Server storage and processors..

[dawks]

I work for a non-profit private health care provider.

We have 40-50 users on our network using roaming profiles. Currently we have a few two servers with SCSI drives, but to get the kind of space we'd like is much to expensive for what we get. I was wondering if there is a good external (RAID) storage device in USB2 form we could just pop a few drives in for extra storage. (need NTFS for file permissions, must be redundant, doesnt need to be super fast since).

Alternatively we are looking at buying a Dell server and putting 4 SATA drives in RAID 5. Right now the box we are looking at comes with a Xeon 5130 (Dual core @ 2.0Ghz) but has an offer for a upgrade to a E5310 (quad core @ 1.6Ghz). This box would be mostly a file and print server, however in the future it may run our small database and things like terminal services for a few users. Would we be wise to take a per core clock speed reduction to get a few extra cores?

 

[bob4432]

i think you should quantify "small db"

what is the $$$ difference? how much storage is needed? are 40-50 users on it all the time? what os?

to bad the scsi drives are so expensive....

 

[dawks]

Small db being our payroll system has at most two users logged in at any time..

Our accounting system is a little bigger. Might have 5-6 users logged in.

The 40-50 users are mostly only connecting to the server for their roaming profiles. So we'd see a spike in the morning when everyone logs in, and at the end of the day when everyone logs off.

 

[bob4432]

i guess i would look at the current machine and watch it in the morniing and see if you even max out your current machine cpu wise and then go from there. what type of cpu are you using currently?

are you using myob? i had read that that software, at least the newer versions needs a ton of cpu power....