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Motherboard compatibility


Ryo

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Hi all I have a Gigabyte GA-z97mx-gaming5 motherboard with an intel Xeon E3-1246v3 cpu and 32 GB (4x8gb) Gskill trident ram. my question is would it be compatible with windows server 2012 essentials or server 2010 when it launches. im currently running windows 8.1pro  evaluation edition but need to learn more about server os software and hope this build will do the trick.... ill answer and hardware questions u guys have... thanks in advance.

 

ps this machine is a beast with win 8.1 and my biggest concern with 2012 is system drivers...

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The biggest issue is the NIC, but it looks like they're not using an Intel NIC, so the Atheros one they have onboard should work just fine. I'm not sure about that, but it looks like it should.

But you never know until you test.

 

That said, you'll probably want to opt for Windows Server 2012R2 Essentials. 

Windows Server 10 isn't due to be released until at least 2016, so there may be a long wait for that.

Additionally, you can get an 180 day eval copy of it here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-2012-r2-essentials

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I wanna run a real server os but domain controller / AD/ DNS scares me during setup. and if I join my laptop to the domain can I still take it out of the house and use it on other wifi hotspots?

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im seriously considering server 2012 r2 essentials if I can have my laptops setup on the domain and still be used out of the house disconnected from the domain.. hope its not an odd ? also do I get remote desktop use with the 399.99 server essentials ? im hoping to get the trial up and running soon and then purchace full version if I can figure it out....any help would be great. I really wanna use the backup options of 2012 r2

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I wanna run a real server os but domain controller / AD/ DNS scares me during setup.

If you're not familiar with it, it definitely can be intimidating.  

 

However, I actually did a podcast with PCDoc (from Home Server Show's BYOB podcast) where I talk about Server 2012 Essentials. It's not as scary as it seems:

http://homeservershow.com/byob-episode-139.html

 

and if I join my laptop to the domain can I still take it out of the house and use it on other wifi hotspots?

Absolutely. It caches the domain login after you've logged in once.

And you can still log into local accounts on the system, as well.

 

 

im seriously considering server 2012 r2 essentials if I can have my laptops setup on the domain and still be used out of the house disconnected from the domain.. hope its not an odd ? also do I get remote desktop use with the 399.99 server essentials ? im hoping to get the trial up and running soon and then purchace full version if I can figure it out....any help would be great. I really wanna use the backup options of 2012 r2

And yes, it gets you remote desktop, and the Anywhere Access site gives you a VPN (SSTP by default) and Remote Desktop Gateway (allows you to remote into the computer from anywhere basically).

 

Additionally, the domain stuff allows you to do stuff like "Folder Redirection" where your user folders are on the network, and shared between different computers (using the same user account). And it sets the folders up (by default) to use offline file syncing, so that you can access the files even if you're not on the network.

 

 

Additionally, you can opt out of using the domain setup entirely, if you want. Either "leave" the domain after connecting the computer, or skip that part entirely, by using the following link:

http://www.tinkertry.com/ws2012e-connector/

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Ah, okay.

 

DNS is rather simple once you wrap your head around it. But yes, it can be confusing.

 

DNS is what converts human readable addresses (such as "community.covecube.com") into machine readable IP addresses (such as 168.62.48.183).  

 

DNS is also used as a core component of a domain, as it generateds the names for the system, as provides a lot of "hidden functionality" (such as identifying the different roles for the domain).  

 

If you're DNS servers are not properly configured, it will block your access to the internet, as nothing will resolve.

 

 

 

However, if you're not using a domain, then you don't need to worry about DNS.

If you are going to use the domain .... then there is a little bit of setup needed.

 

This is a bit on the complicated side... and some if it is automated for you, when you set up the server.

 

First thing to do is check your ISP's DNS servers (in the "WAN" IP address/status of your router). Or you can use "8.8.8.8", which is Google's DNS server).

Once you have that, you'll want to make sure that these DNS servers are set up as the "DNS Forwarders" in the DNS server on your server:

https://www.petri.com/configure-dns-forwarders-windows-server-2012-r2

 

Then, you'll want to configure the server to use a static IP address (so it never changes).

