Forum Moderators: phranque
Thank you for reading my post. I set up window 2000 server about 5 years ago and since then I was working mainly as a developer. I bought new server at home for me. The question is: what is the process involves setting the server?
Do I need DNS server, followed by DHCP, IIS, SQLSERVER, and How do I set up ASP engine so that I can code my own ASP page and view it in the same machine? What about Frontpage Extention? I have book about win2002 server but it doesnot describe how to setup. Can I setup whole server including exchange without internet connection?
Anyway, What is your objective for the server. Is this going to be a web server that can feed ASP pages? Is it an internal server with an Intranet?
Okay, if you plan on using it for a web server that's available to the world, here is some basic things to check.
1)Make sure you're running IIS. It supports ASP. If your OS is not Windows 2000 Server then you still have IIS on your machine, but it'll be limited to only one domain at any given time. It may be limited to a certain number of simultaneous connections also. If it's 2000 Server then you won't have those limitations.
2)If you plan on having this site available to viewers on the web, your going to need a static IP address from you ISP. You won't need DHCP. I would recommend getting a block of 8 IPs for about $15 per month. I'll tell you why later.
3)If you'e planning on querying a database, MsSql Server is a good pick. If it's just something to get you going you can use MsAccess as well. It's cheaper and portable.
4)DNS is up to you. If this is a site that only you will be viewing from the web server itself, then you don't even need DNS, but rather you can use your Windows host file. But if this is suppose to be available to everyone in the world then there are plenty of DNS services on the web. Some even free. If you plan to host your own DNS (here's where the additional IP comes in), there's some good 3rd party software out there that might be easier to set up than Microsoft's DNS. I would recommend a firewall/router of some sort and have your DNS outside the firewall on another machine using one of your IPs that you're paying for. It doesn't have to be any super computer either. All it is going to do is resolve IPs. Then your web server, database server, mail server, etc. would go inside the firewall using local IP addresses. I picked up a Netgear FVS318 VPN Firewall for around $160 at Best Buy. Works great for a small network.
In a nut shell, here's how everything comes together. When requests are made for [yourdomain.com...] your DNS or someone elses will resolve that domain to an IP and direct it to your Router, which in turn will map it to an internal IP address where your webserver sits. The web server (IIS) interprets that domain and associates it with the correct directory where the site resides and serves up files back to the requester's browser. You just need things configured to do all that stuff and it's pretty simple.
Let me know if this all helps and good luck.
Pendanticist.
