Help with setting up an Office Server.

My Union wants to set up a Server in our office. A Main "Server" PC running programs and then up to 5 "Terminals". They want to be able to access documents and a couple of Programs that everyone can work with by logging in.

My first advice to the guy organizing this was that his Server would need to be an up to date Computer, Preferably i7 running 8-16GB of RAM. Does this sound correct?

Then he was tossing around the idea of buying 5 Low end PCs or 5 Netbooks (for $ sake). I would think the set ups would work, but how would be the best way to access the programs? Using Windows Server? Would the same program be usable simultaneously if at all? I know the HDDs could be accessed and/or used for backing up information. I am trying to get some advice before we go diving in. Windows 7 Pro should do the trick?

The best way to do this is build a pretty high end system. Core i5 (1155) based system. Use RAID designed hard drives.. such as RE3 by Western Digital. You'll need to run Windows server Standard 2008 x64 with 5 cals, plus Terminal server 2008 with 5 cals.. Software alone is around $1000, plus hardware, also around $1000.

Whole package about $2200 to play it safe...

So, I could build a good Raid on a i5/i7 based system, 1,2, or 3 drives? Terminal Server (Windows?) on each of the Laptops/Netbooks/PC terminals? And then I should be able to run the programs off of the server?

Brutal-Force said:

So, I could build a good Raid on a i5/i7 based system, 1,2, or 3 drives? Terminal Server (Windows?) on each of the Laptops/Netbooks/PC terminals? And then I should be able to run the programs off of the server?

Click to expand...

Matrix raid is fine for this task...