virtualbox.org

Hello, first of all, I want apologize for mistakes in language.

Today I've installed Mac OS X Lion server at work. This is our first time of using Mac as network server.
We need this server for several tasks:
- file sharing
- web server with different hosts (we are web developers)
- gateway (2 internet connections: 1 - fast and expensive (eth0), 2 - slow and cheap (USB 3G))
- collaboration assist.

Here I need to say, that prevoriously we hadn't server with those roles. We had:
- My office iMac as storage
- there was a separate web server on each developer's computer
- Windows Server 2003 and Kerio Contnrol as gateway
- as collaboration assist we use white office desk =)

Now about problems. First and last server's roles are not so difficult, and mostly so I want to ask about third role: "Advanced gateway".

We have LAN for a 10 computers (some of them PC, some - macs), also we have two internet connections (as I said before) and the mission =):
- ALL traffic from 7 computers must go thru USB 3G modem
- common traffic from 3 others computers must go thru eth0
- all traffic to google, facebook etc from those 3 comps must go thru USB 3G modem (drivers was installed, modem works fine)

On Mac we have: 2 Ethernet cards + USB for modem.

I've installed VirtualBox and installed Win2003 as guest OS. Now, can you advice to me about future network architecture?
I've thought about how we could make guest win2003 works as separate server at LAN? So, it will use eth0 and USB modem, but how can we connect Mac Server and GuestOS to LAN? There is only 2 eth on server...

This can all be done without the need of VB, but it does simplify the webserver part.

What I do wonder is why you have installed Windows 2003. For what purpose is this installed?

The advanced gateway is something that should be handled on the Host, directly on the hardware. Because it has all the interfaces ready and connected. With special rules, you can do all that you want. Special routing software can take care of all the handling of traffic, like what needs to go through where and which machine is routed through what interface.
I'm no Mac expert (in fact, I rather not touch it at all), so all I know that can handle this, is Linux and BSD. The latter is new for me, but works similar to Linux, so I don't see much problems for me setting such thing up. But you might have more problems. For Windows, there should be special software too though, so you can do what you want.

Unless the server is on its last legs I would leave the Kerio firewall on a physical machine. That should make the networking easier.