Hi all,

I'm about have a setup of Windows Server 2019 Standard as a Host and two Windows server 2019 VMs on it by using Hyper-V in it.

Current requirement is to have two Windows servers as Guest, one for DC and second one for File Server.

In future, I may need to add more servers on it, so I thought of Data Center, but it is damn expensive for us.

So it is fine to go with Standard Edition for current requirement and buy one more Standard Edition in future to add two more VMs. Standard allows 2 VMs never means, it will not allow to create a 3rd VM etc.

Obviously, if the 3rd VM is linux, no discussion at all? it is just about license and compliance of Microsoft for Windows server?

Thanks!

@scottalanmiller @JaredBusch
If you people are around

@scottalanmiller said in Factors to consider while choosing or planning for cloud backup solution?:

@openit said in Factors to consider while choosing or planning for cloud backup solution?:

What and where do you have feature to protect data from Ransomware or restore from infection? (is it at BackBlaze B2?), what exactly it is and how it works? why it not affect with Ransomware, while all resources in local network are vulnerable to infection somehow (vulnerability/misconfig/bruteforce etc.)?

All backup mechanisms protect that. In your example, it's Veeam backing up to the NAS. Backups are natively ransomware breaks. If your backup doesn't protect from ransomware, it's not technically a backup.

Other than above 5 points, what are other things to do to remain Technically Backup

@JaredBusch said in Factors to consider while choosing or planning for cloud backup solution?:

@openit said in Factors to consider while choosing or planning for cloud backup solution?:

What and where do you have feature to protect data from Ransomware or restore from infection?

That is the point of your local NAS as a backup target.

If that is crypto'd sorry, but you are beyond help because of how insecure you set things up.

Obviously I have to do all things in hand to protect anything at local backup at first, in my case, following are things involved and these are how I configured, advise for anything wrong or needed more:

1. Veeam on Windows server - the NAS (Synology) Shared folder credentials are only on Veeam Software to push the backups, not in Credential manager. And these NAS Share only accessible to this Veeam.

2. Updating Synology Firmware all the time

3. Disabled default Admin account and created new.

4. Only me with Read access with different account has access on NAS Shared folder to test the backups from time to time by restoring.

5. Very importantly, Snapshots are enabled on Synology for this Shared folder.

@JaredBusch said in Factors to consider while choosing or planning for cloud backup solution?:

In the Synology, I use the CloudSync app

What and where do you have feature to protect data from Ransomware or restore from infection? (is it at BackBlaze B2?), what exactly it is and how it works? why it not affect with Ransomware, while all resources in local network are vulnerable to infection somehow (vulnerability/misconfig/bruteforce etc.)?

@JaredBusch said in Factors to consider while choosing or planning for cloud backup solution?:

Synology can backup directly to cloud. I use B2 for this at clients.

I don't use the free Veeam (Veeam Endpoiont) though, so no idea on the fine grain controls.

1. Veeam backup to NAS
   a. Full Backup (no synthetic fully) scheduled for Friday evening once per month.
   b. Daily Incremental
2. NAS automatically syncs to B2
   a. Nightly incrementals go up in no time.
   b. Monthly full goes up over the weekend

Thanks for details

@IRJ said in Factors to consider while choosing or planning for cloud backup solution?:

What is the data? Is it basically just a dump from a file server?

Yes, just files (PDF/Word/PPTs/Cad/Photoshop/etc.) on file server.

@scottalanmiller said in Factors to consider while choosing or planning for cloud backup solution?:

@openit said in Factors to consider while choosing or planning for cloud backup solution?:

At time of restore, it may take days, so not good RTO.

But it's really for the purpose of dealing with full site loss, right? So it is what it is.

The only really great alternative is figuring out how to not need 9GB of backups. Is that really all data that you need to back up to restore your business?

So if it is taking longer, only option to optimize by compression of data, increasing bandwidth is only option. After doing all in hand, if it's RTO taking 10 Days, nothing to do, just need to settle down?

@scottalanmiller
Is this how in general everyone do?

Server -> Local/Onsite Backup (NAS/File Server/External HDD) -> Cloud/Tape/Offsite NAS Replication ?

Hi there,

I am working on cloud backup solution.

Currently we have on site backup of Windows server along with File Server data (some 9TB), by using Veeam Endpoint Backup to Synology NAS storage.

