A Guide to Buy a Server- By Server Geeks

Server buying guide

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SERVER BUYING GUIDE FOR SMALL & MEDIUM

BUSINESS Guide to choose the right server for your business.

BEFORE YOU START, GET FAMILIAR WITH THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SERVERS

Don't let choices overwhelm you. Find out how to get the right server form factor, from the start

Many factors go into the decision to buy a high-performance, dedicated server, regardless of whether it's

your first server, a replacement for aging equipment or an addition to meet growing business needs. Small to

medium-size businesses (SMB`s) support many of the same business functions as large enterprises, which

may mean anything from running simple file/print and application hosting, to supporting a full-scale

Microsoft Exchange Server hosting implementation, dedicated web server hosting and so on.

After determining the primary network operating system you'll run on the server, estimated number of

concurrent users and any storage requirements, the next critical decision to make is selecting the appropriate

server form factor.

Server buying guide


UNDERSTANDING TYPES OF SERVER FORM FACTORS

Servers come in Three General form factors:

1. Tower

2. Rack

3. Blade

Server buying guide

1. Tower servers These are upright, free-standing units that contain all traditional server components:

Hard disks Motherboards, and Central processing Units (CPUs) Networking Cabling, Power and so on.

You commonly add a hard drive to a tower server for Direct Attached Storage

(DAS).

Tower servers generally require more floor space than bladed environments or rack-

mounted servers, and offer less scalability by design

2 Rack servers These are complete servers specially designed for ultra-compact vertical arrangement within a standardized 19-inch mounting rack or cabinet. Rack-mounted

models have expansion slots, known as mezzanine slots, for adding Network

Interface Cards (NIC`s) or Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter (HBA) cards. This

configuration uses floor space efficiently, and offers centralized cable and server

management. In addition, rack server configuration increases infrastructure

scalability by letting you add servers as needed, and connect to external storage,

such as Network Attached Storage (NAS) or Storage Area Network (SAN).

It's important to note that relative to server blades and enclosures, rack servers are

more limited in the number of new drives and memory you can install.

Rack servers are generally designed to work as a logical and cohesive whole but

without the tight integration found with server blades, which makes rack servers

more flexible in some situations. In addition, you can run servers from different

manufacturers in the same rack unit because the servers don't share proprietary

components.

3 Server blades These are small form factor servers housed in blade enclosures, which are designed for modularity and high-density footprints (enabling you to fit more servers into a

smaller space). A blade enclosure includes server blades and room for storage, in

addition to many shared componentspower, cooling and ventilation, networking and other interconnectsall controlled by an integrated management system.

Blade infrastructures generally require less rack space than rack-mounted servers.

Blade enclosures also use less power per server because of shared power and

cooling, which equates to less heat output and lower cooling costs.

Some blade infrastructure enclosures can increase the number of servers up to 60

percent.

Server buying guide


Assessing your needs

To narrow down the type of server form factor you need, you should first determine the role(s) you need this

server to fill, such as:

File sharing and storage, and printing services Application hosting Email and web hosting Server consolidation and virtualization Enterprise databases and business intelligence Enterprise resource Planning (ERP), Customer Resource Management (CRM) and other high-end,

process-intensive applications

Each of these server roles require increasingly higher processing power, memory, storage and, ultimately,

power and cooling needs. For example, a simple tower server can support file/print services and serve as a

dedicated email or host server; however, you'll find the flexibility and scalability of a rack or bladed

environment is necessary to efficiently host enterprise databases, ERP, CRM and so forth.

Available space

Do you have ample floor and/or closet space? If so, a tower server may be the most economical choice. If

your current server infrastructure is reaching its capacity, you should consider a rack-mounted server or

bladed infrastructure.

Scalability and costs

Tower servers remain one of the most economical choices, especially for a very small SMB looking to make

its first server purchase. However, relative to rack-mounted servers and server blades, tower servers lack

expansion options that SMB`s might need in the future.

Rack-mounted servers and bladed environments enable you to start small, buying only the number of

servers and storage options you need today, and add servers as needed in the future. By getting only what

you need up front, you can help reduce underutilization of equipment and save on initial capital costs.

To determine TCO of various server form factors, visit the HP ActiveAnswers web page and use the HP

BladeSystem TCO tool.

