[wplug] Server choice

Kevin Squire gentgeen at linuxmail.org
Wed Apr 11 11:07:21 EDT 2007


This year I used an spare desktop machine to set up a trouble ticket
system (Request-Tracker) and a jabber server for our school staff.  

Now that my direct boss (the IT director) has seen it running for a
year, and the CFO has heard all the great reports - I have a green light
to get our first DEDICATED Linux server into the back office (WOOT!)

Anyway, they are asking for my input on what machine to get. (The IT
directory has only run Windows machines, so he wants my input since I am
the resident "Linux Expert")  Since I have never worked with server
hardware, I really don't have much input to give - so I am turning to
you all....

The server will run Debian stable - will serve as school wide Trouble
Ticket system, Jabber Server and POTENTIALLY (not 100% on this part yet)
a secondary email server. (we already have a very good, and stable email
server, but the CEO wants a "fall back" system for those few times when
#1 goes down).  

Ultimately I want to get the biggest bang for buck here.  The more I can
show off what we can do with Linux servers in the back office, the
better off we are going to be over all (right now we pay big bucks and
are depending on a number of different outside vendors - the more money
we can save on the IT side, the more money we can get sent over to the
"student" side - my real goal)

I have been given a price range of ~ $2,000, the IT director has said to
me -  "In the past I have always gone with X series on IBM "e" platform
servers"  but "I have a good rep and some great pricing for an HP\Compaq
Proliant .... Proliant has an awesome reputation and I can not neglect
the price points."


So those of you with server experience --- if someone gave you 2-3k to
buy any setup you wanted, what would you get?

-- 
http://gentgeen.homelinux.org

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