Help with New Server Spec

[mcnallyfc]

Hi all

 

We have an old server here that we are looking to replace.

 

It currently runs RM CC3 and is the FRDC along with DHCP, DNS and File Server responsibilities. This obviously wouldnt require too much spec but i want to future proof the server.

 

We currently have 3 physical DC's - The FRDC as explained above, DC2 which is a Print & App Server and DC3 which is the main file server.

 

The plan is to eventually replace DC2 and DC3 onto 2 VM's along with implementing one of the freed physical servers as a 2nd DC with VM ISA Server and Exchange Server. For now as still with RM we would simply clone the current FRDC to the replacement server and continue to run on current setup.

 

What sort of spec server would i be needing for the replacement FRDC server? - bearing in mind i plan on running around 3 VM's on it?

[jamesfed]

Rack or Tower server?

[mcnallyfc]

Doesnt necessarily matter but rack would be better

[jamesfed]

HP DL165 G7 might be your thing - runs Hyper-V server well on the standard RAID controler (no go with XenServer though).

12GB of RAM and 8 core processor and fill up the hard drive bays with some 10k drives if possible.

It has 4 NIC points as well which is a big bonus for VMs.

[glennda]

For Me I would recommend the Dl360 series - good all-round can support up to 192gb ram and 12 cores - we currently have a G5 with 64gb ram and Dual quad xeons running 9 vm's without performance issues.

[mcnallyfc]

Ok thanks for input

 

So basically for what i want i need 2x Quad cores or an 8 core processor. Then about 16gb of RAM (4x4gb id go for to reduce costs) with some ample space to house it all.

 

Looked at the PowerEdge R410 with 2 x Quad Core Xeon E5507's, 16gb RAM, 4 x 146gb 3gbps SAS 15k drives and redundant PSU for around £2,900! (priced up on dell site) but i cant have extra NIC's as the R410 only has space for 1 pci-e. With the future VM's was hoping to have the additional cards to make it easier setting them up.

 

Will try and check out the DL's mentioned above and see what prices they come up at.

[glennda]

Here is something that looks competitive you would just need to purchase the extra ram and the hard disks

 

I looked at our virtual host's one is a dl360 as mentioned above the other is a Dl380 both g5's

[mcnallyfc]

Thanks Glennda, although only issue is thats quad core isnt it?

 

When priced up as well its over £3,000 as well which is more than the poweredge. Although none of these prices inc any educational discount....

[glennda]

My bad - i linked the wrong one! Here all you need to add is Ram and Hard disk - these days they tend to be a similar price for a similar spec

 

Server £2059

Extra Ram (8gb): £365

2 x 1tb Sas had disk £800

 

your looking just over the amount you quoted from dell

 

But im an hp man - would rather pay the extra as its something i have tried and tested and it works!

[jamesfed]

2 x 1tb Sas had disk £800

 

Even with SAS disks would it not be better to go with more lower capacity drives so you can be read/writing to multiple drives at the same time - something thats always been very important for me with VMs.

[mcnallyfc]

ideally i'd want 4x500gb SAS disks to have 2TB storage - how much would they be?

 

And where is the 2x1tb for £800?

[glennda]

if you click on accessories then select drives and storage and scroll down - i just took the easiest way to get 1tb of storage If you have 4 x 500gb drives depending how to raided them - if raid 5 you would only get 1.5tb of useable space

 

Toby

[mcnallyfc]

if you click on accessories then select drives and storage and scroll down - i just took the easiest way to get 1tb of storage If you have 4 x 500gb drives depending how to raided them - if raid 5 you would only get 1.5tb of useable space

 

Toby

 

yeah the plan is we would go the Raid 5 route and look to have the 2tb storage (1.5tb useable)