An HP BladeSystem c3000 Enclosure, for example, is designed for smaller sites or remote environments

needing two to eight servers or storage. The HP c3000 Enclosure is fully compatible with the larger HP

BladeSystem c7000 Enclosure, supporting the same server and storage products, so it's highly scalable.

Server buying guide


Selecting a server form factor

Select a tower server if you want an economical and all-inclusive server/storage solution to support file/print

or dedicated email or web services. This solution is ideal for first-time server buyers, especially in small

offices.

Consider a rack server for maximum computing power in a space-saving design, especially in environments

with an adequate power and cooling infrastructure and an existing storage system. It's usually best to have

in-house IT staff to maintain and support a rack server environment.

Choose a bladed solution to support high-end computing in high-density environments in which power and

cooling is already reaching its limits. Companies needing an enterprise-level blade enclosure should plan for

in-house IT support, but the smaller yet flexible enclosures are designed to quick deployment without a lot

of IT expertise.

Server buying guide


1 How many employees work in your office at the same time? 11 to 20

2 Do you have plans to implement any of the following technologies:

Centralized file and print sharing. An e-mail server A firewall or other centralized security solution. An online store or e-commerce solution.

Yes

3 Do you currently have your PC`s linked together in the peer- to-peer network?

Yes

4 Do you experience inefficiencies when you try to locate and share files with your employees?

Yes, frequently

5 Do you have a hard time accommodating employees who need to work from home occasionally?

Yes

6 Are you concerned about having strong enough security for your data?

Yes

Suggestion Choose and deploy a server as soon as possible to reduce file sharing difficulties

while improving security and protecting

your data.

INTRODUCTION

Server Type Ideal for

Tower Tower servers are ideal for small, remote or branch office environments, and offer maximum in-chassis flexibility and all-inclusive server/storage solutions.

Rack Rack servers are ideal for data centers and use with external storage. They offer maximum computing power in a space-saving design.

Blade Blade servers are ideal for data centers and use with external storage, and offer maximum computing power in space, power and cooling saving designs.

If you're not sure if your business is ready for a server, click on the Assess tab above to take a quick quiz:

Why does your business need a server when you have perfectly good desktops?

Desktops are optimized to run user-friendly operating systems, desktop applications, and to facilitate other "desktop" tasks that your business uses every day.

Servers enable you to manage files and printers, host a mail server, better secure your company

network, process data faster and more efficiently and can be extended to support data backup and

security. A server is much more than a supercharged desktop system, and can't be replaced by one.

If you're still unsure, take our quick quiz below:

Are your ready for a server?

If you're not sure whether or not your business is ready for a server, take this simple self assessment quiz and find out.

Scenario-I

Server buying guide


Scenario-II

1 How many employees work in your office at the same time? 21+

2 Do you have plans to implement any of the following technologies:

Centralized file and print sharing. An e-mail server A firewall or other centralized security solution. An online store or e-commerce solution.

Yes

3 Do you currently have your PC`s linked together in the peer- to-peer network?

No

4 Do you experience inefficiencies when you try to locate and share files with your employees?

Yes, frequently

5 Do you have a hard time accommodating employees who need to work from home occasionally?

No

6 Are you concerned about having strong enough security for your data?

Yes

Suggestion Consider an entry-level server solution to maximize efficiency and facilitate

growth.

See also:

When to consider a server overview

WHEN TO CONSIDER A SERVER OVERVIEW

Servers are everywhere these days. They can help you manage files and printers, host a mail server, better

secure your company network, and generally do more for you than a desktop can. However, knowing that

you need a server and actually getting the right one are two different things. This how-to guide will help you

understand what a server is, how to decide if you need one, and how to go about finding the right server to

meet your needs. The different sections of the guide include:

Understand it Find out how servers are different from desktop systems and how to decide if you need a

server.

Plan it Evaluate a solution you need a server for in practical terms like software, data, and users.

Do it See how one business found the right server for its needs in a success story.

Use it Learn more about the tools and resources from HP that can make the selection process easier.

Server buying guide


UNDERSTAND IT

You read business technology articles and you talk with savvy IT professionals. The message from both is

that key business systems are built on servers, but what exactly does that mean? "Server" is a broad term

that may quickly bring a host of questions immediately to mind:

How is a server different from a desktop system and can you use a high-end desktop in place of a

server?

What are storage area networks (SAN)? How do you know when you need a server? Do you need more than one server? How much memory and disk space will it need? Will you have to replace it in six months? And of course, how much will it all cost?

