Hardware Requirements For a Server

[cancer10in]

Hello,

I want to setup a server @ my office for testing my websites which uses Classic ASP/SQL Server 2005/IIS etc.

The operating system we would like to have is Windows 2003 server.

Due to my low budget I would like to go for an assembled one. So I need some nice hardware configuration to setup this server. Eg: 2 GB Ram, dual screen monitor etc

Can you post some nice configuration?

Thanx in advance.

[nitroshift]

Do you want it Intel or AMD based? And what is your budget? And WHY going for an assembled one when a custom one costs less?

[cancer10in]

Well it a limitation of budged i meant that I cannot go for an IBM Mainframe.

I need an Intel CPU Server.

also whats the diff b/w a custom made and an assembled?

Thanx

[nmX.Memnoch]

You're going to run about the same cost either way. Purchasing an assembled one from Dell, HP, IBM, etc is going to net you a good warranty package as well.

What's your planned budget? You can get a entry level Dell PowerEdge 840 for under $2500USD. I know that may sound like a lot, but in the world of servers it's pretty cheap, especially considering what it would've cost to get something semi-equivelant to that 5-10 years ago.

[bonestonne]

what you need in a server depends on its use. a low end server could be built from a PC, no joke.

the second you start running virtual environments the requirements go up.

I have a dual PIII Xeon rig that will be turned into a fileserver in my house by the end of the year hopefully. its 9 years old, and has plenty of power for the job.

if its a basic file/print server, almost any dual core will do it fabulously, but past a single OS, you're looking at something much higher.

from what i know, any dual core can handle that job, 2 gigs of ram would be better, and you can always change a graphics card.

i don't want to go around popping anyones bubbles, but i rarely see a DIY computer be more expensive than a pre-configured one. once you get into mods thats one thing, but initially, you'll save money and learn something doing it yourself.

[nmX.Memnoch]

i don't want to go around popping anyones bubbles, but i rarely see a DIY computer be more expensive than a pre-configured one. once you get into mods thats one thing, but initially, you'll save money and learn something doing it yourself.

Sorry but when I'm configuring a server for a business, even if it's only for development/testing purposes, I'll take a "pre-configured" one any day so that they get the warranty package. When you include the additional support through the Tier 1 server OEMs you can't come close to the price with a DIY system. Period.

What I build for myself at home is a different story. I currently have a custom built Dual Xeon 3.06GHz/6GB RAM/1.2TB server that's my domain controller, print server, file server, DHCP, DNS, WINS, IIS, etc, etc. I'll be upgrading it to a quad-core system over the coming months though. Here are my planned upgrades (and I'm putting them in this thread in case the OP wants some ideas should he decide to build it himself):

Current -> Upgrade

Supermicro X5DA8 -> Supermicro PDSME+

2 x Intel Xeon 3.06GHz -> 1 x Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600

6 x 1GB PC2100 Registered ECC DDR -> 4GB (or) 8GB PC2 5300 Unbuffered ECC DDR2

2 x 80GB Seagate 7200.8 PATA RAID1 (OS/Apps Only) -> 2 x 250GB Seagate 7200.10 SATA RAID1 (OS/Apps Only)

Toshiba SCSI CD-ROM -> Pioneer PATA DVD+/-RW

3ware 9550SX SATA RAID Controller -> moving to new motherboard

4 x 400GB SATA 3Gbps -> moving to new motherboard with 3ware 9550SX

Windows Server 2003 R2 Entperise Edition -> Windows Server 2008 Enterprise x64 Edition (when it's released)

That motherboard will allow me to keep my current PCI-X 3ware 9550SX and upgrade to (or add) a PCIe SATA (or SAS) RAID controller later. The CPU will allow me to run as many threads as the current system (given Hyper-Threading), but do it more efficiently and use less power doing it. I haven't decided on the amount of RAM for the upgrade yet, but I will be running at least one VM.

[puntoMX]

Sorry but when I'm configuring a server for a business, even if it's only for development/testing purposes, I'll take a "pre-configured" one any day so that they get the warranty package. When you include the additional support through the Tier 1 server OEMs you can't come close to the price with a DIY system. Period.

Would you remove that "Period" if I tell you that support in most countries suck big time or doesn’t even exists? What would you do if you don’t want to depend on support from a provider or a manufacture?

I would take a look at Supermicro or Tyan base servers by the way...

[nmX.Memnoch]

Actually...no I wouldn't. There are so many server manufacturers that they can't all be bad.

• Dell
  
• HP
  
• IBM
  
• Gateway
  
• Fujitsu-Siemens
  
• Sun (yes, you can get Windows on a Sun box now)
  

Those are just to name a few. There are tons more.

[dIZZYCoDeR]

It sounds to me like the dude just wants to test his websites for in-house dev b4 hitting production. I say upgrade a current server and use the old as testing. Or as bonestonne puts it

what you need in a server depends on its use. a low end server could be built from a PC, no joke.

Intel board, 3.06Ghz Celeron D, 3GB RAM and two 7200 SATA drives in a mirror. Fast enough to host ASP/SQL and get the right board and you'll pop a Core 2 in there and 3 more GB of RAM when that power is needed. Right now it costs him... what, like $900?

[bonestonne]

Celeron = bad, they aren't even dual core

i'd at least put a C2D in it...E6600, if you've got the extra money 6750.

reason for skipping P4D completely is the TDP...while some can outperform a lower end C2D, its not all power.

[puntoMX]

Celeron = bad, they aren't even dual core

err... The guy is saying: For a test system. A Celeron isn’t that bad, it’s just a single cored version of the Exxxx series. By the way, soon there will be dual cored Celerons too, just wait a few months

[nmX.Memnoch]

By the way, soon there will be dual cored Celerons too, just wait a few months

It's happening in Q1 '08.

http://www.digitimes.com/mobos/a20071017PD218.html

[Tripredacus]

OK first of all, you said this will be for website testing. The main factor here will be what your projected server load will be. The website you put up on there, will it be accessed by many people at once, by just your computer or your lan? If you aren't going to be making this available to the entire internet to see, don't worry about getting a good server and you can just use the requirements that your software needs.

If this is a server that will host a website that will be accessable from the internet, providing you aren't using a residential internet account to do so, then you should get a higher-end device. If you do have a residential internet account, shame on you.