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Selecting new server and onsite backup

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  • Backup
  • Business Computing
  • Servers
Last response: in Business Computing
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September 30, 2014 12:33:23 PM

I have built and oc'ed PCs. While visiting my brother he asked me for help in updating/upgrading his small business server and backup. He has an independent auto dealership, 10-12 PCs and an old HP Proliant dl360 g3 server, dual Xeon 3.2ghz, 2gb ram server 2000 32bit, 2 small databases not even close to 100 GB. Now, the server has 2 SCSI drives, one is back up with 2 partitions, one for programs and one for data. Device Manager shows 2 compaq logical disk devices. I assume that this is setup to mirror C:, but my understanding of RAID is limited. If they continue to use Shopkey software after it upgrades next year, it will require 4gb memory on the host machine. So, he will need more memory and a 64bit os. My questions are: In new server need for registered memory? Is ECC enough? Or just common DIMMs? For new server SAS, SATA, reasons pro and con for using SSDs or HDD? Best set up for reliability? And, he would like to make the Proliant into back up, I'm sure that he would like to be just use it as his back up server and not just data back up. He will be choosing some kind of online backup too. Perhaps, Mozy...his on line back up needs are simple, no sharing, not necessary to be continually synched, once a day back up is OK.
Thanks

More about : selecting server onsite backup

September 30, 2014 2:08:06 PM

That server was "retired" by HP in January 2005. It is almost 10 years after end of sale. A DL360 G8 or G9 would be my recommendation for a replacement.

A DL360 with a single CPU populated, dual power supplies and the 8 Small Form Factor 8SFF disk option. The lowest performance 6 core CPU should be more than sufficient. I would think 16GB RAM -- Any smaller doesn't make any sense any more. Databases are ALWAYS faster with more RAM. Put at least 4 300GB SAS drives in.

If you buy from a vendor, rather than build it yourself, your brother has the vendor to call when he has problems rather than you.... I assume that if his server is down, he is loosing money because he can't sell cars.

I would get a 2 drive NAS server to be the backup. He can locate it physically remote from the primary server since it just needs network connectivity. A NAS server is low power and heat so it could even be locked in an office.
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October 2, 2014 9:30:22 AM

kanewolf said:
That server was "retired" by HP in January 2005. It is almost 10 years after end of sale. A DL360 G8 or G9 would be my recommendation for a replacement.

A DL360 with a single CPU populated, dual power supplies and the 8 Small Form Factor 8SFF disk option. The lowest performance 6 core CPU should be more than sufficient. I would think 16GB RAM -- Any smaller doesn't make any sense any more. Databases are ALWAYS faster with more RAM. Put at least 4 300GB SAS drives in.

If you buy from a vendor, rather than build it yourself, your brother has the vendor to call when he has problems rather than you.... I assume that if his server is down, he is loosing money because he can't sell cars.

I would get a 2 drive NAS server to be the backup. He can locate it physically remote from the primary server since it just needs network connectivity. A NAS server is low power and heat so it could even be locked in an office.


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October 2, 2014 9:43:38 AM

Things have been a little busy here. Thanks for the response.He will hiring a new tech so there will be someone to call in case of trouble. I was looking at a tower as a better solution due noise and cooling issues. His server sits in a so-so ventilated large closet type space in a corridor. The current server is loud and stands on its side, with the CPUs at the top side, not great for heat dissipation. I figured a tower would be quieter and offer better cooling. How do you recommend setting up the drives? Thanks
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October 2, 2014 10:16:46 AM

Ikkyu1 said:
Things have been a little busy here. Thanks for the response.He will hiring a new tech so there will be someone to call in case of trouble. I was looking at a tower as a better solution due noise and cooling issues. His server sits in a so-so ventilated large closet type space in a corridor. The current server is loud and stands on its side, with the CPUs at the top side, not great for heat dissipation. I figured a tower would be quieter and offer better cooling. How do you recommend setting up the drives? Thanks


I am a big believer in redundant hot-swap power supplies for servers. But, besides the HP ML350 or equivalent, I don't know what cases are available in tower configuration with dual power supplies. I am also a fan of high quality UPS protection. The APC SmartUPS Online units are double conversion (they usually feed the load from the batteries) so they have a constant output. They can have a network interface card installed to allow communication via ethernet.

I would get a 120GB SSD for the OS duties and a 250GB SSD to handle the database duties. Something like an Samsung EVO Pro or Intel Pro 2500 or even Intel DC 3500 for the database. Considering the current hardware is over 10 years old, write endurance of the SSD could be important.
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