Small server for around 5-10 users?

[sidewinder]

We have a building a few streets away from our main school which currently has a few standalone computers, which staff use to RDP to computers in a cupboard at the main school - not very elegant.

 

We're getting a 10mb link to the main school, so computers can be directly connected to the main network, but I would like a server over there too, to act as file storage for those users (to stop it all being pulled across the 10Mb line), a RODC and DNS/DHCP.

 

I want to avoid a full size rack server, as the comms cab has to go in an office and I don't think they'd be happy with an 800mm deep cab .

I'll probably go for a 600mm cab at the most, so was thinking about what could fit. Initial thought was a HP Microserver sitting outside the cab, but would this be up to the job?

Also I've found that Broadberry do some short depth 1U servers, although the cheaper ones have Atom CPU's, which I imagine could struggle as much as the Athlon II Neo in the Microserver.

 

Any other companies do shallow depth servers?

[Mcshammer_dj]

will the cab be floor or wall mounted.

[sidewinder]

That I'm not sure about yet - most probably floor, because the only space is a desk, and I'd rather put it under than over!

[Mcshammer_dj]

For allour small schools we use Viglen IX1100 servers.

 

Intel xeon quads 8gb ram and mirrored sata drives.

 

Board is intel and the unit is ideal for a small area or little cab.

[pantscat]

What server O/S are you running?

 

You might want to think about running DFS and mirroring your data on the server at this smaller site - you can use site costs to ensure that the users at that site only access the data from that server (unless it's unavailable) plus it'll give you a level or redundancy as if your main file-server goes down users at the main site could access data across the 10mb link.

 

Edit: Make it a DC and Global Catalog so that it can service the local user logons too...

 

File access over a 10mb link isn't as slow as you'd think... I had a site with about 150 users and it worked just fine.

 

Edit #2: I like HP Proliant DL servers... relatively small and rackable.

Edited October 6, 2011 by pantscat

[Mcshammer_dj]

You could also add some big drives and maybe a rdx unit and use the device for offsite backups

[pete]

Look at Dell R210s and R310s. Both short (rackmount) servers.

[MatthewL]

We have a 10Mb connection for some 200-300 staff connecting back to our data center and it works fine so yours will be fine. All I would do is but a local server on site if you are using it as a print server or even a SCCM distribution point.