How is a server different from a desktop?

The answer to this key question is more straightforward than you might imagine. A server is a system

specifically designed to hold, manage, send and process data. The technology behind servers:

Makes them more reliable than desktop systems Helps them process data faster and more efficiently Can be extended to support data backup and security Reduces data bottlenecks so information flows more freely and quickly Is designed to scale as your needs scale

In short, a server is much more than a supercharged desktop system and can't be replaced by one. Desktop

systems are optimized to run user-friendly operating systems, desktop applications and facilitate other

"desktop" tasks. Even if a desktop sports the same processor speed, memory and hard disk space as a server,

they aren't the same because the technologies behind them are engineered for different usage.

Do you need a server?

Server technology and benefits notwithstanding, you don't want to make technology purchases that won't

benefit your bottom line, facilitate key business processes or otherwise make your life easier. While there is

no single litmus test that you can use to determine if you need a server, some general guidelines do apply.

If your office only has three or four staff members who share files across networked computers, surf the

Web or send email, you may not need a server at all. However, once you have five or more employees

working together on a network, a server can provide a central location for your important files, shared

applications and other resources you regularly use, like project documents and even an image library. In

addition, if you want to implement any of the following systems or applications you'll need a server:

Server buying guide


File and print server Microsoft Exchange system or other e-mail server Firewall or other security system Website or company intranet Database ERP or CRM solution E-commerce solution

And these are just the tip of the iceberg. In general, if you need to put a computer system in place that

processes, shares or otherwise manages data, you'll need a server.

The right server for you

The questions of how a server differs from a desktop and when a server is the right hardware solution are

easy to answer. But the answers to the remaining questions how much server you need to buy, what kind of configuration you need and of course, how much it will all cost you in the end are based entirely on what you plan to use the server for. One of the significant benefits of servers is that you can customize their

configurations to meet your very specific needs, so you can concentrate your money in those areas where

you need it most.

It probably won't surprise you to find out that a server typically costs more than a desktop, but then again, a

server is designed to do more than a desktop. It might, however, surprise you to find out a solid entry-level

server doesn't cost that much more than a high-end desktop and may fit more comfortably into your

technology budget than you might have imagined. As you'll see in the Do it section, many file/print and

Web servers (two of the most common uses for servers in small and medium businesses) come well

equipped for a reasonable price.

The most important thing you can do to ensure that your server meets your needs and fits your budget is to

devote a bit of time and energy to assessing those needs. Until you have a good understanding of exactly

what you want to use your server for, you run the risk of not buying enough server power or spending too

much of your valuable budget on features you simply don't need. A little planning in the beginning can

make for significant savings and proper equipment sizing in the end.

Server buying guide


PLAN IT

Planning to meet your server needs is an assessment activity that requires a bit of investigation on your part.

Ultimately, you are trying to answer a number of "how much" and "what kind" questions:

How many employees do you have? What problem are you trying to solve? What kind of software do you need for the number of people you have? How fast does the server need to process data (i.e., processor speed)? How many processors do you need? Some solutions require two or more. How much memory (RAM) do you need? How much hard disk space does data require, now and in the future? What kind of hard disk controller (SATA, SCSI, or SAS) do you need? Do you want a rack mount server or a tower? How many network interface cards do you need? Do you plan to attach additional backup and storage drives (tape or optical, for example) to your

system?

What level of RAID (redundant array of independent disks) do you want to support? What kind of server management tools do you need? Do you want help getting your server set up? What level of maintenance and support do you need?

The good news is that even if you don't know where to begin to start answering these particular questions,

the analysis you do of how you want your database, Web server, file server, or other system to function will

actually lead to the answers. Once you have a good idea what you are looking for in a solution, a reseller,

consultant and the tools on HP.com can help you convert those good ideas into real server specifications

(more on this in the Use it section).

Assessing your needs

If you don't have answers for the list of questions above, how do you go about assessing your solutions

needs? You have to evaluate several different aspects of the solution to get a complete picture you can use

to find the right server to support it:

The solution itself Software Data Users

Server buying guide


Your solution

While you probably have a good idea of what kind of solution you are planning to create, the more details

you can define for it, the easier it will be to choose the right hardware. For example, if you are building a

file and print server you might ask:

How many employees are in your company? How many and what kind of printers do you need to support? How much data do you have now?

