Remote Server(s)

We are a smaller organization, but we are going to be opening a remote office nearby. What I'm trying to find out is this. We have a server in our current office, but when we open the remote office, we wanted to place a server there and connected to the 1st office. We also are running Exchange and the remote office will need to access the shared files. We do require a username/password and want the "1st Server" to handle the authentication and user restrictions without having to maintain this information in 2 places. I know the "Big" Organizations do it, but is there a cost effective solution for us smaller ones?

We considered using VPN, but wanted to simplfy the process, including having to try and get all the settings to work with outlook and remote loging into Exchange from off site.

I overheard someone talking about a "Thin Client" and have no idea what they are talking about. Any suggestions / comments? 

Thanks,

David Ramey

VPN - a way to allow 2 (or more) routers to connect to each other over the Internet. This way, the remote office would still be inside your office network. I don't think that'll cause any problem connecting to Exchange, etc. (other than the slower data speeds).

Thin client - a lightweight computer that acts as a frontend for a server. You sit down at the thin client, but it just passes all your keyboard/mouse input to a server... which does the "normal computer stuff" then sends the screen back to your thin client. The server does all the work.  However, you'd still need to connect the thin clients to the server... using something like a VPN

Djanke,

Thank you for your input. Perhaps I should rephrase what we are looking to do.

When a user sits at their computer, they must press ctrl+alt+del and enter a username and password that then authenticates to the server in order to login to the domain. We would like that to remain in place, but instead of having to run 2 separate servers with 2 sets of active directories, I was under the impression I could have 2 servers linked together, where 1 is the domain controller which houses the users/active directory and the exchange server and the other is remotely connected 24/7 to pass that type of traffic to the 1st. That way I only have to manage 1 server with all of the usernames. If I understand the VPN process, they would have to be logged into the computer first then establish a VPN connection, then they would be on the network. We are also running Symantec Endpoint Enterprise anti-virus which is located on our 1st server and automatically updates all of our workstations from the server instead of each machine having to "go out on the internet" to update. This way, we can monitor which machines are up-to-date and which ones aren't from 1 location.

I hope this explains things a little more... 

I hope this explains it a little better or maybe I'm just not understanding how it all works.

Well, what you would actually want to do is have server 2 be a domain controller as well.  By adding it to the same domain and promoting it to a domain controller (and also as a global catalog server) - you can essentially have users authenticate locally.  Because they are in the same domain and are both domain controllers, they will be synchronizing all of the active directory database information automatically for you.  So you would then be able to manage all users and their access from your one location.

I would definitely recommend a VPN for this.

You can also take advantage of Microsoft's Distributed File System to make each server a backup of the other's data files - and also set it up so that when a user logs into either location, their files are accessible to them locally from any desktop.

I would suggest you take a class in Administering Windows Server (insert version here) - these usually tell you how to configure things properly.  Or find a book on such, there are many good productions out there.  Microsoft Press is decent.  And then you'll have a reference on how to do a lot of stuff.  Others might be able to suggest other resources you can get for helping you manage and explain how all this works.

Thank you for your suggestions and input. It sounds like it is a project I may need some outside help with. I agree I need to take some classes, but maybe I should find a company in Southen Calif with this type of services to help get this project off the ground to get it done right.

Windows Server 2008 R2 will have DirectAccess and BranchCache. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_7#Management_features