-technical
partners. Spending a week of re-configuration to ultimately (from their
perspective) move a public folder from their machine to another one won't
necessarily grab them. :-)

I know that for those of you who are experienced this is in some respects
like asking "What can I do with water?" But just some one-line case studies
exploring the possibilities that become available from moving out of a
simple-peer-to-peer model would be greatly appreciated. I do mean simple, as
in "You could use XX to allow users to do XX." I can look into it from
there.

I am looking specifically for things that arise from the shift from
peer-to-peer to a more server/domain-based network. VoIP is a cool app, for
example, but we're using it already; we didn't need to shift the network
archetecture to make it a possibility.

Sorry, this came out wordier than planned. If you have any time left after
reading this any suggestions would be appreciated :-)

-- Dave
 
Humptydank said:
Hi folks --

I'm the (untrained but undaunted) de facto IT guy at our small
company, it's not my job description, but I can so I do...We have a
small workgroup in our main office, 7 machines, with a laptop that
roams around. We also have 5 offices in Eastern Europe each with
about four people and good broadband access but (from a networking
perspective) unconnected to us in any way.

Our usage of networking so far has been pretty much limited to web
browsing and pop3 e-mail using Outlook, and setting up simple
peer-to-peer shares so that people can trade files. At least for the
local office, I'd like to change us over to a domain-based network
and centralize our user profiles and e-mail. I know how to do all
that, and some of the administrative and performance benefits that
come with.

But I don't have enough experience to know all the *cool* things that
can be done with a fully-functioning Windows network that are
noticable from a user perspective. It's fair to say that I know much
more about building the tool than what can be done with the tool once
it's built.

I know we can put up centralized shares for people to use, or that
people could log in from any machine and have their setting follow,
but I'd like some suggestions on interesting applications that become
possible from this shift that I could use to capture the imagination
of my less-technical partners. Spending a week of re-configuration
to ultimately (from their perspective) move a public folder from
their machine to another one won't necessarily grab them. :-)

I know that for those of you who are experienced this is in some
respects like asking "What can I do with water?" But just some
one-line case studies exploring the possibilities that become
available from moving out of a simple-peer-to-peer model would be
greatly appreciated. I do mean simple, as in "You could use XX to
allow users to do XX." I can look into it from there.

I am looking specifically for things that arise from the shift from
peer-to-peer to a more server/domain-based network. VoIP is a cool
app, for example, but we're using it already; we didn't need to shift
the network archetecture to make it a possibility.

Sorry, this came out wordier than planned. If you have any time left
after reading this any suggestions would be appreciated :-)

-- Dave
Click to expand...

From the user perspective, I'd say that roaming profiles would be a really
big seller. Not only for roaming - but also to make it a *lot* easier/faster
to replace or rebuild a malfunctioning workstation.

From the admin perspective:
Centralized security
Centralized group policy
Easier to centralize data (and hence, back it up) - users also like that.
Login scripts
SUS (at least, I *think* you need a domain model for that)
Can have many more computers on the network (WinXP Home permits only 5
simultaneous connections, Win2k/WinXP Pro permit only 10)
Helps you if company plans to grow at all - workgroups are simply not
scalable

I don't like workgroups outside of small home networks, myself. And much
depends on the client OS, note. All users should be on XP Pro, or Win2k Pro
at minimum. And all OSes should be the same, all machines patched to the
same SP, etc.

You might wanna look into SBS2003, because then you get Exchange Server,
too - which is *really* nice. And users definitely like that. Volume Shadow
Services (available in W2003 only) means they can also "restore" older
copies of files if they delete/modify them....without contacting you to get
out a backup tape. SBS is inexpensive - I'd go for Standard & a hardware
firewall appliance rather than Premium (which also includes ISA and SQL). No
more PST files or POP accounts needed, and they get remote access via OWA
and Remote Web Workplace, to boot (presuming WinXP Pro clients) .
 
Humptydank said:
Hi folks --

I'm the (untrained but undaunted) de facto IT guy... 7 machines+
...We also have 5 offices in Eastern Europe each with about four people

Our usage of networking so far has been pretty much limited to web browsing
and pop3 e-mail using Outlook, and setting up simple peer-to-peer shares so
that people can trade files. At least for the local office, I'd like to
change us over to a domain-based network and centralize our user profiles and
e-mail. I know how to do all that, and some of the administrative and
performance benefits that come with.
Click to expand...

Ok, but recognize that email will NOT be part of the "domain"
unless you use an Enterprise package like Exchange.

Email will still be through SMTP (outbound) and POP3 inbound
in most simple cases for such small networks.
I know we can put up centralized shares for people to use, or that people
could log in from any machine and have their setting follow, but I'd like
some suggestions on interesting applications that become possible from this
shift that I could use to capture the imagination of my less-technical
partners. Spending a week of re-configuration to ultimately (from their
perspective) move a public folder from their machine to another one won't
necessarily grab them. :-)
Click to expand...

The truth is that most of what you can do will go unappreciated
and unnotice by most people -- they will just assume that this
is the way it is SUPPOSED to work, and only notice if it doesn't.
I know that for those of you who are experienced this is in some respects
like asking "What can I do with water?"
Click to expand...

Most people don't notice how cool running water is, nor
how essential to moder civilization the flush toilet is.

But turn of the water supply and watch them complain.
But just some one-line case studies
exploring the possibilities that become available from moving out of a
simple-peer-to-peer model would be greatly appreciated. I do mean simple, as
in "You could use XX to allow users to do XX." I can look into it from
there.
Click to expand...
I am looking specifically for things that arise from the shift from
peer-to-peer to a more server/domain-based network. VoIP is a cool app, for
example, but we're using it already; we didn't need to shift the network
archetecture to make it a possibility.
Click to expand...

Things like securing the Internet access with ISA-Proxy
server will be possible but they will only ask you why
that wasn't done IF you fail to do it and then get infected.
Sorry, this came out wordier than planned. If you have any time left after
reading this any suggestions would be appreciated :-)
Click to expand...

The main benefit -- you can do more of the "right stuff"
with your limited time and thus spend more time on
"new stuff".

But only once you get the basics under your belt.

One cool thing that they MIGHT notice with Win2003
network shares (not Win2000) is Shadow Copy.
Microsoft even uses this in their TV commercials sense
it seems to impress both managers (costs) and users
(recover their own files.)

Another is centralized updates with GPOs and SUS
servers.

But if you are RUNNING AROUND doing this updates
at night and on weekends, they won't notice.
 
SUS (at least, I *think* you need a domain model for that)

I am not sure about that. But the MACHINE account is
used to access the web server and IF it is going to work
outside of the domain you would have to fiddle the
permissions so that no (actual) authentication would be
required.)

[I haven't tried without a domain.]

It WILL BE MUCH easier with a Domain initially though,
since Group Policy can be used to control all the machine
settings to redirect the client machine population to the
new SUS server (instead of Microsoft.)

There may be some hokey reason the domain is actually
required however.
 
Number one biggest advantage of a move like this is centralized backup and
recovery of data. If you do something like SBS2003 you can also do some
cool stuff with exchange/outlook and sharepoint services. But I could argue
data recovery could pay for itself with one laptop being stolen compared to
what is going on now.
I would also say that GPO's and security are a big advantage for the domain
model. If you do SBS2003 Premium Ed then you could also use the server as a
firewall/proxy and get SQL Server to boot. If you have any application
needs that require a SQL database you are all set. Something to think
about. But from a money well spend - centralized data backup and recovery -
easily worth the money in time and effort.

Regards,
Ed Horley
Microsoft MVP Server-Networking
 
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