Now, considering Offsite backup on Cloud, which should help even in case of Ransomware virus. So following is quick info:

Data size = 9TB
Internet bandwidth =100 Mbps
Daily changes = avg 35 GB

I realize factors to consider :

How to upload initial data, which is 9TB and may take many days

At time of restore, it may take days, so not good RTO.

From where to backup? If directly from server, it has regular Veeam backup, so not good idea to load with one more backup.

If I backup to cloud from NAS, it has Veeam backup format files, so at time of restore, need to download and restore from Veeam files, huge process and time.

What factors I should consider?

Is Cloud a suitable option for us?

Thanks

All computers Windows updates running individually on their own, not managed by WSUS or any other third party tool, for information.

Hi there,

I'm not against updates, of course updates are important, but I have some users who is freaking out when Windows updates running at the time of meeting or something important. Update schedule changes not helping, since not fixed timing for meeting, may have meeting out of working hours set on Updates.

Tried to disable by disabling on services and others, doesn't seems to be working perfectly.

I'm looking for some software just to enable and disable, which should work 100%, so I will ask user to Disable before 1 hour or something before they have some important thing and Enable once they are back. I want to do same for laptop running at our Board Room, I will disable for any meeting and enable, run updates personally not to leave pending.

Thanks!

Thanks for driving me to right direction, I will look into VyOS (would be great if I can get some suggestions like VyOS to have more choice )

EdgeRouter seems a cheap and very worthy product, may suggest my friend as well, who used to setup small offices (with around 15 workstations). By the way for how many workstations it can handle the traffic, roughly with normal office operations? 30

Thanks a lot for nice insights.

I tried PFSense, due to something was not working, I had to scratch my head, so went with Zentyal to give a try.

@scottalanmiller said in Zentyal community edition - is ok for production? and using VLAN with Zentyal.:

One of the key purposes of a firewall is to protect the server, more than anything else. Essentially here there is no firewall

Isn't Zentyal a firewall?

@scottalanmiller It is is more about building things from scratch, test, learn and be ready for skills advancement and future firewall failures (just saying).

@DustinB3403 I understand, it is more about with Support and without Support.

@DustinB3403 This is not for file server, domain or printers but for Firewall mainly.

@IRJ Around 75 workstations

Let me highlight my main targets with this setup:

1. I'm setting up this Zentyal in my LAB at office, with no connection with production by using an extra 4G Internet Link, to build my whole network and test and learn things.

So to have Firewall in Lab and learn, I setup Zentyal, main purpose is for Firewall and DHCP with VLAN.

Also want to try to setup VPN on this Zentyal and try to connect from office Network to my LAB

2. We have Sophos Firewall, it is going good with Firewall and DHCP server, want to mention VLAN in use.

So along with setting up things from scratch by myself, testing and learning, I want to be ready for any failure of our production Firewall. So at least I can keep the minimum firewall things and dhcp services up for have internet, until production Firewall is back with this by using a pc and two or three NIC cards?

Dear All,

I'm talking about Zentyal community edition, it is showing as Development edition, is it ok to use this in production as Firewall, gateway, dhcp/dns etc. services on it?

Using VLAN with Zentyal, I was able to set Zentyal as gateway, dhcp etc. server with two NIC Cards, one for WAN and second card for LAN, network on LAN side is going fine as native, but I want to use VLAN on it. I'm using Cisco SG300 series switch on LAN side.

Later I realized, I need to set LAN card as a Trunk to able to create Interfaces for VLAN, I was able to create VLAN interfaces and set dhcp scope for VLANs but Native LAN stopped working, I wonder, if I need to use 3 NIC cards for this kind of scenario? as follows ?
NIC Card 1 for WAN
NIC Card 2 for LAN - native LAN
NIC Card 3 to set as Trunk and create VLAN interfaces and utilize VLAN feature?

Thanks!

Hi,

I started here few years ago, at that time I was not serious about moving from workgroup computers to domain. Some computers were home edition, due to consumer model laptops were purchased, so got with home edition, which is one of the reason for not.

We have windows server 2012, AD installed and using for File Server, now slowly we have some 75 computers, and very less home editions.

It is going fine, but am I doing wrong? missing something? or not using Domain is sin

I started thinking to move to domain asap. Thanks!