Setting up an Application Server

A small division of the company I work for is in need of a server to be placed at their office (remote) that would allow about 7 of them to access an application when they're in the office as well as from their homes. I've been tasked with setting this up for them so I would like to get your opinions of how to proceed. Next to accomplishing the task I mentioned, cost is probably the next important factor. Is a Microsoft small business server the best way to go or are their cheaper solutions? Also what kind of licensing would I have to buy if I go with sbs?

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vistalavista

any ideas guys?

dynamik

What application?

apena7

Are you thinking about something like Citrix XenApp?

leefdaddy

Terminal Server?

vistalavista

Yeah, terminal server is what I meant when I mentioned SBS. I was looking for suggestions similar to the one apena7 suggested. I know nothing about it so I'd appreciate any input from anyone that's used it or something similar. Not sure what application it is but they need to access it often to do their jobs.

billybob01

I would setup a terminal server, it`s quick and easy, then allow remote access to the server, microsoft have step by step guides for this.

vistalavista

For terminal server, u need licenses for each user connecting to it right? Is there a vendor that sells licenses cheaper than Microsoft does? Also do we need a separate license server or can it just go on the same server housing the ts?

UnixGeek

It would help to know what kind of application. If it can run on either Linux or OS X, you can get around the per-connection licensing issue by running multiple VNC sessions. There may be a similar option out there for Windows, but if there is, I'm not aware of it.

Chivalry1

Citrix XenApp would be your best bet!!!

vistalavista

What about getting a hosting company to host it? Would I be able to have them host an application in a shared hosting package?

RobertKaucher

http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/appv/default.mspx

You need more details if you are going to offer an informed option on this.

Forsaken_GA

vistalavista wrote: »

What about getting a hosting company to host it? Would I be able to have them host an application in a shared hosting package?

It depends on the type of application. I work for a hosting company, and we charge any licensing fees that are required for the features the customer wants to the customer. I don't know of any company who uses shared windows servers and provides the customer with remote access to the servers desktop, just like most shared unix servers won't allow shell access.

It all depends on the type of application. Is this an interactive Windows application? Then you're looking at Terminal Services or VNC or a Citrix solution (if you want it to be transparent to the users, then you're pretty much looking at Citrix).

Is this a web app? If so, then any web server will do. Set something up locally.

Assuming this is an interactive winows app, and all 7 people need to be able to access it on the server it's running on, and you want to do this on the cheap, your best bet is to setup VNC to serve multiple displays over multiple ports, and give each person a different port number to log in with. Then firewall off the VNC ports to only accept connections from your internal network. This is still not a very secure solution, and you should probably talk whoever is holding the power of the purse into popping for some TS Licenses to make this less of a hassle on you