What to do with a home server? Learning experience...

I have a box that currently has Server 2008 R2 Enterpise installed and Id like to put it to good use, even if it isnt practical. Im the kind of guy who does projects just for the sake of doing them. This one I am creating for a learning experience. Along with some actual usefulness. Id like to keep it running, this way Im forced to learn if something goes awry. So I need an excuse to keep this thing going. So far I think Im going to create a domain - using DHCP, DNS, and AD. Also MineCrack and Vent server. Im also thinking about testing the water in IIS and run multiple websites, including one I will let a friend create and administer (this will cause me to learn other things such as VPN and permissions for IIS and remote users).

Any other ideas, faults in my ideas? Place to start?

Core 2 Duo
JBOD 160 + 80 + 80
4GB

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Comments

MickQ

Why not set up a hyper-V and start playing with the MCITP material?
Or just set it up and play with it as you suggested.

nimrod.sixty9

MickQ wrote: »

Why not set up a hyper-V and start playing with the MCITP material?
Or just set it up and play with it as you suggested.

Ill have my chance to really try out vSphere4 at work, hopefully soon. Once we get the license and the go ahead to reallocate some old servers. I will be leaning towards CCNA as soon as I get done with N+. Right now Im just looking at something useful and LIVE rather than just 'mess around' with a VM. This learning experience is more for training me in my position I have now (that and fun). Im far away from having any interviews LOL.

Id imagine some of the things I plan to do relate to some parts of the MCITP, correct? And Im sure I could apply some of the material in my environment later on. I know I have a pretty good run already, but Id just like to hear some of the ideas you awesome ppl have. Should I do this? Not that? This instead of that?

I also plan to eventually add Cisco, Watchguard and/or Juniper equipment as well.

MickQ

Pretty much whatever you decide to do will have some relation to the exams.
The reason I suggested them was so that you could learn whilst you play. Also there are various labs which you could set up and learn from. You can check the list to see which are most relevant to your work.

SephStorm

I like it. You may also want to make sure you play around with securing those devices, DNS servers, IIS, patch management, ect.

undomiel

The point of adding virtualization is that you can get more servers out of your one server. That'll get you a more fleshed out network to work with and also make it much easier for you to lab up some RRAS with multiple networks. You can also snapshot to trying things out and then rollback when it doesn't quite work out as planned without having to do a complete scrap and reinstall.

SephStorm

Im a big fan of both virtuilization, and physical machines. I mean nothing compares to seeing and using real equipment.

nimrod.sixty9

Thanks for the input ppl.
I have so far setup a domain and users but havent added any machines to the domain just yet. Ive also set up VPN and had my friend connect and verify permissions by mapping and proving that he only has access to his folder (Im quite proud of this one). IIS7 installed with PHP and just got phpBB running and already have posts :P. And of course Minecrack and Vent...

All this is a first for me. What an adventure!

DHCP and DNS is still controlled via my router, but that will soon change once I start getting all my PCs on the domain. I got so focused on phpBB and IIS that everything else got put on the side.

Note: never buy a Netgear ADSL router!

MickQ

nimrod.sixty9 wrote: »

Note: never buy a Netgear ADSL router!

So true.

And good on ya for getting all that done. It feels great, doesn't it?

nimrod.sixty9

It does!

I believe I will now be going the Hyper-V route as I know absolutely nothing about it. That and the fact that I really need more machines (even if they are a VM) on my network to simulate more of a production environment. This way Ill also learn Microsoft VM's instead of just VMware. Id love to be a pro in both... Way the feild is headed if you ask me.

MickQ

Yup. You've got the right attitude for it all. Playing with it and seeing how it works will teach you so much. The more you do, then you'll only have "gap fillers" for the exams.

Stiltz79

I would redo that server to run VMWARE ESXi and then run whatever you want on top of it. I'm in the process of virtualizing my home computers. Less hardware.

RobertKaucher

SephStorm wrote: »

Im a big fan of both virtuilization, and physical machines. I mean nothing compares to seeing and using real equipment.

In my experience as an instructor for MCSA/E level classes, people who used both VMs and physical equipment - even junky PIII systems with 512 MB RAM and consumer routers - did better than people who only used VMs. Most used nothing when studying and failed their exams. Some used VMs and failed/nearly failed their exams. Those who actually built a test lab and created a home "Enterprise level" environment, actually passed most exams first try.

