Guest Richard Hein Posted July 12, 2007 Posted July 12, 2007 A small office is using a new Win XP Pro machine as a file server for 5 computers. Somehow, every week or so, people are losing connections with the server. One or more of the workstations are not releasing one of the 10 available licenses. I have set up a batch file to reboot the computer and reease the licenses. Is there a better way to do it than rebooting the server? Are there any other considerations when setting up the computer as a server?
Guest Tom Willett Posted July 12, 2007 Posted July 12, 2007 Re: Using Windows XP Pro as File Server - Losing Connections That's the nature of the 10 simultaneous connection limit in the O/S. It takes the reboot to clear it up. That's why you should use a server O/S for a file server. "Richard Hein" <richhein@heincomputilng.com> wrote in message news:thgc93plrft5tuav4ghcms1tk1j3157i53@4ax.com... |A small office is using a new Win XP Pro machine as a file server for | 5 computers. Somehow, every week or so, people are losing connections | with the server. One or more of the workstations are not releasing | one of the 10 available licenses. I have set up a batch file to | reboot the computer and reease the licenses. Is there a better way to | do it than rebooting the server? Are there any other considerations | when setting up the computer as a server?
Guest Malke Posted July 12, 2007 Posted July 12, 2007 Re: Using Windows XP Pro as File Server - Losing Connections Richard Hein wrote: > A small office is using a new Win XP Pro machine as a file server for > 5 computers. Somehow, every week or so, people are losing connections > with the server. One or more of the workstations are not releasing > one of the 10 available licenses. I have set up a batch file to > reboot the computer and reease the licenses. Is there a better way to > do it than rebooting the server? Are there any other considerations > when setting up the computer as a server? As Tom Willett told you, you are bumping up against the concurrent inbound connections limitation. You need to understand that these are not "10 available licenses" and also that the limitation is on *connections* and not *computers*. Each computer usually makes more than one connection to a server or, in your case, a pseudo-server. Inbound connections limit in XP - http://support.microsoft.com/?id=314882 5 - XP Home/Vista Home Basic 10 - Vista Home Premium/Vista Ultimate/XP Pro 49 - SBS 2000 74 - SBS 2003 Unlimited for full Server O/Ses Solutions: 1. If you are only using the pseudo-server as a file server and have no need to run Windows programs on it, replace XP Pro with a Linux distro which has no such limitations. The disadvantage is that someone in your office needs to know Linux to set it up or you will need to hire outside tech support. Apple also makes a great server with no inbound connection limitations but you would need to buy a new Apple computer. 2. If you want to stay with Microsoft products, replace XP Pro on the pseudo-server with Microsoft Small Business Server. If you don't have someone in-house who has the skill to set up SBS, then hire outside tech support for the project. It will be well worth it to make sure that your business is set up correctly and has a backup/disaster recovery strategy in place. Malke -- Elephant Boy Computers http://www.elephantboycomputers.com "Don't Panic!" MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
Guest Patrick Keenan Posted July 12, 2007 Posted July 12, 2007 Re: Using Windows XP Pro as File Server - Losing Connections "Richard Hein" <richhein@heincomputilng.com> wrote in message news:thgc93plrft5tuav4ghcms1tk1j3157i53@4ax.com... >A small office is using a new Win XP Pro machine as a file server for > 5 computers. Somehow, every week or so, people are losing connections > with the server. One or more of the workstations are not releasing > one of the 10 available licenses. I have set up a batch file to > reboot the computer and reease the licenses. Is there a better way to > do it than rebooting the server? Are there any other considerations > when setting up the computer as a server? This is a problem when using XP Pro as a server - it's isn't a server. You really need to use something more appropriate. If all the systems are local, and if you are simply storing files, it's pretty quick, inexpensve and not overly complex to use a Linux system, such as Ubuntu Desktop, turning on Samba and specifying the users needed. It took me about half an hour to figure out the few things needed to get this to work, the first time. I would suggest that you do get the Desktop version, not the Server, as it's a little easier to wade through if you are unfamiliar with Linux. The Server version is mostly command-line, last I checked (and promptly reinstalled the desktop). http://www.ubuntu.com/ This can work very well, in your context may not need really high-end hardware, and is significantly cheaper than the Windows Small Business Server or Windows 2003 Server. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/howtobuy/pricing.mspx http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/howtobuy/licensing/pricing.mspx HTH -pk
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