SMB SysAdmin Advice
Description:
This is advice I have read for SMB setups. The list is not exhaustive, but does point out good points for smaller networks.
To Resolve:
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Structured cabling => run all cabling into a single room or closet vs hoping office to office with small switches causing network issues, slow uplinks, etc.
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Have two ISPs, even if the second one is only a 20/5 connection so you can at least get access to emails.
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At least two physical servers to host VMs => the second server hosts replicas of services from the first like AD, SQL, etc.
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Office365 for email, lync (skype), sharepoint, office documents, etc.
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To standardize printers, computers, networking, and server equipment. Don’t buy 1 HP workstation, 1 Dell workstation, 1 IBM laptop, etc. It makes it easier to manage drivers if you use services like WDS.
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Get open licensing from Microsoft with software assurance if you have at least 25 client PCs. I don’t think open licensing is worth managing for anything less.
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Use VLANs for servers, printers, and client pcs.
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Have a backup on site. Use cloud services to backup off site or take a hard disk home every day of your data.
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For storage, don’t buy consumer hard drives. At the very least buy WD RE drives that are designed to run 24/7.
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I don’t think small companies need a SAN. A simple file server or Synology with a solid backup is more cost effective and can be expanded until they outgrow it.
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Documentation. Document everything.
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Password management => get a password management tool like LastPass or 1Password. Don’t store your passwords in a word document or sticky note.
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Help Desk software => zendesk, Jira, etc.. it’s great to keep track of tickets to reference later if needed. You can also use it for projects by creating a ticket for it until you can afford an actual PM software tool.
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AD permissions => Start using roles/user groups now. Create them for Finance, HR, Safety, etc. and apply permissions to the group, not individual users. This will save tons of time, even in a small company environment.
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Hire help => Even if you’re small design like you’re big. Don’t be afraid to have specialists help you. They are not going to steal your job and they don’t want it either.v
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