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd894437(v=ws.10).aspx

(use the Server 2008 R2 guide ,as it should be about the same).

Make sure the preferred DNS for the server is set to itself, and ONLY itself. (eg, use the static IP address of  the server here).

 

After doing that, you'll want to set up the DHCP settings on your router. Most have a list of DNS server (3) that you can specify for your network.  Set the first to be the server's IP address. Set the second one to be the router's IP address (usually 192.168.1.1), and set the third to be the ISP's or Google's DNS server.

 

This will ensure that all the clients are setup to use the DNS properly and to fall back on other devices, if the server is no longer accessible.

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can I skip creating the domain in 2012 r2 trial? and then use the copy paste for workstations?

 

also on sidenote ?

 

how bad off would I be using win 8.1 or 10 pro as my server os instead of essentials?



I want a real server but this is complicated for me and like u mentioned in the podcast if domain breaks its a pain to fix...so win 8 or 10 pro may be better for me...but if u can help me with steps to setup and get running without to much pain I would be happy. thanks in advance

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If you skip the domain join, the DNS stuff isn't important at all.

But to be clear, this is mostly handled by the setup process, so you don't need to worry about anything, for the most part.

 

And to skip the domain join, it's as simple as running "reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Server\ClientDeployment" /v SkipDomainJoin /t REG_DWORD /d 1" before running the connector.

 
 
As for using WIndows 8.1 or 10 as the server, you lose out on the website, the remote desktop gateway (remoting to the systems from anywhere), the VPN (can use "Incoming Connections" but it's not as functional), the Client Backups, and the centralized management and monitoring of the systems.
 
You can still share folders (though it may be a bit more complicated), and stream from it. That functionality works great.
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Ah, okay.

 

If that's the case, then just make sure the DNS stuff is setup correctly.

 

For the most part, all you'll want to do is change the DNS stuff on the router itself, so that it changes what it handed out to client devices. 

 

If you want, we can see about setting up a remote support session, and I can help with this, and make sure everything configured properly.

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is it true I can load the 180 day eval and then just use the key when I purchase the full version and not have to reload again?

Absolutely! 

I've done it and so have a number of others. 

I've also downloaded the Eval ISO and used that to install on a system with the Retail key. So there is no difference between the versions, just the key.

 

 

As for the remote support, head to http://meetme.so/drashnacovecubeand set up a time.

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I don't wanna screw anything up so the less I config the better.. im starting to lean toward win 10 pro just for simplicity.. and use a cloud based backup.. I no essentials is probably better but with my lack of experience im just worried. all I really need is to run drivepool and scanner and iTunes and a few other small programs... if u think I can make 2012 r2 work I wanna consider trying. but is it worth it or overkill?

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That really depends on exactly what you want out of the server (and yes, a client OS can be a server, as well).

 

 

By going with Windows 10 Pro (or Windows 8.X Pro), you lose out on a few things:

  • Free domain name (website name), dynamic DNS service (updating the domain name automatically) and free, signed SSL certificate 
    Optionally, there is a paid version, with GoDaddy or eNom that allows more choices (such as "drashna.net" )
  • VPN and Remote Desktop Gateway (allows you to remote into a system from the internet).
  • Centralized and deduplicated backups
  • Easy management of users and shares
  • Some of the domain functionality
    • Folder Redirection (user folders on the server)
    • "Client Restore Services" (Leverages Windows Deployment Services to PXE (diskless network boot) the Client Restore disk), only in Server 2012R2 versions.
  • monitoring of client devices

 

But aside from that, you can definitely set up Windows 10 and get a lot of the same (or at least similar) functionality.

 

 

 

 

And to re-emphasize here, the server should configure things to work properly on it's own. 

There are some router settings to help handle the network better.

And some optional settings to make sure the server works better as well. 

 

These aren't strictly necessary, but help prevent issues in the long run (such as the connector changing the network adapter information (DNS specifically).

And I'm more than willing to try and help you get everything set up as ideally as possible.

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hey Cristopher I got 2012 r2 loaded and Ethernet loaded not sure what to do next because I don't wanna screw settings up

it wants company info but I never registered a domain for my computer business... what next? I found your phone number under support. can I call if needed?

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