Windows Server, Linux, Hyper-V, VMware, and Active Directory — installed, configured, and managed for businesses that still need on-premises infrastructure.
New Windows Server installations — file shares, print servers, line-of-business apps. Properly configured, properly secured, properly documented.
User accounts, group policies, permissions, and identity management. Connected to Microsoft 365 if you have it.
Run multiple servers on one piece of hardware. Snapshots, replication, easy migration — far more flexible than physical-only.
Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, Rocky — for web hosting, custom apps, and infrastructure work where Linux is the better fit.
Physical-to-virtual, hardware refreshes, Windows Server version upgrades, and on-premises to cloud — done overnight or over a weekend.
Server patching, performance monitoring, disk space alerts, and proactive maintenance — included with our managed IT plans.
For most small businesses, we recommend moving away from on-premises servers and into the cloud — see our cloud services page. But not every business is a good fit for cloud-only, and pretending otherwise leads to broken setups and frustrated staff.
You probably still need a server if: you have on-premises line-of-business software that requires it; you have large local file shares with poor internet making cloud impractical; you have equipment that talks to specific local hardware (manufacturing, security systems, point-of-sale); or you have strict on-premises compliance requirements.
When that’s the case, we set servers up the way they should be set up — properly virtualized, properly backed up, properly secured, properly documented. And we’ll tell you honestly whether your situation actually requires on-premises or whether you’ve been told it does by someone who profits from selling you hardware.
Most don’t — cloud services have replaced what servers used to do for typical small businesses. But some do: businesses with on-premises line-of-business software, large local file shares, equipment that talks to specific local hardware, or strict on-premises compliance requirements. We help you decide which side you’re on.
Yes. We set up Active Directory or Azure AD/Entra ID for businesses — proper organizational unit structure, group policies, user/computer management, and integration with Microsoft 365 if applicable. Done properly, AD makes managing 10+ users dramatically easier and more secure.
Yes. We deploy and manage Hyper-V and VMware environments — virtual machine creation, snapshots, replication, and migration. Virtualization is the right call for almost any business still running on-premises servers; it cuts hardware costs and makes backup and recovery much simpler.
Yes. We do physical-to-virtual migrations, server hardware refreshes, and OS upgrades — all without losing data and with minimal downtime, usually done overnight or over a weekend.
A typical small-business server with installation, Windows Server licensing, and Active Directory setup runs $5,000–$12,000 depending on specs and licensing. We quote hardware separately from labour so you can see exactly what you’re paying for.
Yes. We work with Linux servers — Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux — for web hosting, custom applications, and infrastructure work. We don’t push Linux when Windows is the right answer, or push Windows when Linux is — we use what fits.
Not sure where to start? Get an honest, vendor-neutral assessment of your technology setup before you spend on anything else. See our IT consulting & fractional CTO services →
Tell us what you're working on — we'll have an honest conversation about how we can help. No obligation.
hello@rainylaketech.ca