Server specs

[Wizzer]

We are a small school (about 300 pupils) and have had a quote for some new servers which I think are way over specced with a price tag of over £5k.

I'd like someone to back me up in my thinking so I can tell them they are being daft.

Currently we have 3 servers all running server 2003
one does PDC/file/print/AD/Exchange
one backup domain controller
one surfcontrol

It is the primary server that is the issue. Currently it is a dual 3GHz xeon with 2x72GB (raid mirror for system) and 2 seperate 146GB for data.

Currently we are using only 90GB across all.
We are planning to split off exchange to another machine.

We have been quoted for 2 Dual 3.2GHz xeon both with 3GB RAM.
The file/print server has been specced with 2x72GB drives for system, fair enough, but for data they are proposing 4x300GB drives in a RAID 5 config (2 useable, 1 parity, 1 hot swap)

This to me seems way too much given our current use.

Our Exchange database is at around 17GB yet they have propose 4 x 146GB RAID 5 !!!

In response to my query, they said "Hard disk sizes can be reduced but at no significant cost saving".

I think they are talking C**p. I've looked at various web sites and for what I think need, the cost is about half.

Perhaps you guys could give me an indication of what you are using and what size school so I can make a judgment.

Cheers.

[E1uSiV3]

lol thats a mad spec, my last place was running SQL and a shared file area on a Dual 3GHz Xeon, 3GB RAM, 1 36GB and 174GB SCSI360 drives with an LTO1 TBU, another identical box, (apart from only having 1 CPU and 1GB of RAM) was running 700 students homedrives and it flew along nicely...

btw both of those boxes cost less than £8000 with a nice 24 port managed GBit switch aswell.

RAID5 is useful, and i saved money on not having a RAID controllerand the extra drives, relying on tape backups instead, it all depends on your backup strategy and how much downtime you can afford.

[wesleyw]

I'm looking at a similar spec and the cost isn't too far off but as for needing that sort of storage and power I'll have to agree its little too much! Who is the quote from?

Try Stone (Stone Branded) or IC Technology (Dell) their quotes should be much better!

Wes

[indie]

I've just specced this server up from Dell for someone:

Intel 830 Dual Core 3.2Ghz - 2MB Cache, 800Mhz FSB
2Gb ECC RAM 2x1GB
3.5in Floppy Drive
3x160GB 7200RPM SATA - RAID 5
DVD-ROM Drive
200GB LTO2-LC Tape Drive + 5 Tapes
APC 1500i UPS
Tower case
3 Year NBD Support

Keyboard, Mouse, Gigabit LAN and no monitor.

Just over £2000 ex VAT, don't think that's too bad even if I do say so myself!

[wesleyw]

Did you go to dell directly or through a third party for that?

Wes

[indie]

Direct to Dell, for stuff from Dell I don't see the point in resellers, Dell have always beaten quotes from resellers so I just go straight to them now!

[john]

You probably want something like we got recently:

HP Proliant DL380 G4 (could change to ML370 if you want tower over Rack)
3.0 Xeon (dual capable) 64bit ready
1GB DDR2 Memory
4X 74GB U360 15K SCSIs (1 = system, 3=RAID 5 array)
Dual Gigabit LAN
CD-Rom
No Floppys
3YR NBD OS Warranty

Total Cost £1851.97

Our entire key network stuff runs off these, and they don't even break into a sweat

[Ric_]

If you do use the proposed spec you could give your users quotas of 2GB each on the filestore plus a 1GB mailbox each!

Does seem to be a little OTT. I would simply buy a dual box with a decent amount of storage to use as your new DC and file server. Move the print serving to your second DC and drop the origional DC to a member server that just runs Exchange.

[Wizzer]

Thanks for all your thoughts (and thanks for confirming what I thought).

The quote has come from Netshield, we have a support contract with them and before I came along I get the impression they could specify whatever and someone would sign the cheque.

They have proposed a HP ML370 and I'm happy with that choice, it's all the extra's they have added on that I disagree with.

[RoyG]

They have proposed a HP ML370 and I'm happy with that choice, it's all the extra's they have added on that I disagree with.

I'd certainly recommend HP - we have 2 single 1GHz Xeon ML350s & 1 dual 1GHz Xeon ML370 that haven't missed a beat in 5 years or so.

As the price of the hot-swap HDDs isn't too grim any more, I'd suggest mirroring at least.

Plug for Netware - who needs 3GHz processors!!

RoyG

[john]

I have 6 ML370s and 7 DL380s, and they have also never missed a beat ever, in some cases for 7 years!

[MistahBatson]

Hi,

We used to have custom built servers from a compnay in Bradford, that were to say the least, flaky. We had a major server crash at least every 3 days, for about 12 months. Mainly due to dodgy Mylex RAID controllers! As stable as Michael Barrymore!
After our last IT Manager went, we decided to replace most of our custom built servers with HP's. We currently have a number of HP ProLiant DL380's & DL360's working along side a NetApps filer system.
They haven't even wobbled over the last 2 years. I would definitely recommend HP servers.

[StewartKnight]

I know everybody thinks large h/d, but specify as much ram as possible as well. I have a stonking Dell system (a year old) that cost just under 2g

[Dos_Box]

I have 4 Dell 2650 with dual 2 gig Xeons and 5 full drive bays each. Very nice, powerful and hellishly reliable.

[fooby]

We just recently bought these

Two domain controllers of spec

1x 3U Rack Mount Server Chassis
1x Intel Motherboard Support 2 XEON Processors 3.0 GHz (Onboard Video and Dual Gigabit Lan)
2x Intel XEON Processors at 3.0 GHz
4x 1GB DDR Memory Modules ECC Intel Validated
4x 250 GB SATA Hard Drive Support NCQ 16 MB Cache
1x Rail Kit
1x Delivery

£1915

And Three terminal servers of spec

1x 1U Rack Mount Server Chassis
1x Intel Motherboard Support 2 XEON Processors 2.8 GHz (Onboard Video and Dual Gigabit Lan) - Support For Raid 0
2x Intel XEON Processors at 2.8 GHz
4x 1GB DDR Memory Modules ECC Intel Validated
2x 250 GB SATA Hard Drive Support NCQ 16 MB Cache
1x Rail Kit
1x Delivery

£1677

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