I have been enjoying my DIY WHS 2011 machine at home for nearly 6 months now. Everything went exactly the way I wanted to, and without any hickups. All files are stored in one centralized location so everyone in the house is able to share videos, music, photos, etc. Everything is backed up, and I can access everything remotely from anywhere, even on my Android phone, just perfect.
Now my question is...Can I use WHS2011 for the office?
My family runs a small medical clinic/office. We have 12 PC's on the existing network, which is more than 8 years old. We have a Dell server running MS Server 2000 that is as old as the network. We currently only access this server for the patient appointment and scheduling program. We do not store anything on it. As far as file sharing, we store certain files on different PCs throughout the network and basically share the folders with the other PCs. It's pretty chaotic. I have a feeling that the Dell server will cease soon. It's been running 24hrs for 8 years. Time for a new server and to choose a server OS. I want to store patient medical files, scans, photos, PDF, scheduling, etc. on this server so that everyone will have access to them. Most importantly, have everything backup daily. Can WHS 2011 handle all this?
I know that there are other MS Server versions like Exchange Server, Server Essentials, Small Business Server for this purpose. WHS2011 was my first experience into the server world. I feel that for the past several months of using WHS2011 at home, it has really grown on me. I wouldn't say I'm a pro at it, but I feel confident enough to resolve any situations that may arise. I don't want to have to spend time learner another OS, or should I say I don't have time.
Your input is most appreciated!
Jimmy