Servers

Reasons to get a server for your business:

• Central repository of data files – this provides you with fully security and redundant data should an error occur.
• Applications – a server can host most of your company’s applications, significantly lowering software costs and labor.
• Remote access – with a server, you have the option/ability to remotely access your programs and data.
• Shared calendar and contacts.

While nearly any personal computer is capable of acting as a network server, a dedicated server contains features that make it more suitable for production environments. These features may include a faster CPU with increased high-performance RAM, and/or multiple hard drives to protect your data.

More obvious distinctions include marked redundancy in power supplies, network connections, and even the servers themselves. Servers can run for long periods of time without interruption, and availability must often be very high, making hardware reliability and durability extremely important. Mission-critical enterprise servers are ideally very fault-tolerant and use specialized hardware with low failure rates in order to maximize uptime – because even a short-term failure can cost more than purchasing and installing the system.

Server types

Tower:

The traditional form for a smaller organization. It is about the same size as a tower desktop computer, but includes all the features of a server.

Rack:

A rack server is standard for environments where multiple servers reside in a metal rack structure. Rack servers are measured in Rack Units, or U, each of which has a height of 1.75”. The typical rack is 7 feet tall, and supports up to 42U of servers and devices. The advantage of a rack server is that it minimizes the amount of floor space needed and centralizes all servers in a lockable cabinet. A rack also controls the costs of cabling, battery protection, and cooling by keeping all the servers in a smaller area.

Blade:

A blade server is a highly compact server that shares a central enclosure, providing both power and networking features. Some blade enclosures support 16 servers in as little as 10U. This saves up to 60{6966aad7c06a28407806d67a77845f98a2bbe5789f2750ee67e50ec325c806f2} more space than traditional rack servers.

Hybrid:

Hybrids are 2U or 4U servers that include multiple independent servers within the same body. This is ideal for organizations that need to save space without over-purchasing to a full blade environment. If you already have a server, maybe it is time to upgrade – technology advances very quickly and newer servers can better protect your data, lower your electrical costs, or allow you to upgrade to new Virtualization Solutions. Whatever your Server needs are, our sales professionals will recommend the proper server solutions.