My MCSE lab had real and virtualized systems with a multiple sites, forests and domains. It also ran Exchange 2003 (although I never took the Exchange exams, SharePoint, and SQL Server. I had at least 4 physical machines and consumer routers with a combination of static routing entries and RIP. For a person with no experience getting Exchange to route email between my lab networks was an amazing practical exercise in the 70-291. I earned my MCSE Security/Security+ in 8 months. 2/3 of what you should be doing when studying is hands-on labs. Reading books is important. But you understand more by doing. And when you understand more, you are more likely to pass your test.

j_griffith

You may wish to examine VirtualBox VM. Opensource virtual environment with unix support. Also checkout USCERT, BugTRAC, or other vulnerability databases to monitor the open critical vulnerabilities of your virtual enviroment. You may wish to run apache server instead of IIS7.

brad-

If you make AD, dont forget to practice group policy as well.

You might also look for some trial versions of generic sys admin tools for corporate AV and backup/restore.

nimrod.sixty9

SephStorm wrote: »

I like it. You may also want to make sure you play around with securing those devices, DNS servers, IIS, patch management, ect.

I wouldnt even know where to start with this. At work security is already controlled by corp IT and all I do is use ePO (McAfee) to keep everything up to date. Any pointers?

Stiltz79 wrote: »

I would redo that server to run VMWARE ESXi and then run whatever you want on top of it. I'm in the process of virtualizing my home computers. Less hardware.

Like I said Ill have my big chance with VMware at work. Not to mention Ive alreay installed VMs at work using VMware. This is my chance to learn Microsoft side of virtual machine management.

RobertKaucher wrote: »

In my experience as an instructor for MCSA/E level classes, people who used both VMs and physical equipment - even junky PIII systems with 512 MB RAM and consumer routers - did better than people who only used VMs. Most used nothing when studying and failed their exams. Some used VMs and failed/nearly failed their exams. Those who actually built a test lab and created a home "Enterprise level" environment, actually passed most exams first try.

My MCSE lab had real and virtualized systems with a multiple sites, forests and domains. It also ran Exchange 2003 (although I never took the Exchange exams, SharePoint, and SQL Server. I had at least 4 physical machines and consumer routers with a combination of static routing entries and RIP. For a person with no experience getting Exchange to route email between my lab networks was an amazing practical exercise in the 70-291. I earned my MCSE Security/Security+ in 8 months. 2/3 of what you should be doing when studying is hands-on labs. Reading books is important. But you understand more by doing. And when you understand more, you are more likely to pass your test.

Well I have everyday training at work (Helpdesk|JOAT), this is an addition to education. Just a way to really let loose. Cant do that at work. Im hoping the combination will help me fill in the gaps...

Thanks for the input. Quite a big list. Ill move on to those quite a bit latter. Need to get some basics down.

j_griffith wrote: »

You may wish to examine VirtualBox VM. Opensource virtual environment with unix support. Also checkout USCERT, BugTRAC, or other vulnerability databases to monitor the open critical vulnerabilities of your virtual enviroment. You may wish to run apache server instead of IIS7.

Moving quite far past my objective. Also I really need to learn the mainstream VM products before moving on to that. Ive used Apache before, but Im trying to get the in and outs of Microsoft side of things rather than site hosting.

brad- wrote: »

If you make AD, dont forget to practice group policy as well.

You might also look for some trial versions of generic sys admin tools for corporate AV and backup/restore.

GPO is one of my major goals if not the most important one as I have no access to this at work. Could anyone possibly give me pointers on where to start? I did GPedit.msc but it just brought up the local group policy.

What Sys Admin tools are you refering to? At work Im already getting familiar with ePO (I might try this at home so I can understand admin side).
I already use a 16 bay tape backup system (Quantam) with Symantec Veritas. Better experince at work when it comes to backup.

Thanks for the input everyone! Really need that GPO help

brad-

nimrod.sixty9 wrote: »

GPO is one of my major goals if not the most important one as I have no access to this at work. Could anyone possibly give me pointers on where to start? I did GPedit.msc but it just brought up the local group policy.

You have to install a tool to access it.

Install the GPMC

Install the GPMC using the user interface

To install the GPMC using the Server Manager user interface
To open Server Manager, click Start and then point to Administrative Tools. Click Server Manager.

In the console tree, click Features. In the Features pane, click Add Features.

In the Add Feature Wizard dialog box, select Group Policy Management Console from the list of available features. Click Install.

Close Server Manager when the installation completes.