HP DL 160 G6 as remote desktop server farm

[MrWu]

Thinking for cost reasons and building in redundancy and load balancing, maybe thinking of using above entry level servers ( 2 processors and more RAM) might do the job instead of getting more expensive DL360/DL380s.

 

Would having SATA cripple RDS performance?

[FN-GM]

What are the full specs and how many users please?

[glennda]

If you going to use Sata get some SSD's - even entry level ones and then if they die just keep a spare and be prepared to rebuild it (perhaps keep an image of it to restore quickly if fails)

 

but all depends on numbers.

 

Have you thought about proper VDI softwares?>

[CyberNerd]

A couple of years ago we just decided to put in desktop class hardware with SSD's. Saved a fortune, and as you say has redundancy and load balancing built in.

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/general-chat/64837-cheapskate-server-farm.html

[MrWu]

Looking at dual e5606, 64gb of RAM. Ideally 120 users per server(they would probably use published apps like Word Excel)

Will be running win 2008 x64

 

Cheers glenda/cybernerd

 

Have thought about using consumer SSD, since its a RDS server we could always MDT this for recovery. Just figuring how easy they are to fit into DL160(maybe through PCI card?)

 

Looking at VDI as well, but more on the Remote FX side for the future (ie to run SIMS discovery)

Edited May 9, 2012 by MrWu

[glennda]

You should be able to get some caddy's to fit the drives into the machines. I'm shortly going to start the VCP and VCP-DT courses so if you look at vmware for the VDI let me know. It can do remote FX using its PCoIP technology. I've not tried Sims Discover via it though!

 

EDIT: I stole the SSD idea from @CyberNerd

[MrWu]

Brilliant, will bear that in mind.

 

Also would you bother putting SSDs on say RAID 1?

 

Cybernerd, just digesting your thread, awesome setup!

Edited May 9, 2012 by MrWu

[glennda]

TBH Wouldn't bother IMHO - Just build the Host - clone the SSD to the other and if one fails stick other drive in and re-join to domain and you back up and running. There is still lots of yes vs no out there about SSD's in raid.

[CyberNerd]

 

Cybernerd, just digesting your thread, awesome setup!

 

thanks, it has worked pretty well so far.

We've had one hardware failure in the couple of years it has been running (BSOD). We didn't bother fixing it just removed the server from the farm as we have enough capacity and will probably renew it all within a year.

[Sandman]

KEMP has several low cost load balancers in it's range. You might like to take a look at the LM-2200, LM-2600 as they may suit your needs.