Discussion on:
View:
Show:
I think it's important that virtual support options be considered also unless VM support is not an issue.
The last server buy I did, everyone supported Windows, Red Hat and Suse but only HP made Debian support a company policy. Good on you HP (The proliants also have an internal USB for doing VMware off a flashdrive.)
Also, if VM support is point 11, point 12 should be contractor support. If you contract out for IT support, you may be limited to what they like. If they favor IBM server slabs, don't bother pricing out non-IBM hardware.
Also, if VM support is point 11, point 12 should be contractor support. If you contract out for IT support, you may be limited to what they like. If they favor IBM server slabs, don't bother pricing out non-IBM hardware.
The first steps are to consider your real future requirements. Don't think about what you want now, think about what you will need this server to do over its expected life span.
Space and power are next. If you have a datacenter the size of a Walmart with a budget to match, this will be a minor issue, but most organisations are concerned about the space the server will take, power consumption and heat dissipation. These factors uncover hidden costs associated with the server. Consider: If you have 4u of rack space between 2 servers and have a 4u server to install, are you going to install the server in the slot and risk a heat issue or install another rack? Either choice is gonna be expensive.
Finally, don't choose specs because the VP read a magazine and memorized a bunch of buzzwords. Yes, you might not have a choice, but if he specs a $12,000.00 piece of big iron when you can do the job with a $500.00 small server or even virtualize the machine and use existing equipment, he just might see the logic. Yes, there's a story here.
Space and power are next. If you have a datacenter the size of a Walmart with a budget to match, this will be a minor issue, but most organisations are concerned about the space the server will take, power consumption and heat dissipation. These factors uncover hidden costs associated with the server. Consider: If you have 4u of rack space between 2 servers and have a 4u server to install, are you going to install the server in the slot and risk a heat issue or install another rack? Either choice is gonna be expensive.
Finally, don't choose specs because the VP read a magazine and memorized a bunch of buzzwords. Yes, you might not have a choice, but if he specs a $12,000.00 piece of big iron when you can do the job with a $500.00 small server or even virtualize the machine and use existing equipment, he just might see the logic. Yes, there's a story here.
I would add that you need to also consider the new server's power and cooling requirements.
You need to make sure you have enough capacity in your UPS equipment and cooling system before adding a new server.
You need to make sure you have enough capacity in your UPS equipment and cooling system before adding a new server.
I understand there is a driving need to make sure there are 10 items in the list, but these lists full of filler in my inbox are annoying. Make sure your rack isn't full? Really? Also you completely ignored power (amps) concerns and their operating costs, which continue to bite budding systems engineer types and growing businesses everywhere. Also ignored vendor service concerns. A vendor who gets a failure notification email from your NAS unit and has already shipped you a replacement drive by the time you've even noticed the fault light deserves some consideration. One that ships you a replacement upon receipt of the dead drive may not cause downtime, but they do cause elongated periods of risk and degraded RAID performance.
You could insert those in place of any line item after #3 except for manageability, which should have been #1. In our current days of servers that quite often aren't in the same building (or same neighborhood) as us, if you don't have a way to watch the thing POST and boot from your desk, and a way to update BIOS settings remotely, you'll regret it. Even if you can walk to the server, you won't be able to perform you other duties while you're hunkered down on an uncomfortable miniature folding chair, in front of a little cart you had to wheel to the thing to have monitor and keyboard access. (And this probably happens during some kind of outage, so even worse.)
#7 should consider rentals as potentially a much better option. If your needs are changing rapidly enough that CPU sockets could ever be a decent upgrade route, a rental is probably a better option. At very least you get the opportunity to learn from your mistakes on a box that you can just stop renting and switch out for a better fit. #5 should just be dropped. Find me a server that doesn't support ECC memory and I'll show you a workstation or a gaming box that someone slapped a "server" sticker on top. Most of them enforce it whether you want it or not, much to the chagrin of anyone trying to build a high-core-count workstation.
You could insert those in place of any line item after #3 except for manageability, which should have been #1. In our current days of servers that quite often aren't in the same building (or same neighborhood) as us, if you don't have a way to watch the thing POST and boot from your desk, and a way to update BIOS settings remotely, you'll regret it. Even if you can walk to the server, you won't be able to perform you other duties while you're hunkered down on an uncomfortable miniature folding chair, in front of a little cart you had to wheel to the thing to have monitor and keyboard access. (And this probably happens during some kind of outage, so even worse.)
#7 should consider rentals as potentially a much better option. If your needs are changing rapidly enough that CPU sockets could ever be a decent upgrade route, a rental is probably a better option. At very least you get the opportunity to learn from your mistakes on a box that you can just stop renting and switch out for a better fit. #5 should just be dropped. Find me a server that doesn't support ECC memory and I'll show you a workstation or a gaming box that someone slapped a "server" sticker on top. Most of them enforce it whether you want it or not, much to the chagrin of anyone trying to build a high-core-count workstation.
oh man. I'd love to have a 1U slot in my desk to use a rack slab for a workstation. Noise control and cooling may be a bit of a trick but bwahahahahaa.. that thing would fly.
Have you ever worked in a big datacenter? These rules sound like they are for the small dental office with the server in their closet not a real server environment. How about LICENSING?? A lot of vendors have processor based licenses. You replace that single core with a quad core and now your app just got 4 times more expensive.
Techrepublic - I'm going to unsubscribe again unless you start publishing content that has value. This is just spam.
Techrepublic - I'm going to unsubscribe again unless you start publishing content that has value. This is just spam.
Regarding point #10: Manageability: there is a management tool on the market called AccessIT (http://www.minicom.com/kvm_accessit.htm) made by Minicom Advanced Systems that support both hardware & software management all together, it also support multi vendors so it solves the problem of getting stuck with one brand in your datacenter.
Nice article. Every aspect is important to choose a Server. Anyone know a certification about server? I remember Comptia Server+. On this day that cerfication is outdate.
... the tips you have provided would be minded to by discerning individuals - and I certainly hope to count myself among them! Thanks a bunch, dear! Install Outdoor Motion Sensor Light Switch | Outdoor Security Lighting
- Keyboard Shortcuts:
- Prev
- Next
- Toggle
