Can you find any better kit for the same price (Virtualization)

Can you find any better kit for the same price (Virtualization) or have any better suggestion's for the hardware below

This one is for a Intel Modular Server System



Intel Chassis Components



x1 Intel Chassis (MFSYS25V2) (Comes with x2PSU, x1 Networking Switch, x1 SAN Controller)
£2562.73 - LambdaTek



x2 1000W PSU (AXXPSU) (This will make the Intel chassis have 4 PSUs which is the max)
£159.57 Each - PrimoIT



x1 *Optional* - 2^ND SAN Storage Controller (AXXSCM3S) - This will allow the first SAN storage controller to go faulty/stop without down time as the load will be transferred to this. Plus both can be used at the same time to load the balance.
£1171.52 - CleverBoxes



x1 2^ND Networking Switch (AXXSW1GB) This will allow the first networking switch to go faulty/stop without down time as the load will be transferred to this. Plus both can be used at the same time to load the balance, and better performance on the networking side.
£841.23 – Cleverboxes
*Needed For Above Optional Option*
x6 Extra Intel Ethernet Ports (AXXGBIOMEZV) This allows the 2^nd Networking Switch to be connected to the server by adding two extra Ethernet ports. This means a total of 4 Ethernet ports per a server.
£99.75 - PrimoIT



x1 Intel Shared LUN Licence Key (MFSLUNKEY) - Enables the Shared SAN Feature.
£230.28 - PrimoIT



Hard Drives - Choices (Chassis Holds 14)

• x14 - £244.60 Each - 600GB Seagate (ST9600205SS) - (64MB Cache) - Scan

OR

• x14 - £262.25 Each - 512GB Crucial SSD m4 (CT2287679) - Direct From Crucial

*Needed For Above Optional Option (Crucial SSD)*
x14 Hard Drive Connection Converter (AXXTM3SATA) This converts the hard drive connection to fit the Intel chassis.
£26.71 - PrimoIT



Intel Server Components


Intel Modular Server MFS5520VIR (No Memory, Holds 12 RAM Modules, No CPU, Holds 2 CPU)
x6 - £621.70 Each – PrimoIT



Ram - Kingston 8GB 1333MHZ (KVR1066D3Q8R7S/8GI) Total per server = 96GB
x72 - £41.43 Each - LambdaTek



Intel 2.80GHZ X5660 6Core Processor - Scan
x12 - £796.04 Each



x6 - Microsoft Server Data Centre Licence (We already have x5 Enterprise, so we just need a upgrade on 5 licences, and one new licence)



If I'm correct this is the total price

Without the extra OS licensing that needs to be done!
Total Price with normal Hard Drives = £25,413.44
Total Price with SSDs = £26,034.48

Only thing that worries me with the SSDs, is the model I have is not on their Hardware Compatibility List. But on the Corsairs website it's got this message 'Guaranteed-compatible with the Intel MFS5520VIR'
So if I'm thinking correct Intel just doesn't want to approve it because, they want to recommend their own Intel SSDs?



What's your thoughts on the kit? Recommend something totally different? or just a slight change? Or its a good choice?

I think they said they want this to last 5 years


EDIT: Just rechecked the prices again, now gone down about £150 in total, this is without ringing up any companies for better prices

A good company quoted me on a MultiFlex System of this spec

Attachment 14498

It had more expensive HDDs and less memory, but the company knew it's stuff. They are DM Systems I could PM you thier details if you like.

?.......

Sorry, don't know what happened there! Edited reply above :-)

for a grand direct from Dell you can a T710, it's one hell of a server I'd be looking at something similar with those specs.

I purchased from @Millgate before I left 2 x DL360's 100Gb ram Dual 6 core Xeon Dual Powersupply + 4 port network cards + Fiber HBA for Sub 12k (i think i can't remember).

You can then get an HP MSA P2000 on 50% cashback all for less then that cost above!

Something like this with these

Should give about 6TB raid 50 (i think!).

I look at that spec at the top of the page and I weep with envy :cry:

Wish we had 26k to spend on a server, a couple of k would be nice at the minute :(

How many users / workstations is this going to serve and how many/what type of VMs?

Regardless of whether it's overkill for you or not - IMHO £26k on a single point of faliure server which has zero warranty is very risky.

Hi chap,

Just had a quick glace over the prices above & if you like, i can send you over a better quote? Just PM or email me where you're from and i'll do you an official quote :)

Cheers

The IMS is not a single point of failure, though given no support on OEM parts, it does seem a bit risky to BYO. The IMS It is a highly resilient device with Dual paths for everything. I very nearly bought one, but Hitachi offered me a deal on a huge SAN so I wouldn't have to go back to management asking for more disks after 18 months.

Have a chat with Viglen. They are very good at VMs, servers, storage and support therof.

Moving to Hardware forum where it should be...or Virtualisation Forum. Nah! Hardware it is.

*PLEASE POST THREADS IN THE CORRECT PLACE, IT'S GETTING A BIT BURDOMSOM HAVING TO MOVE THREADS CONSTANTLY.

One thing - consumer type SSDs don't seem to work with RAID properly from what I've seen - TRIM doesn't work apparently.

Paid a bit less than that for 3 x DL380 and an EMC SAN last year, funny enough one of the other options was the Modular Server but I don't like everything in one box and I also don't like OEM kit. If an SP packs up on our SAN an engineer is there NBD (if not sooner) with the replacement, can you get the same levels of service from whitebox kit?

Would also be a bit worried by the self build route, lots of scope for suppliers blaming each other if something goes wrong.

Might sound a bit on the paranoid side but with servers \ SANs I think it's a good thing :p

I would go to Dell direct they will give you a much better deal that no one can touch, you will also get much better hardware and support

You could get a MD3220i or MD3620i with about 7TB of storage and 2 or 3 very good spec R610's

What are you planning to virtualze?? as x12 6core processors is overkill.
Spend the money on extra memory or a good switch that can be used for the iscsi traffic like HP 2910-24G or 3500yl-24G

Build your own at that scale does sound risky when a decent set of off the shel servers from Dell or HP can easily be had with care packs.

But as is mentioned...

What do you want to achive?

Rob