What Server Solution to buy

[Worsie]

Hi

I work for a Company with about 35 Employees. We currently have a Windows 2000 Domain, which consists of to main servers a file servers and a websever to test our websites on.

The Main server Run the domain in cluding DHCP, DNS, Active Directory, Exchange etc. The normal essentails programs and software.

These Server are more that 7 years old, Pentuim 3, 700 Mhz 256 RAM. Thus they dont preform very well.

My boss has finally said that we can upgrade the servers. My question is, what should we buy to spend our money the best way, meaning only buy a server to server that capacity that we need.

I was thinking of 2 Server's again. One as the Domain Controller (Windows 2003) with Exhcange and all the main Domain essentials and the second server to replace the file server and should also be able to replace the webserver (the webserver is just internal for our own testing).

What would your hardware recomendations be. Should we go and spend alot of money buy somethign like a DELL Power EDGE 2950 or can we use somethign like a Desktop server. What should the specs be.

Thanks in Advance
Robert

 

[muckshifter]

To me, Servers are nothing more than glorified desktop PCs, as you can see from the one you are using.


Today you would do well to take advantage of dual/quad-core CPU and as much ram as the MB/OS will take ... I would also look into how all this is easily backed-up, as in using a RAID Array.


Welcome to the Forums.

 

[Worsie]

The Dell Server offer good RAID options, i am going trhu their server recomendation options at the moment, to see what they think will be best.

Other than RAID, i would also use External Hard Drives, for offsite backups. But i do agree, server are glorified desktops

 

[Anon_F]

What support & call out time are Dell offering you?

 

[Worsie]

Accourding to there website this is default with there servers

Standard Gold 3Y 4Hr Premier Enterprise Support (4Hr location only)

 

[muckshifter]

Whoa!!!, I would not go buy a "server" from anybody ... they hike up everything for what is basically a desktop PC ... and Dell will, in my opinion, fleece you for some big bucks.


Look at what you got, look at what you need, then buy something with a little overhead built-in.

You will not "need" 32gig of ram, you will get by quite happily with 2gig, 4gig tops.

How much money has "the boss" given you ??

 

[Worsie]

Have to get the qoute's first before i know how much money, i agree the DELL server are very expensive. But would a normal (local suppier) Desktop server have the same reliabilty as the DELL's?

 

[muckshifter]

You pay for what you get, I get £250 an hour call out, you paying, I'll be there.


Just looks to me as you is going from the sublime to the ridiculous ... I have no idea how your present "server" is operating, or what is/may be the bottleneck.

To me, you is looking at the wrong end here ... a "server" is an invented word to hike up the price of a fancy looking PC ... if you are also looking for a maintenance "contract" have a look for a recent college student.

In the end, it's your dosh.