If you are setting up a Microsoft Exchange server or other email system, you might ask:

What services do you need to support: email, instant messaging, and contact management? Do you plan to support mobile access to your email?

In addition to defining how your solution will behave when it first goes into action, you need to consider any

additions or changes you plan to make in the next few months or even a year. While your print server may

only need to manage one or two printers initially, you may intend to grow it to support eight to twenty

printers of varying types, including multifunction printers, scanners, and other printing and imaging devices.

When you choose to buy a server for your initial implementation that will support future expansion, you

save both time and money.

The software

If you plan on running a particular set of software packages on your server, such as a Web server or

database, you should gather all of the pertinent details about those packages before you go server shopping.

Most have very specific requirements for the kind of systems they need, including the best processor speed

as well as a minimum amount of memory and hard disk space.

While the documentation for each software package includes these basic requirements, consider asking the

software manufacturer or reseller for their advice on what kind of system to buy. It is in their best interest

for your solution to succeed, and they have a lot of experience putting their software to work on different

servers. Most can quickly and easily tell you what kind of server best supports their software when it runs

alone and even in conjunction with other software packages. Typically, this help is free, so take advantage

of it.

Server buying guide


The data

How much data you have now and how much you'll generate over the life of the server will directly dictate

how much storage space your server should offer. While defining exactly how much data you have, or how

much you will have, for that matter, is much like shooting a moving target, there are ways to calculate some

approximate numbers based on past history.

For example, if you plan to build a file server to hold documents currently scattered among many different

desktop systems, add up the amount of space they take up and divide that by how long it took you to create

them (in months, preferably). You'll have a good idea of how much storage space you need immediately,

and you can calculate the average amount of data you create per month. Multiply that average by 24 or 36

months, and you'll have a good idea of how much storage space you'll need on your server in two or three

years.

If you are creating a more complicated solution like a database-driven website, rely on your programming

staff or consultants to help you define how much data the system will generate. Also, don't forget that your

actual data isn't the only information your server will store. Any software you install will take up disk space,

as will the server's operating system, so you have to take all of that into account when you consider drive

space. The good news is that a reseller or sales associate can help you pull this all together.

Users and performance

Finally, you need to have a good idea of how many people will be working with your solution and how well

it needs to operate for them. Both of these factors affect the horsepower (both processor speed and memory)

your server needs. If your file and print servers will only have eight or 10 users, you won't need as much

power. However, if it will have to support 50 to100 users your power needs will be more significant.

If you are building an intranet or a website, you need to have a rough estimate of how many people will visit

the site per day. In addition, if you are building a database solution, how many people will be accessing the

database at once?

Also, don't just think about how many users your system needs to support when you launch it. As with data,

consider how many users you expect to support in six months, a year or two years. You want to be sure that

your server is ready to support an increasing number of users.

Tip: Depending on the complexity of the solution, you may have to evaluate each of these different aspects

yourself, or the IT professionals building the solution may do it for you. If you are putting the solution

together yourself (for an office file and print server or a small intranet, for example) assess your needs as

completely as possible but don't be afraid to rely on a reseller, consultant or other expert for help reviewing

your work. They don't have to build the solution from soup to nuts to give you the benefit of their expertise,

and the few hundred dollars you spend up front to buy a few hours of a professional's time could save you

thousands of dollars down the road.

Server buying guide


DO IT

The following example describes a real-world scenario that illustrates how an organization might evaluate

its particular solution needs and find the right server to support those needs.

A file and print server for 20

Trey's writing and training consulting business has been growing by leaps and bounds in the last year. His

company of one has grown to a virtual company of 20 and he's decided to lease office space and bring

together his employees, who had previously worked from their homes, so they can be more effective and

productive. To share files, employees use email or some space on an FTP server that is associated with the

company website hosted at a local ISP. The FTP server only has 250 MB of space, however, so the server is

only good for file transfer, not file storage.

Trey knows that once the employees are together in an office, they'll need to share printing resources and

should have access to a common file server he can easily back up each night. The content and training

materials the company creates are its bread and butter, so they need to be both accessible and easy to

protect.

Server buying guide


PLAN IT

Planning to meet your server needs is an assessment activity that requires a bit of investigation on your part.

The following articles will assist you in evaluating the different aspects of your business that need to be

considered when purchasing a server.

Determine requirements for your new server Assess your business requirements and what your

server needs to do be able to do to fulfill them.

