New server time - what to buy?

[Jobos]

So it’s time to spec a new server and thought I would ask what the latest kit is. We currently run 2 rather old servers, a Dell 720 and an Acer/Gateway GT350 left over from the Olympics.

 

Dell 720:

2 x E5520 2.27Mhz with 16GB memory, 6 x 360GB SAS hd with 1 as hot spare all in RAID 5. This runs, dns, dhcp, 380GB of file shares, sims/fms. The cpu load is very low and we have 5.8GB memory free at the moment

 

Acer GT350:

1 x E5520 2.27Mhz with 12 GB memory. This server only runs as hyper-v host with VMs running av, print, wsus and a few VMs used for testing. VMs total 280GB in size. I've got a win10 vm running today and it leaves me with 0.9 GB memory free. CPU load is again very low running between 2-8%

 

I would like to virtualise every role separating sims and file shares from the dc keeping at nice and neat. The school is a large primary with 500 NOR. We don’t have loads of money so mustn't over spec.

 

I expect it would run ok on 64GB memory and 2TB of storage. If I put the OS on 2 drives configured as raid 1 and the VM storage area using raid 5.

 

Thanks in advance.

[3s-gtech]

What's your budget? You should be able to easily and cheaply up the specs of your current servers - certainly getting more RAM should be cheap. Any spare storage bays? Try Dave at ICT Direct for RAM - he's usually got servers of this age which will use compatible DIMMs. You *may* be able to get another E5520 (or two compatible other models in the E55** or E56** series) for the GT350, though the HSF may be more difficult (it may take a desktop model).

[Jobos]

The Dell 710 is 6 years old now so I would rather get that replaced but will keep it for something less critical.

[Norphy]

So it’s time to spec a new server and thought I would ask what the latest kit is. We currently run 2 rather old servers, a Dell 720 and an Acer/Gateway GT350 left over from the Olympics.

 

Dell 720:

2 x E5520 2.27Mhz with 16GB memory, 6 x 360GB SAS hd with 1 as hot spare all in RAID 5. This runs, dns, dhcp, 380GB of file shares, sims/fms. The cpu load is very low and we have 5.8GB memory free at the moment

 

Acer GT350:

1 x E5520 2.27Mhz with 12 GB memory. This server only runs as hyper-v host with VMs running av, print, wsus and a few VMs used for testing. VMs total 280GB in size. I've got a win10 vm running today and it leaves me with 0.9 GB memory free. CPU load is again very low running between 2-8%

 

I would like to virtualise every role separating sims and file shares from the dc keeping at nice and neat. The school is a large primary with 500 NOR. We don’t have loads of money so mustn't over spec.

 

I expect it would run ok on 64GB memory and 2TB of storage. If I put the OS on 2 drives configured as raid 1 and the VM storage area using raid 5.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

How much money is "not loads"?

 

I wouldn't recommend RAID 5 for use with large drives. If one drive fails, the longer a recovery takes and the chances of having another drive failure during recovery increase exponentially. RAID 10 is probably the better way to go, albeit more expensive.

[elsiegee40]

Sounds like a challenge for @ICTDirect_Dave

[ICTDirect_Dave]

Challenge accepted

 

Best kit I've currently got access to are my Refurb HP DL380 Gen8:

 

2 x Intel Xeon E5-2670 2.6GHz Octa Core CPU

72GB RAM

8 x 300GB 10K DP SAS HDD

P420 Raid Controller

2 x PSU

2 Year Warranty

 

All this for less than £1,500

 

What say you?

[Jobos]

Challenge accepted

 

Best kit I've currently got access to are my Refurb HP DL380 Gen8:

 

2 x Intel Xeon E5-2670 2.6GHz Octa Core CPU

72GB RAM

8 x 300GB 10K DP SAS HDD

P420 Raid Controller

2 x PSU

2 Year Warranty

 

All this for less than £1,500

 

What say you?

 

PM sent.

[Fazza]

Give Server Source - Europe's Leading provider of Refurbished Dell PowerEdge and PowerVault servers a go (Joe normally looks after us) as you can get some amazing deals all with a 3yr NBD warranty!

 

We're still using a bunch of the Acer/Gateway Olympic servers except we ripped out the RAM, replaced it with 192GB and bunged in another CPU (done this on a couple of them) and using Hyper-V we have dozens of Virtual Servers on them which are still whizzy-fast today!

[adamholt1]

Challenge accepted

 

Best kit I've currently got access to are my Refurb HP DL380 Gen8:

 

2 x Intel Xeon E5-2670 2.6GHz Octa Core CPU

72GB RAM

8 x 300GB 10K DP SAS HDD

P420 Raid Controller

2 x PSU

2 Year Warranty

 

All this for less than £1,500

 

What say you?

 

Please could you quote me through PM!!!

[Oaktech]

Millgate have done me a blinder on a Dell T630 recently:

 

1 x T630 16 x 2.5" E5-2620v3 16GB DVD RW DP NIC PERC H730 iDRAC8 Exp 3Yr NBD

1 x Intel Xeon E5-2620 v3 2.4GHz,15M Cache,8.00GT/s QPI,Turbo,HT,6C/12T (85W) Max Mem 1866MHz,Customer Kit

1 x Kit - 105W Heatsink for T630

3 x Dell 16 GB Certified Replacement Memory Module 2133 Mhz

2 x 300GB 10K RPM SAS 12Gbps 2.5in Hot-plug Hard Drive,CusKit 13G

2 x 1.2TB 10K RPM SAS 6Gbps 2.5in Hot-plug Hard Drive,13G,CusKit 13G

9 x 1TB 7.2K RPM SATA 6Gbps 2.5in Hot-plug Hard Drive,13G,CusKit

Server Configuration & Asset Tagging

iDRAC8 Enterprise,Perpetual,Digital License,All Poweredge Platforms,CusKit

1 x Single, Hot-plug Power Supply (1+0), 750W,CusKit

Dell Poweredge DELL-POWEREDGE 1

 

£4,525.00