Windows Server Infrastructure Upgrade And Redesign At Echoso

Windows Server Infrastructure Upgrade And Redesign At Echosoftovervie

Windows Server Infrastructure Upgrade and Redesign at EchoSoft. Overview EchoSoft is an educational software developer that provides software and cloud computing solutions to private and public educational institutions throughout North America and Europe. The organization currently has four major offices located in Vienna, Virginia, San Jose, California, and Dublin, Ireland. A sales team of more than a hundred works across the United States and Europe, primarily from their own homes. EchoSoft has experienced a combination of growth and disaster in the last 3 years and plans to add an additional 130+ employees, including opening a new office in Austin, Texas, in the next 6 months.

To meet these growth challenges, EchoSoft is in the process of upgrading the network environment from the current ad hoc design, comprised of Windows 2003, 2008, and *NIX systems, to Windows 2012 R2 Active Directory. Steps have already been taken to improve the network infrastructure. The Vienna, Virginia location has replaced all 2008 Domain Controllers with Windows 2012 Servers. However, the San Jose and Dublin locations are still running a single Windows 2008 Domain Controller at each site. Currently, all server and workstation IP addresses are statically assigned.

DNS is hosted on an older generation UNIX server that has been hacked several times due to faulty security. Remote users currently connect via VPN, which has caused numerous security incidents due to missing antivirus software, outdated AV signatures, and missing OS patches on workstations and laptops. Although the Austin location has not officially opened, six users are currently deployed there. There are currently no domain controllers or qualified personnel to support them at this location. This site needs to be incorporated into the EchoSoft Active Directory ASAP.

Austin users must be able to authenticate and access EchoSoft Active Directory services. EchoSoft has recently acquired another company, EduTech Inc. The existing EduTech Active Directory Domain needs to be integrated into the existing EchoSoft Active Directory forest. The EchoSoft data center is located at the Vienna and Dublin locations. This is where EchoSoft hosts and maintains its cloud computing services.

Due to increased demand for its cloud services, EchoSoft has experienced difficulty deploying servers and services in time due to inefficient and costly deployment processes. The current Active Directory is a single domain. You are tasked with completing the network design and improving the server infrastructure. Current physical locations include Vienna, San Jose, Dublin, and Austin. The network's logical design and proposed solutions need to address multiple aspects, including domain controllers, server replacements, DHCP, DNS, remote access, Active Directory topology, client and server deployment, and integration of new sites and domains.

Paper For Above instruction

EchoSoft's rapid growth and recent challenges necessitate a comprehensive upgrade and redesign of its Windows Server infrastructure to ensure scalability, security, and efficient management. The primary objective of this proposal is to develop a resilient, secure, and manageable IT environment aligned with best practices that can support the company's expansion, including new office openings and acquisitions. This paper outlines a strategic approach to upgrading server roles, optimizing Active Directory, deploying virtual and physical servers, designing fault-tolerant DHCP and DNS solutions, establishing secure remote access, and integrating new sites and domains.

Executive Overview

The proposed infrastructure upgrade aims to transform EchoSoft’s current ad hoc network environment into a robust, scalable, and secure architecture that efficiently caters to its organizational growth. The core of this transformation involves deploying Windows Server 2012 R2 Active Directory across all sites with site-specific domain controllers, comprehensive virtual machine management, and automated deployment strategies. This approach enhances security, reduces operational overhead, and accelerates server provisioning.

Key aspects of this design include upgrading all legacy servers, implementing high-availability DHCP and DNS services, and establishing a scalable Active Directory topology that guarantees site resilience through replication and proximity strategies. Additionally, a secure remote access solution via VPN and DirectAccess is integrated to facilitate seamless connectivity for remote and mobile users. The design emphasizes cost-efficiency, manageability, and security, providing EchoSoft with a future-proof infrastructure capable of supporting its expanding operations and cloud services.

EchoSoft should select this proposal over competitors because it combines practical technical solutions with business-oriented considerations, ensuring reliable service delivery, improved security posture, and ease of management. The plan emphasizes automation, fault tolerance, and security best practices aligned with Microsoft’s recommended architecture, offering a comprehensive, integrated approach that minimizes downtime and operational complexity while supporting future growth.

Windows Deployment Design and Strategy

Efficient deployment of client and server operating systems is crucial to maintaining agility and reducing operational costs. The strategy involves establishing Windows Deployment Services (WDS) coupled with multicast deployment capabilities to streamline OS imaging across multiple sites. For client workstations, standard images based on Windows 8 will be created, with automation scripts to incorporate software and security patches post-installation. Server deployment will follow a similar approach, with pre-configured images for Windows Server 2012 R2, enabling rapid provisioning of new or replacement servers.

A multicast deployment setup minimizes network bandwidth usage, facilitating simultaneous image deployment to multiple devices. WDS will be integrated with System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) for enhanced management and deployment automation. Bare-metal and virtual machine images will be maintained and regularly updated in the Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) library. Use of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) ensures compliance with security standards and simplifies the imaging process. This comprehensive deployment plan allows EchoSoft to rapidly deploy and configure client and server systems, ensuring they are secure, patched, and ready for use.

Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) Services

The deployment of Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) services forms the backbone of scalable server infrastructure. VMM templates, including hardware profiles, operating system profiles, and application profiles, will be crafted for quick deployment of new virtual servers. Profile management enables uniformity and reduces configuration errors. The plan includes creating service templates for critical roles such as domain controllers, DNS, DHCP, and application servers, facilitating rapid scaling and updates.