Which server form factor is right for me? Learn the difference between a Tower, Rack and Blade servers and which one is right for your

business.

Top 5 mistakes people make when buying their first server

Discover common pitfalls you need to avoid when purchasing your first server.

Making it all work - a networking primer Determine what networking accessories you will need to get your server up and running.

TOP 5 MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUYING A SERVER

Purchasing a server can be one of the most significant IT purchases facing your company. Getting it right

the first time through helps you get the largest possible return on investment (ROI) while reducing the

difficulties encountered with a purchase gone wrong. This article covers common server buying mistakes

that you can avoid with a little know-how and consideration.

1. Rushing the planning and selection process

Business demands often make it difficult, at best, to find time to research server specifications and vendor

offerings. Just as you finish one deadline or address an unexpected problem, another comes up quickly. By

the time you really need new equipment, you're in a crunch.

Regardless, you must spend the extra effort and time to thoroughly understand the tasks you need a new

server to perform. File sharing and backup, for example, don't require nearly the processing power as a

server that hosts an email system or databases. In addition, determining your storage needs is essential. If

you anticipate that an upcoming project could push your current storage availability to its limits, don't buy a

server with internal storage only. You'll need the flexibility of some type of external storage to meet future

growth.

Consider what you need today and within the next year or two, and then compare several configurations

from several vendors.

Server buying guide


2. Buying based only on cost

Don't buy a server based only on price. There are many factors that contribute to the price of a server, and

support is one of them. If you've been consistently too busy to adequately research servers, you might be too

busy in the future to provide adequate support.

Many companies buy a generic, bare-bones server to reduce their initial investment. However, this can

increase the time your support staff spends getting the server up and running, and performing ongoing

maintenance and upgrades. It can also result in hardware compatibility problems that plague an

implementation. Getting a complete unit that's tested for compatibility and reliability, and includes a good

support package, enables support staff to focus on more pressing business problems.

Unfortunately, even though price shouldn't be your primary consideration point, it does demand attention.

HP Finance is ready with several options, including both lease and finance plans. Take advantage of HP's

expertise to help you find the best way to get the right technology in-house.

3. Misunderstanding components and specifications

Your production server should use server-specific processors rather than advanced desktop PC processors.

Server-specific processors are designed to support the performance and data throughput required in a server.

Examples of these processors include dual- or quad-core Intel Xeon, Intel Core2 Duo, Intel Celeron, Intel

Itanium 2 Montecito and AMD Opteron processors. In addition, a high-performance server using only a

single embedded processor generally doesn't provide the computing power needed for high-end

applications.

It's a good idea to establish that the hardware you intend to purchase is compatible with your desired

operating system. Certain processors, for example, work best with certain operating systems.

Assessing the management tools:

Even with a server that has the specifications (processor, memory, drive bays and so on) you need, you can

spend more money and effort than necessary by using inadequate management tools. Consolidated, easy-to-

use and comprehensive management software is a key contributor to the ROI of a rack server or bladed

environment.

The bottom line is that it shouldn't take you 10 clicks to get to useful screens.

Good management software should enable you to:

Monitor and manage your entire IT infrastructure (physical and virtual) from a single console. Provide an easy-to-use web-based interface for rapid deployment of standard server configurations

and software builds.

Support seamless migrations and vulnerability and patch management.

Server buying guide


4. Sacrificing scalability

You must select a server based on your current needs in addition to the foreseeable future. This requires

scalability, which generally means scaling up or out. Let's say you've decided to buy a tower server to meet

a business need today. However, your customer base expands rapidly in six months due to a successful sales

campaign. Now you're considering a customer resource management (CRM) system to meet the needs of

your long-time clients and the new customers, and continue capturing new leads. Your recently purchased

server can't support the new system, so you're back to researching a new server solution and spending

additional money.

Spending a little more money up front to ensure flexibility and future-proof your server provides a much

better ROI over the long term.

5. Not reading the fine print for support packages and warranties

Most SMBs need a solution that simply runs their applications, is reliable and doesn't involve hours on the phone getting help with IT-related problems. Your vendor should be locally available to support your

hardware, and be willing to fix problems rather than just patch them by throwing more hardware or software

into the mix (at your expense). Therefore, you must take the time to carefully review vendors' support

packages and hardware warranties before you make a purchase.

If you can't clearly determine a vendor's support and service offerings, look for another vendor.

