I need advice from server gurus

[UsandThem]

In the next six months I am going to build a server and use it to start up a small little business. From looking at pre-built servers (keep in mind budget) they don't seem to differ from desktops much besides using ECC ram.

Anybody have any good sites that I can read up on building, configuring, and running a server? What OS do you recommend to do this? Linux, 2000, NT, XP?

Thanks for any leads/advice you can give.

 

[WHipLAsh13]

Here is a pretty informative article. You would probably want to install 2000 Server or Advanced Server as an OS.

 

[FUBAR]

Depends on your needs and uses. Post those and you may get some better/more informative to you responses

 

[UsandThem]

<< Depends on your needs and uses. Post those and you may get some better/more informative to you responses >>



I am going to use for business. Take orders, answer questions, send back automated replies, show products, and so on.

 

[SCSIRAID]

If you are going to run your business on the server then reliability is most likely your key focus. Servers are much more than ECC RAM.

1) RAID - to survive drive failures
2) Redundant power - to survive power supply failure
3) Redundant cooling - to survive fan failures and insure cooling
4) Management - to gather alerts and messages as precursors to failure
5) Surge suppression and UPS - to protect from lightning and the power company
6) Quality NOS to insure maximum uptime (W2K .net etc etc)

 

[UsandThem]

SCSIRAID,

The server I am looking at bulding has all that you listed, except I am not too up to date on the following:


2) Redundant power - to survive power supply failure (does this work by just having two power supplies and if so how would you get them to work together because the motherboard only has one power connection?)


3) Redundant cooling - to survive fan failures and insure cooling (how do you have redundent cooling with a heatsink/fan? I am going to go Intel for the server as a fan that dies on the heatsink would not be the death of the CPU.)

Thanks,
JB

 

[err]

antiAbit (nice nick BTW )

You would need special motherboard with 2 power connector to run redundant power supply.

As for Server OS, go with whatever you're most comfortable with. If you haven't toyed much with Unix, go for Windows 2000 Server. You don't need the Advanced version.

From what you're saying:



<< I am going to use for business. Take orders, answer questions, send back automated replies, show products, and so on. >>



It seems like you will require a Mail server and a web server.

eRr

 

[SCSIRAID]

Redundant power is function of the power subsystem. The power supplies are designed for current sharing and work together seamlessly and usually plug into a power backplane. The backplane supplies power to the motherboard and the rest of the sytsem.

Servers rarely use heat sink fans since they are by default not redundant. What you typically see is large passive heat sinks that are cooled by reduntant chassis fans.

Check Out this one

 

[UsandThem]

<< Servers rarely use heat sink fans since they are by default not redundant. What you typically see is large passive heat sinks that are cooled by reduntant chassis fans >>




I see, said the blind man

I never knew servers were so different. Heck it might be better (and cheaper) to have a company host me instead.

 

[blstriker]

Have you considered buying a dell poweredge server? Their prices are fairly reasonable. How are you going to host this server?

 

[jshrieve]

The most important thing, besides all these RAID setups and redundant power supplies.. is backups! Backup backup backup.
RAID will protect you from a failed drive, but it won't save your data from a corrupted filesystem, a hacker, or a stupid mistake. Backups can.