What do use for Primary Hardware - servers/switches/sans/nas etc

[SimpleSi]

I'm really looking to see who is at the other end of the scale from me

 

At some of my schools I just run a standard desktop with w2k3/w2k8 and use it as a file/print/dns/dhcp server.

 

I have a external USB drive just backing up data (not server state) and I have a central 10/100 unmanged switch with 8 port switches in the classrooms connected to classroom computers/suite/Buffalo (domestic qualitly) APs.

 

Obviously this is very cheap but not of the highest spec

 

Who'es got the shiniest, super-est faster setup in a UK primary ?

 

Si

[sted]

generally until recently hp servers but due to poor hdd warranty and expensive disks moved over to dells. hp switchgear. nas backup only netgear readynas, bit more complex hp microserver and 08r2. generally single server sometimes hypervs on that to split roles generally not though

[SYNACK]

HP servers and switches, APC UPS, QNAP NAS, HP and IBM SAN over iSCSI and SAS. HP workstations and laptops. Some Cisco gear, Netgear and D-Link, both bad calls. Etc. Custom MPS systems, Phillips and hp moniters. Edited July 5, 2012 by SYNACK

[Abaddon]

HP servers (DL380 G8p's mostly - mostly with quad, some hex- core with 128Gb RAM minimum (95% virtualised environment)), NetApp SANs, HP PoE Procurve switches with 10Gb ethernet modules. For backup an Overland tape library (LTO5). Desktops - mostly Wyse thin clients with a hard glass TFT's. Room solution APC UPS for server room. Cabinet UPS's for critical switch locations (to bursary and DR room for example).

[SimpleSi]

@SYNACK - You should know by now to exclude yourself from these questions - you are the undoubted tech god of the primary world

 

Si

[SYNACK]

@SYNACK - You should know by now to exclude yourself from these questions - you are the undoubted tech god of the primary world

 

Si

I don't know about that, perhaps a minor mythical creature like a griffin or a dragon Besides it looks like we're well outclassed by some of the others, we're still pushing towards 10GBe for core stuff and our servers are positively anorexic RAM wise in comparison to the above.

[MrWu]

Lol

 

In my interview the management bought up my background in corporate along the lines of 'it might be bit of a come down from the systems and budgets you are used to in your industry...' in which I told them we kept a 8 year old DL360 G1 running Terminal server(and even managed to run Sage 200!), used a Proliant ML110 worth £200 after cashback to run companies' Blackberry Enterprise..they were a bit suprised!

 

I'm still in awe of some of the stuff installed in schools, seriously, my old IT hardware budget in coporate over 3 years was smaller than a single 5406zl core that some guys here have 2 of lol!

[SYNACK]

Yeap, I have to agree, it depends heavily on the place but some of the worst gear I have ever worked with has been in the commercial side. Some of the schools I took over were pretty bad to start with, 8-9 year old servers that they had been told and fully believed that it would last them forever. But for shear persistence in using outdated tacked together solutions I have seen worse outside schools.

[tmcd35]

We are currently replacing Elonex Prolient 1000 1gb celeron slimline desktops with HP ML110's with 4gb, 250gb OS drive and 2x1tb raid-1 data drives, at some of our primaries!

[twin--turbo]

Not in a Primary school so can't comment.

 

I have seen some very out dated equipment in a few corporates recently, including an old Elonex Server that is communicating in Morse code and some DEC hardware!

[RTFM]

Dell server, netgear nas, switches and wireless.

 

VeryPC for desktops.

[MrWu]

Yeap, I have to agree, it depends heavily on the place but some of the worst gear I have ever worked with has been in the commercial side. Some of the schools I took over were pretty bad to start with, 8-9 year old servers that they had been told and fully believed that it would last them forever. But for shear persistence in using outdated tacked together solutions I have seen worse outside schools.

 

Yep, you trying telling a corporate MD to spend £15k on a core switch and you'll be ejected out of his office quicker than a pesky auditor, the core I had was a £100 Planet switch! We still had Windows 2000 DCs on ML350 G2s 3 years ago when I worked there before we upgraded. Mind you, schools have thousands of users as opposed to a few hundred or less users in corporate, so less impact on networks I suppose.

 

Not in a Primary school so can't comment.

 

I have seen some very out dated equipment in a few corporates recently, including an old Elonex Server that is communicating in Morse code and some DEC hardware!

 

Oh jesus I was a telesales boy when I used the DEC VAX system on green screens! Those were the days!

[twin--turbo]

I used Vax VMS at uni and in my first job, also got to use DEC Alpha's them were the days

 

Our first switch at the school was a 24Port Plannet unit, with 24 port Hubs hanging off it... That was 1999, the switch became unreliable and I got because we were expanding the fiber backbone to two more location we needed more beef so got a D-Link DES6000 chassis switch in 2002 which remained in service till 2010 ( although it was not then at the core of the nework having been replaced by a Cisco 4507RE in 2008. The d-link did good service but was a little feature less by the time the Cisco was put in.

 

our two sites now have a pair of 4507RE's each but with just one supervisor in each ( not perfect but with the price of a SUP6E it does the job ) with a mix of 3560/2960 edge switches.

 

I was not a fan of cisco till I started using it... Although the warnty on the chassis switches is a joke, but on the fixed 1U stuff it's lifetime if you read the blurb correctly and follow the procedure

 

Rob

[witch]

HP server, NAS, wireless, (Ruckus and Meru), Gb procurve switches (not all of them) and a bit of fibre.

Dual core PCs, (almost all W7), many different laptops, samsung netbooks