Do you need a server?

Sometimes you have to spend money to save money. A server may seem like a significant outgoing, but it's an investment that pays off well over time. When your company starts to grow, so does your staff. When that happens it becomes difficult to share information. Of little use is a peer-to-peer network: each computer communicating with others through a hub. This may work in a limited way: for sharing an internet connection and transferring files. But productivity falls when more than one person needs to access the same file. Someone has to close the database for another user to work on it. Which is why a server makes sense. It allows many users simultaneous access without any decrease in performance, making a big difference to overall productivity.

So how do you know it's time to purchase a server? Ask yourself these questions:

• Are there gaps in your workflow?
• Do two or more people use the same database?
• Would operations slow down or stop, even for a small amount of time, if one computer were to crash?
• Do you or your employees need access to email and files out of office?

If you answered yes to any of the above, it's time to talk to a consultant or IT partner. They will evaluate your current and future needs and make implementation recommendations.

The benefits of a server -

Maximize the advantages
There are two huge advantages to integrating a server into your network - faster workflow and tighter security. By centralising databases and files, it's easier to manage, exchange and share information between workstations. As an example to illustrate this, let's look at a car service station with three billing executives. Without a server, each executive would be responsible for billing a specific set of customers. Executive 1 would handle last names beginning with A-I; executive 2 takes J-Q; and executive 3 gets R-Z. That's inefficient if executive 2 has a higher workload than his colleagues. Or if one goes on holiday, the other two will constantly be running to their absent colleague's desk to look up information. A server and shared database eliminates all of this. Any of the three executives would be able to bill any client.
And by consolidating things like your user data and email on the server, you can create a more secure environment. You could filter out virus-infected email before it ever reaches users' inboxes, minimising the risk of infection.

Recognize the costs
All these advantages come at a price. Purchasing a server - hardware and software can be a large investment. An entry-level server, costing maybe a couple of thousand rupees, should be fine for most firms with 10 or fewer employees. Larger businesses should consider a general purpose server, with more memory, more than one processor, more than one hard disk, and naturally a more expensive price tag.
Unlike desktop PCs, most servers do not come with an operating system as standard, although you should look out for package deals that offer a healthy discount.
Also: Watch out for the tricky issue of user licenses. Microsoft's Windows Small Business Server 2003, available in 'standard' and 'premium' versions, includes licensing for up to five users to log into and use the server. If you have more employees, you'll need more licenses. Licenses are called CAL's or Client Access Licenses. You'll probably need a consultant, too, if you don't have an experienced network administrator. Installation and troubleshooting can be complex. But once you're up and running, you may be able to manage the server in-house.

Not too little, not too much
A desktop PC can act as a server with the proper software. However, this usually isn't a good solution. An actual server is designed to be reliable. If a part fails, it can often be replaced without taking the server down. Large corporations have dedicated servers. Individual servers that perform a single action - web hosting, email, database management, and so on. This would be too much for most small companies.
Most server operating systems have a small-business version, which allows a single server to perform many functions. For example, Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition acts as a printer, file, email, web and relational database server.

Learn the basics -
Even if you are completely clueless about networks and servers, force yourself to learn. It would pay you back in the end.

What Does a Network Do?
A network is a group of interconnected computers that allows you to more easily share information and resources (such as printers) from one computer to another. This helps you increase employee productivity and reduce costs. For example, with a network, multiple employees can access the Internet or company e-mail at the same time, or share the same fax machine or other office equipment. A network can help you save time and money, protect your business data, and increase efficiencies in your business. The investment pays for itself quickly through increased productivity.

Peer-to-Peer Networks
The most basic way to allow multiple users in to share information or resources such as printers and fax machines is to connect multiple computers in a peer- to- peer network. A common method for setting up a peer-to-peer network is to connect computers running workgroup or client software such as the Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system to a hub or to use a wireless access point. While this is a simple, low-cost solution, peer-to-peer networks are limited in what they can do. For example, peer-to-peer networks have no centralized security safeguards. Information and resources are shared from each computer, and if one computer shuts down, loses power, or loses data, no one can access the information on that computer.
Peer-to-peer networks also tend to slow down when more than five computers are connected.

Secure systems Security of critical computer systems is becoming an ever-increasing priority for many small businesses. The news is frequently dominated by the latest virus threat or hacker exploit, and spam is rapidly becoming more than an irritation. These issues may affect all businesses, but for you they threaten survival. Current estimates suggest that 80% of small businesses that suffer a serious computer failure cease trading within two years.