MAKING IT ALL WORK: NETWORK SOLUTIONS FOR THE BEGINNER

You've bought your first server. Now what? Here are some pointers on setting up a server in a small

business environment.

You've carefully assessed your needs, reviewed server specifications, selected a vendor and purchased your

server. Before you sit back and wait for it to arrive, you need to know what will be required once you pull it

out of the box and are ready to set it up. This article is a quick primer on setting up and networking a server.

Selecting and installing a network operating system

When getting a server up and running, you follow these general steps:

1. Install the hardware, peripherals and cabling. Note: Most traditional tower servers are ready to be

plugged in and powered on immediately out of the box. A rack-style server must be racked, provided

power, networked and possibly have fiber cables run to the server. Racking a server blade means

inserting the blade into the enclosure. Because all cabling has already been run to the enclosure, no

further cabling is needed.

2. Install and configure an operating system, define server roles, create users and so on. 3. Connect the server to storage and the network.

4. Install applications and enable services.

Server buying guide


Selecting and installing client software

Like a network operating system, you need to install client software on workstations that will connect to the

server. This process is made easier if you use imaging software and/or scripting to quickly deploy identical

configurations to multiple client computers.

Making the connection

Computers must share common media to communicate successfully. Network media may be a physical

cable (Ethernet 802.3) or a wireless connection (802.11 a, b, g or n).

The devices that enable flow of communications across a network include:

Router:

A device that specializes in managing the flow of traffic between or among networks. Even the cable or digital subscriber line (DSL) modems that so many small offices and home

offices use for internet access usually include router capabilities as well.

Switch: A device that enables multiple individual computers or other devices to attach to a network,

and manages communications so that pairs of devices can access the network as if it were

exclusively and solely theirs to use.

Wireless access point: A device that connects wireless devices to form a network. Wireless access points generally

have a short range50 to 150 feetso it's common to have two or more wireless access points in a wireless environment.

Servers generally include built-in network interfaces; however, many older computers and even newer

servers still use add-in network interface cards (NICs) for network connectivity. Wired technologies require

at least one cable per interface to make the connection between it and the networking medium in use. For

wireless technologies, this means configuring the transmitter/receiver with the information necessary to find

the right frequencies, provide the right identification and gain access to a wireless networking.

Selecting and installing applications

The applications you decide to run depend on the server's role and the network operating system you use. In

general, it's best to use all Microsoft or compatible products for application servers running a Windows

Server operating system. If you're running a Linux distribution, you might select open source applications

designed expressly for Linux.

Email applications

Windows and Linux use different versions of email software, such as Microsoft Exchange Server, Lotus

Domino, Linux Sendmail and SUSE Linux OpenExchange Server. These software packages use a server

portion and a client portion.

Server buying guide


Web applications

Commonly used web server applications include Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) and Apache.

The client software portion is a web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and

Opera.

Database applications

Popular database applications include Oracle products and SQL for Windows-based environments, and MySQL for Linux.

Securing the server and network

Certain servers, such as logon, application, file, and print servers, are normally accessed internally but not

from outside your network for security reasons. However, services such as web and email are generally

accessed from outside the network and have different requirements. Using a firewall helps eliminate

undesired access by the outside world and is a good first line of defense.

A firewall can be comprised of hardware, software or a combination of the two. Most experts recommend

deploying two firewalls for higher security.

You should also create a demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the internet and your internal network. The

internet and the internal network can access the DMZ, but neither can access each other directly. Place your

web and email servers in the DMZ, and limit internal and external users' access to the servers in this area.

Be sure to purchase and install well-known antivirus and anti-spam software that runs on your server and

client computers. Schedule the software to update itself every day for maximum protection.

Using management and monitoring tools

Monitoring applications keep track of the health and status of servers and other equipment, such as:

Server hardware Operating systems and applications Network devices, such as switches and routers Blade enclosures and components Sensors (to measure temperature, for example) Other devices, such as storage area network (SAN) hardware

All major server vendors have their own monitoring applications, which range from basic (with relatively

few options) to comprehensive. HP Systems Insight Manager (SIM) is a centralized, integrated management

console for managing and monitoring HP ProLiant servers and HP BladeSystems. Open source alternatives,

such as Nagios, are also available.

Server buying guide


Considering power management

A simple client/server setup might require only a good uninterruptible power supply (UPS) attached to the

server. More complex infrastructure with rack-mounted or blade enclosures have unique power and cooling

requirements. Work with your vendor to ensure an adequate thermal assessment is performed and your

infrastructure meets your power and cooling needs.

