I’m not a Windows guy. And all my working life was managing Mac and Linux. Why should I have a Windows domain controller?
I know what Active Directory is, but I’m not a Microsoft expert. And on paper everything is beautiful, but the reality that I have, is that it does’t work, and it is not helping me doing my job. That’s why I am thinking, or not, to shutdown the domain controller.
I only see disadvantages.
What I have:
- 90 computers to 90 people.
- Five printers, login is different and not centralized, because it’s difficult to use a strong password in a printer.
- 1/3 uses Google Apps and the other use a Linux mail server.
- All our business applications run on Linux server.
- Our files are in a Linux NAS.
- All the computes are different (it’s a nightmare)
- Some have laptops and are always moving (inside and outside the company)
- We are behind a Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) firewall
- DNS is on a Cisco router and I’m planning to move DHCP to a switch (I’m not authorized to manage the router)
In my point of view:
- It’s just another thing to go wrong.
- A machine in a domain is slower to login.
- Less stuff is better. And less work too.
- We have a Windows Server 2008 licence, but it’s not a very good machine and I’m removing all the applications from the Windows servers.
- I’m planning to buy new laptops and they have Windows 8 and in a few days Windows 8.1, and I don’t know if Windows 8 behaves well with older servers!
- I don’t like to spend money on Windows licences and servers.
For me is just a extra server consuming 400 watts…
Am I wrong?
Answer
Let’s break this down one by one
It’s just anorther thing to go wrong.
No, it’s about 10,000 less things to go wrong. One place to sort out logins, instead of 90. One place to manage printers, instead of 90. Apply settings to 90 computers at once, instead of 90.
A machine in a domain is slower to login.
No it’s not
Less stuff is better. And less work too.
This is just wrong. Active directory makes substantially less work. I shudder at the thought of managing even 10 computers without AD, let alone 90!
We have a Win Server 2008 licence but it’s not a very good machine and i’m removing all the aplication from the windows servers.
This isn’t a question. But even so, a domain controller for 90 computers does not need to be very powerful. Our AD servers here are virtual machines with 1GB of RAM and almost no vCPU.
I’m planning to buy new laptops and they have win8 and in a few days 8.1 and i don’t know if win8 behaves well with olders servers!
Yes. Microsoft are very good at backwards compatibility with active directory.
I don’t like to spend money on Windows licences and servers.
You know what I don’t like? Doing things 90 times, or having different settings on everyone’s computers, or having 90 non-connected usernames, or having to go to someone’s computer to do things like reset a password or apply a setting.
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : Jamexcb , Answer Author : voretaq7
