Retiring an aging server at a multi-site nonprofit
- Agriculture and education nonprofit
- Coastal Maine
- Multiple buildings and a seasonal operation
The situation
One server, years past its useful life, ran the file shares and core network services for the whole organization: a working farm, a public campground and an education program. Staff were hybrid, some fully remote out of state, and Wi-Fi across the property was patchy.
What we did
Documented the whole environment first. Moved the network services off the server, moved file storage to the cloud, and retired the server. Rebuilt the network so the farm, the public areas and the office each stand on their own. Brought the tablets under central device management, so shared devices are locked down and set up the same way. Reviewed cloud licensing before the annual renewal and cut licenses the organization wasn't using.
No single point of failure, no server to replace, and staff working the same way from the farm, the office or another state. The setup is documented, so any of our technicians can pick it up.
