[wplug] Server choice

Wed Apr 11 12:41:24 EDT 2007

I second the stick with the existing platform/vendor. Work the support
side too and make sure you have a good warranty. Extended warranties are
50/50 for a device that is a backup. For primary roles, get 4 hour on
site. For a backup, look at a longer time for response, but also a
longer contract time.
It doesn't make for long term sense to start lowballing everything and
then getting into the issue of multiple vendors, multiple backup drives,
multiple remote management tools etc etc.
If you have IBM, stick with IBM but see if you can put Linux on it. IBM
should be able to help you out there. Also, since you are an educational
facility, all vendors have special pricing for edu. 
For the hardware specs, the reality is that anything current will
suffice for your environment. It's the planning for the future that will
throw a wrench in the works.

Brent

________________________________

From: wplug-bounces+rust=lucasware.com at wplug.org
[mailto:wplug-bounces+rust=lucasware.com at wplug.org] On Behalf Of Michael
H. Semcheski
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 11:30 AM
To: General user list
Subject: Re: [wplug] Server choice

Here are my thoughts:

First, if you predominantly have a particular platform (eg, you have all
BrandX computers), stick with that.  

Second, think carefully about what warranty you get.  You can save a
nice chunk of change by getting 9-5x5 support instead of 24x7.  If you
aren't going to be monitoring it 24x7, then why bother paying more for
it?  Of course, sometimes you need it. 

Third, figure out how much disk space you need.  Then, get a fast disk.
If you only need 50GB (which is a lot of trouble tickets), get a 150GB
10,000RPM SAS disk or SATA disk.  Don't bother with a 750GB 7200 RPM
drive if you don't need the space.  And don't trouble yourself with a
RAID array if you don't need it.  Its a great thing when you need it,
but it can be a pain too.  It complicates things. 

Finally, I always look for the sweet spot in processors.  You don't need
to get the cheapest one, but generally you can see the fastest or the
top two processors cost a lot more.  At one price point, you're paying
$50 more for 10% more speed.  That might be OK.  At a higher price
point,you may be paying $200 more for 5% more speed.  That's not
necessary most of the time. 

And of course, don't skimp on things like RAM or a DVD drive.  They're
going to come in handy at some point in the life of this machine.  Think
about what this machine will be doing in five years.  

It depends a lot on your organization and how you do things.
Personally, I pinch the pennies, and we keep our machines in service for
a LONG time.  Some people replace them more frequently.  Some people
have racks, some people like towers. 

On 4/11/07, Kevin Squire <gentgeen at linuxmail.org> wrote: 

	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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