Servers are at the core of every company’s IT infrastructure. Choosing the right server for a business can be a momentous decision. On the one hand you might purchase equipment that is not appropriate for the purpose it’s intended for.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, buying a server that is too powerful for your business needs leads to an unnecessary expense. So, a bad choice is easily made. This article investigates what you as a business owner really need to know for choosing your server.
Key questions for choosing your server
The IT-market offers many server types, components, and networking options. This wide selection of models can make choosing a server seem daunting. Yet, with the right information and a clear idea of the server function, the process of choosing your server becomes painless and successful.
Below you’ll find key questions to help you pick the server option, that best fits your business needs:
What and how many applications will you be operating?
Choosing the right server is an important business decision, because it will influence the server maintenance. It is important to mainly base your choice for a server on the applications your end users will operated. Therefore, always start with the operating system.
Examples of applications are: file, email, CRM and databases.Usually, applications are very demanding. Choosing the incorrect hardware to support the performance requirements, might lead to delays, errors, and, even worse, downtime. Thus, always refer to the Original Equipment Manufacturer(OEM) of each application. They will indicate the key requirements for the hardware.
If a company requires the use of many applications, a stronger server is needed. Such as a tower, rack, or blade server.
What type and quantity of processors is required?
Another requirement is to take into consideration the applications you will be operating to be able to select the correct type of server processors. Usually, each application requires a particular type of processor, core, and speed.
Also, always make sure not to buy a too powerful processor. This will avoid spending unneeded costs. And at the same time, ensures you get a processor that provides enough server power to prevent bottlenecks.
Besides that, IT specialists and online research help you pinpoint the minimum system requirements needed to carry out tasks now and in the future.
This information will help you have a clearer idea about the server that best fits your business requirement.
What type and quantity of switch ports are required for the server?
Sometimes, customers buy several servers but later on discover they don’t have enough ports on their switch to plug them in. Therefore, you should always know the number of ports available in your network. In this way you will easily know if you need another switch to support your servers. This applies both to a small business and a large corporation.
How much memory do you need?
When it comes to memory capacity, it is the more the better. Initial cost will be high, but having a lot of memory helps you to avoid having to take down your network to increase the memory installed on your server. A large capacity was already anticipated at the initial deployment. So, it’s better to max out your server with memory to avoid the hassle of having to take down your network. Simply said, nobody wants to waste time de-racking and re-racking servers.
How much power do you really need?
Calculate how much power is required for your server to obtain the necessary power supply. Nowadays, power consumption and saving is a critical topic. Therefore, do not ignore the issue if your server consumes a lot of power. This will depend on the installed components.
Review the power consumption for each component and choose the best option based on your business needs. This might also depend on the planned budget for server allocation. Depending on your business size and whether its intensive usage of IT resources or not, a larger or small purchase might be justified.
What type of server do you need?
Another decision to make is to choose between the type of server: tower, rack and blade servers.
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- Tower servers
Tower servers look similar to regular desktop computers and stand alone without the need of a cabinet. This is the ideal choice for companies without a dedicated server room. Small companies with modest IT budgets often choose tower servers because they are the cheapest option. The disadvantage of a tower server is the amount of space they take. This makes a tower server a typical choice for a small business server.
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- Rack servers
Rack servers are installed in a cabinet and require a dedicate server room. This type of cabinet can house multiple servers installed on top of each other in slots. This makes rack servers a good option for businesses who need multiple servers and want to reduce the physical footprint of their IT infrastructure. Rack servers are usually the choice of growing companies with demanding system requirements.
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- Blade servers
Finally, blade servers are the most common choice for large enterprises for their high density and converged networking. They take up even less room than rack servers, but also require a dedicated space with cooling equipment. Blade servers have higher processing power. They can further be managed through a single interface. This will make their maintenance and monitoring more simple. On the other hand, they also have higher thermal output and are very heavy. So, they must be placed in dedicated data centers with proper cooling equipment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the best way of choosing your server involves planning carefully and ensuring that your choice meets all of your key requirements. It is also good to know that you can always add additional equipment if you need it. Especially, when in the future your workload and accompanying requirements grow larger.
If you still have questions about choosing your server and related products or maintaining it, contact our team at Evernex today. Our experienced staff is always here to help, and will be glad to assist you with whatever you need.