SET UP

So you've decided that a server is a perfect fit for your small business and have picked out the one that best

meets your organization's needs. Now what? With HP not only do you get the benefit of using HP server

technology, but with HP Care Pack Services and resellers you can also have the added advantage of local

setup and tech support for your HP server and storage systems.

HP Care Pack Services reduce server downtime risks with support levels from basic to mission-critical.

They cover all the IT products your small business relies on: servers, storage, networking, desktops, mobile

computing, printing and imaging, and software. In short, HP Care Pack Services enables you to concentrate

on your business, and not have to worry about the technology that helps keep it running. For more

information about HP's setup and support options, visit the HP Care Pack Services website for details.

CHOOSE

Server for:

File and print Email and messaging Domain controller Citrix or terminal services Small Medium Business solutions Web server Database

Server buying guide


File and Print Server

Are you going to run any other applications on this

file and print server?

What application will you run on this file and

print server?

Do you want a tower, rack or blade server?

How many users will there be on this file and

print server?

No other applications will be run on this server

Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2008

Rack 1 - 75 users 75 - 400 users

400 - 1000 users

Blade 1 - 75 users 75 - 400 users

Yes, other applications will be run on this server

Microsoft Windows Server 2008

Windows Essential

Server 2008

Tower 1 - 25 users 25 - 75 users

75 - 400 users

400 - 1000 users

Rack 1 - 75 users 75 - 1000 users

Blade 1 - 75 users 75 - 1000 users

Yes, other applications will be run on this server

Red Hat Enterprise Linux - RHEL 6 or

higher

SuSE Linux Enterprise

Server - SLES 11 or

higher

Tower 1 - 25 users 25 - 75 users

75 - 400 users

400 - 1000 users

Rack 1 - 1000 users

Blade 1 - 1000 users

Server buying guide


Small Medium Business solutions

What application will you run on this Small Medium Business

solutions server?


How many users will there be on this Small Business Suite server?

Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard or Essentials

Tower 1-10 users 10-30 users

30-75 users

Rack 1-10 users 10-30 users

30-75 users

Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation

Tower 1-10 users

Rack 1-10 users

Server buying guide


Email and messaging

What application will you run on this email and messaging server?

Do you want a tower, rack or blade server

How many concurrent users will there be on this email and

messaging server?

Microsoft Exchange

NOTE: For more information on

configuring Servers and Storage

for exchange, click here.

Tower 1 - 75 concurrent users 75 - 400 concurrent users

400 - 1000 concurrent users

Rack 1 - 1000 concurrent users

Blade 1 - 1000 concurrent users

Lotus Domino Tower 1 - 75 concurrent users 75 - 400 concurrent users




Linux SendMail Tower 1 - 75 concurrent users 75 - 400 concurrent users




SuSE Linux Openexchange Server





Server buying guide


Web server

What application will you run on this web server?


How many concurrent users per minute do you expect to hit the

web server?

Apache Tower 1 - 400 users per minute 400 - 1000 users per minute

Rack 1 - 400 users per minute 400 - 1000 users per minute

Blade 1 - 400 users per minute 400 - 1000 users per minute

Microsoft IIS Tower 1 - 400 users per minute 400 - 1000 users per minute

Rack 1 - 400 users per minute 400 - 1000 users per minute

Blade 1 - 400 users per minute 400 - 1000 users per minute

Domain controller

Do you want a tower, rack or blade server? How many concurrent users will there be on this

domain controller server?




Rack 1 - 25 concurrent users 25 - 75 concurrent users



Blade 1 - 25 concurrent users 25 - 75 concurrent users



Server buying guide


Database

What application will you run on this database server?

Do you want a tower, rack or blade server

How many concurrent users will there be on this database server?

Microsoft SQL Database

For x86/X64 32/64-bit

applications









Oracle Database

For x86/X64 32/64-bit

applications










Citrix or terminal services

Do you want a tower, rack or blade server? How many concurrent users will there be on this

Citrix or Terminal Services server?

Tower 1 - 10 concurrent users 11 or more* concurrent users

Rack 1 - 10 concurrent users 11 or more* concurrent users

Blade 1 - 10 concurrent users 11 or more* concurrent users

A Guide to Buy a Server- By Server Geeks

Documents

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