Profiles will be managed within the VMM library, allowing version control and easy updates. The deployment process will support automated scaling, updates, and patching, significantly reducing manual intervention and operational costs. Additionally, VMM’s library integration provides a centralized repository for images, drivers, and scripts, simplifying maintenance and disaster recovery efforts. The VMM environment will also incorporate resource optimization—allocating hardware dynamically based on workload demands—to improve efficiency and performance.

Server Environment Recommendations

Current legacy servers (Windows Server 2003, 2008, and UNIX systems) must be replaced with Windows Server 2012 R2 platform servers. For each physical site, a minimum of two domain controllers will be provisioned to ensure high availability, with additional servers designated for DNS, DHCP, File, and Print roles. At Vienna, where two Domain Controllers already exist, additional infrastructure will support site redundancy. San Jose and Dublin will each deploy two Windows Server 2012 R2 domain controllers, with roles distributed for load balancing and fault tolerance.

Server hardware will be virtualized where feasible, leveraging VMM to optimize resource utilization. DNS and DHCP roles will be configured for high availability—DHCP with failover clustering, split scopes, and reserved IPs for critical network devices (printers, routers). DNS zones will be Active Directory–integrated with DNSSEC enabled for security, with zone redundancy across multiple servers. These upgrades will lead to fault-tolerant, scalable services capable of supporting the expanded user base and cloud service demands.

DHCP and DNS Design

An enterprise-grade DHCP solution will incorporate failover clustering and split scopes for load balancing and redundancy. DHCP failover will utilize Microsoft’s DHCP Failover Protocol to ensure continuous IP address management even if one server fails. DHCP filtering and reservation policies will enable precise control over network device address assignments. Address scopes will be designed to accommodate growth and leased based on dynamic conditions, with periodic audits to optimize address space utilization.

The DNS infrastructure will be designed around Active Directory–integrated zones to facilitate secure, dynamic updates and simplified management. DNSSEC will be enabled to counter DNS spoofing attacks, and DNS zone transfer policies will restrict unauthorized access. Disjoint namespaces will be avoided to ensure consistency across sites. DNS redundancy will be achieved through multiple DNS servers at each site, with zone replication optimized for minimal latency, thereby ensuring reliable name resolution even during server outages or internet disruptions.

Remote Access and Network Security

EchoSoft's remote access architecture will utilize VPNs configured with Network Access Policy (NAP) controls and DirectAccess to provide secure, seamless connectivity. VPN configurations will enforce Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) policies, integrating with Active Directory to authenticate users based on device health and compliance status. Network policies will restrict access for non-compliant devices, reducing security risks.

DirectAccess will be deployed to enable remote users to connect automatically without VPN, using IPv6 and IPsec protocols for encrypted channels. Firewall rules and packet filters will be configured to protect the perimeter and restrict unauthorized access. The remote access solution will support multi-site connectivity, ensuring users across all locations have reliable, secure access to resources.

Active Directory Topology Design

A resilient Active Directory topology will be implemented using Windows Server 2012 R2 domain controllers at all sites. Each site will have a minimum of two Domain Controllers, including Read-Only Domain Controllers (RODCs) where physical security is a concern, such as at the Austin location. Site links will be optimized for replication efficiency, with costs assigned based on bandwidth and latency. This design ensures continuous AD service availability despite failures.

Group Policy Objects (GPOs) will be tailored for each site, ensuring policy consistency and security compliance. Active Directory sites and services will be configured for replication traffic management and conflict resolution. The integration of EduTech’s Active Directory domain will utilize a forest trust established with secure, transitive trust policies, enabling resource sharing and authentication across both environments.

Deployment and Management

The entire infrastructure will be managed with automation tools like PowerShell scripts, SCCM, and VMM for image deployment, server provisioning, and software updates. User and device management will be streamlined, with client IPs automatically assigned via DHCP and managed in AD. Workstation images will be standardized and regularly patched before deployment, simplifying management and ensuring compliance.

The server deployment process will incorporate automated imaging with minimal manual intervention, enabling rapid replacement or expansion. Disaster recovery will be supported by maintaining up-to-date images and snapshots, with critical roles replicated across multiple servers and locations. This integrated approach ensures that EchoSoft's infrastructure remains scalable, secure, and manageable as it continues to grow.

Conclusion

This comprehensive plan leverages Microsoft’s latest technologies to deliver a high-availability, secure, and manageable infrastructure for EchoSoft. By upgrading legacy systems, deploying scalable and automated solutions, and enhancing security and remote access capabilities, EchoSoft will be better positioned to support its expanding user base and cloud services. The proposed architecture emphasizes operational efficiency, fault tolerance, and future growth, aligning technological advancements with business objectives.

References

1. Microsoft Corporation. (2013). Active Directory Domain Services: Design and Deployment. Microsoft Press.
2. Microsoft. (2014). Network Design Best Practices: Deploying DHCP and DNS. TechNet Documentation.
3. Strohm, C. (2012). Virtual Machine Management with System Center 2012 R2. Packt Publishing.
4. Smith, J. (2015). Implementing Windows Server 2012 R2 DHCP Failover. Windows IT Pro Magazine.
5. Johnson, A. (2016). Securing DNS with DNSSEC: A Practical Guide. Cybersecurity Journal.
6. Gates, M. (2017). Automation in Server Deployment: Strategies and Tools. TechTarget.
7. Active Directory Topology Guide. (2019). Microsoft Docs. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-ds/plan/active-directory-topology-overview
8. McDonald, S. (2020). Cloud Deployment Strategies for Large Enterprises. IEEE Cloud Computing.
9. Kumar, R. (2021). Building Fault Tolerant Server Infrastructure. Journal of Network and Systems Management.
10. O’Connor, P. (2022). Enhancing Remote Access Security with DirectAccess and VPN. Journal of Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics.