Understand the concept of workgroups vs. domains in a Windows local area network

Sharing information has become a simple process with the advent of email, simply attach a file and the recipient will receive the document you sent. However, in a small business, there is often a need to share more than one file; you may want to share programs or program data, printers, a scanner, or just your Word documents.

A workgroup, also known as a peer-to-peer network, allows you to share files, printers, scanners, and other resources. Typically, with a workgroup, you make each workstation a member of the same workgroup and set up shared folders on one or more workstations. You can also set your printer to be shared. If you have an additional computer, you can designate it as a dedicated shared computer. This computer then becomes a pseudo-server. It’s not a “real” file server, but it works like one, with limited functionality.

A domain provides this functionality and much more by having one or more file servers and workstations connected to the domain to access servers that manage security and access rights. Think of a domain as a city, within which there are businesses (file servers) and residences (workstations).

So… which one is right for you? If you have a small business with very few employees and you’re not overly concerned about data security or folder access rights, a workgroup will work well.

Some things to consider with a working group:

1. It is best if one computer acts as a server and the other computers share files from that “server”. This reduces traffic. If you have multiple computers that share their drives and users go back and forth between machines to access data, there will be more traffic on your LAN, causing collisions and bogging things down.

2. It is also a good idea, if possible, for one computer to be a dedicated server. This minimizes the chance of a user “hanging” the computer he is working on, thereby locking other users out of the system while it reboots. Also, if no one is using that computer while it is serving as a server, it is likely to be less exposed to potential virus or malware attacks.

3. Any machine that works as a server must be protected by a good UPS; that is, a battery backup unit.

4. The machine acting as the server must have its power options disabled, hibernation disabled, and its NIC (network interface card) configured not to shut down to save power. Any of these features enabled could make the server inaccessible to workstations.

5. The server must have a backup device with backup software scheduled for unattended backup. Ideally, as part of a good disaster recovery plan, your network should also have online or remote backup. (What good is your backup if you can’t access your data?).

A domain gives you many more features than a workgroup. Here’s an overview of things to consider and the benefits of setting up a domain:

1. First, your workstations MUST be running Windows XP Professional, Vista, or Windows 7 Business Edition. These versions of Windows are designed to work with domains.

2. Your domain will include at least 1 file server. This file server will be a domain controller. As a domain controller, the file server (if running any version of Windows server) will host Active Directory. Active Directory is a database that will store the name of each user, with their access rights assigned based on the groups to which they belong. For example, a user can be a member of the group Domain Users and have access to files and folders, or they can be a member of the group Domain Admins, which gives them rights to anything on the network. Active Directory also keeps track of computers, so it knows not only which user is authorized to log on to the domain, but also which computers can connect.

3. The Policies of use of the Domain Controllers. These policies can simplify the management of users and computers on the network, by enforcing rights and managing access when a user logs in to the Domain.

4. Security and permissions are very granular in a Domain. That is, it can be as general or as specific as you need with respect to giving users access to folders and files. A good, thoughtful initial design of your network will help simplify data organization and management as your network grows.

5. Returning to the Server; a server must have redundancy for its disk drives. For small networks, a mirrored disk system will do. For larger networks, a RAID 5 system might work better. In a mirrored drive system, your file server will host 2 identical drives. Both units will appear to you as one. On the server, you will see a C: drive. When you write or save a file, it is saved to both drives simultaneously. The benefit, of course, is that if one drive fails, you can continue to operate from the other drive. Many servers offer “hot-swap” drives. This allows you to remove the failed drive and replace it with a new one, without shutting down the server. The server will detect the new drive and will be able to rebuild the data on the new mirror.

6. Another great benefit of having a Domain is central administration. For example, you can install an antivirus program on the server that will periodically update its virus definition files. Server software can be deployed to workstations, and that software can be programmed so that all workstations have the same features enabled or disabled. In addition, the server can “push” virus definitions to workstations, thus ensuring that all workstations are on the same version. This can also be done with other programs, it is not strictly for virus protection.

This is a bird’s-eye view of domains and workgroups. Of course, there is much more to them. Many books have been written on the subject. The hope is that this concise information will help you make an informed decision about your workgroup or domain selection for your small business.