Win 2003 Server problems - Multiple services failing to start

[bigmouk]

.. Including DNS, DHCP, Event Viewer (Cant even see whats going on) etc..

No hardware / Firmware / Driver changes that im aware of. I've removed the latest hotfix that was from 21-Aug but still no joy. I have the backup server running DNS/DHCP at the moment which is keeping things sweet etc.

I've checked all the dependancies and there just isnt anything obvious.

This is the master domain controller aswell.

Any ideas guys ?

 

[*JimmyJ*]

Anything in the event viewer?

 

[*JimmyJ*]

list the services as well which are failing to start up.

 

[bigmouk]

Cant access it mate. Its just got worse actually and blue screened now when loggin in locally ??? Doesnt look good

 

[*JimmyJ*]

Safe mode

 

[bigmouk]

Just ran trusty memtest and it showed errors up immediately. Investigations underway!

 

[bigmouk]

Cut a long story short, I've reinstalled windows as we couldnt even get it to boot in safe mode. The raid container is fine so all files are fine.

I now need some advice on a new server OR networked storage as I've not been down that route before. Basically out current main file server is out of Dell support now (the one that just failed). This currently has 6 drives in a RAID 5 config. I think what id like to do is have the storage seperate now. Our current setup is ...

1. Main file server (AD, DNS, DHCP)
2. Backup file server (AD, DNS, DHCP)
3. Dev Web Server
4. SQL Server
5. Live Web Server
6. Mail Server
7. Site 2 - Main file server (AD, DNS, DHCP)
8. Site 2 - Backup file server (AD, DNS, DHCP)

All Win 2003 R2 except for the SQL Server which is 2008.

Budget sub £5k ish

Any advice guys ? Thanks in advance!

EDIT - Might do the same with site 2 aswell actually and setup seperate file storage. Also might want to start looking at some file synchronisation between sites now we have finally got 2 decent lines installed (both approx 18mb down / 1.8mb up) - if there is specific hardware with maybe built in functions for this ??

 

[rctempire]

Are you wanting a NAS box or a Server?

NAS - Great for plug and play in a network. Very little config generally, RAID 5 and other raids supported. So works a treat.

Server - Windows, file server. Seems a waste to me for a server just for files. But thats acceptable, for a server just for files. Look into a nice server which takes a lot of drives then. Needs to be good processor and memory installed if many clients are using it.


You could create a VPN over the two routers/modems and then swap the files that way.

Do you have Active Directory light running on any of the servers in remote sites?

 

[Longy]

How many users you got in each site?

What windows licensing you got?

Whats the total storage use you currently have?

Reason you need a need a new file server? performance, speed, reliabaility?

Whats the full current spec of your exisiting server?

 

[Mike_182]

I have to say that in any business I'd never consider putting in a NAS box as a file server for any number of people.

I would hope that my boss would have the testicles to sack me if I even contemplated it.

 

[bigmouk]

How many users you got in each site?

What windows licensing you got?

Whats the total storage use you currently have?

Reason you need a need a new file server? performance, speed, reliabaility?

Whats the full current spec of your exisiting server?

2 sites, approx 20 users per site (both in UK). The throughput on the VPN is approx 130/140 kb/s both ways. By the end of the year we may have a site in the US with approx 15 users.

40 cals, per user licensing.

Storage at both sites is approx 150Gb, both on RAID 5. Majority of our work are office documents, although recently there have been more and more media files. Definitely in need of more storage now!

Main file servers are both just out of support with Dell. They are just over 5 years old and Dell wont touch them anymore. Both servers are on 1Gb network connection, have plenty of RAM and still fairly rapid.

Current spec of main server, XEON 2.4, RAID 5 on 6 x 36Gb SAS drives (+ 1 hot swap), 2Gb RAM, Win Server 2003 R2, Redundant power supplies, etc, etc..

I'm thinking of maybe some direct attached storage to make it quicker to get back online in the event of a server failure. Full restore of files at the moment takes around 4 hours (full backup + incrementals). If I'd had an external RAID/Direct attached storage, everything would have been back online within minutes on the backup server.

New backup drives would be needed also.

 

[Mike_182]

I'm going to suggest building a HP ProLiant DL380 built properly. 2x 72GB as OS mirror and 4-6 146GB or 300GB as a RAID5 array that should the OS go, you don't have to rebuild.

 

[bigmouk]

I think im there now with a solution. Dell suggested an MD3000 storage array and various other bits, although I wasnt convinced that was the best solution for us. TBH, i think they were just trying to use my budget up to the penny!

So, how does this sound ...

Site 1

• Retire existing main file server and replace with ..
• 1 x DELL PE2900 (Quad core 2.33, 4Gb RAM, 8 x 250Gb RAID 5, Windows Server 2008 Standard with 20 CALS, SCSI Controller for ext backup drive, 5 Year support)
• 1 x DELL PE830 (Standby server, upgrade storage to 1.5tb, upgrade ram to 2/4Gb, poss upgrade from Win 2003 R2 although I'm sure we need to as I believe DFS is fine between 2008 > 2003 R2)
• 1 x Quantum LTO-3 Ext SCSI Tape Drive (400/800)
• Use DFS to replicate data between PE2900 > PE830, therefore is the main server failed there would be an exact image on the standby server and we wouldnt have to wait hours for a full restore.

Site 2
Basically same as above but also include some replication between sites on specific folders.

On the PE2900 I may go with Mikes suggestion and put the OS on a mirror and storage on a 6 disk RAID 5

Have I missed anything obvious guys ?

 

[Longy]

I've just ordered a few PE2900's. I stuck at least a good 16Gb RAM in them and extra NICS - purely for the fact with Windows server 2008 you always get a virtual server licence aswell plus Hyper-v.