SERVER FOR A LAW FIRM

[sniper26]

Hey guys,

I wanted to build a server for a law firm which will have basically 3 workstations.

I wanted some advice on the hardware like is it good to use a 2500k processor and a similar consumer motherboard instead of a xeon and server grade hardware as the server will only be used for internet, file sharing, applications and printing.

Let me know
Thanks

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

You have got to be kidding , right??

You are building a system for a LEGAL company and dont know what you should be using (server by the way)

What are you going to do when they take YOU to court when it all goes wrong ??

You will be paying for the rest of your life.....avoid...

All the best Brett

 

[sniper26]

Thanks for the unhelpful reply i own the office so please just reply if gotcan answer thank you.

 

[nforce4max]

You shouldn't consider regular consumer hardware no matter how fast it is when reliability becomes top priority. So go with Xeon and use ECC ram.

 

[sniper26]

See now thats a good advise thanks nforce so just the reliability is the root i suppose...its totally compatible tho right? Its just not recommended...

 

[Brett928S2]

Thanks for the unhelpful reply i own the office so please just reply if gotcan answer thank you.

Hi

You do NOT own the office..lawyers CAN spell and have a lot better grammar than you do....

My company supplies servers to several law firms in the UK...

All the best Brett

 

[amuffin]

^+10

What is your budget for the server?

 

[sniper26]

600$

 

[amuffin]

What software will you be using?

 

[sniper26]

Server 2008

 

[amuffin]

Hm I don't know if you can get a server for 600. For A server to run windows server 2008 you are looking at a budget of $1000+

 

[sniper26]

Ok whats the specs do you recomnend keeping in mind only using it for running applications, file sharing and printing...

 

[amuffin]

Is it going to be a rack mounted server? What is the form factor of the server?

 

[jonathanrhunter]

600$

Tell them to look a little deeper in their coffers! Most people can't even build a desktop for $600 let alone one that is going to be responsible for maintaining fault tolerance. That is unless they are backing everything up to their IOmega Zip Drive from the mid 90's they still have lying around... lol

More than likely your going to be shopping around in the refurb-department of the web.

Get something that has RAID-1 support for the drives so you don't lose any data. That is unless your old refurb you purchase has a mobo malfunction, cpu failure, memory failure, or anything else that someone of your expertise wouldn't be able to fix.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=hp+server+desktop&cid=17891800256727283025&ei=Ce9bT_2JEcuamgewm7ieAw&ved=0CCcQrhI

 

[sniper26]

Is it going to be a rack mounted server? What is the form factor of the server?

Tower Server...

 

[chesteracorgi]

HEY GUYS,

I WANTED TO BUILD A SERVER FOR A LAW FIRM WHICH WILL HAVE BASICALLY 3 WORKSTATIONS.

I WANTED SOME ADVICE ON THE HARDWARE LIKE IS IT GOOD TO USE A 2500K PROCESSOR AND A SIMILAR CONSUMER MOTHERBOARD INSTEAD OF A XEON AND SERVER GRADE HARDWARE AS THE SERVER WILL ONLY BE USED FOR INTERNET, FILE SHARING, APPLICATIONS AND PRINTING.

LET ME KNOW
THANKS

Sniper,

Been there done that: worked a solo practice for 15 years until I got a government job. Now I can indulge my hobby of building rigs. I have a great gamer: i5 2500K, ZSRock Extreme6 mobo, 16 GB of 2133 RAM, SSD, 3 HDDs (320 GB, 640, GB & 3 TB) 2 X GTX 470 in SLI, 950W PCP&C PSU, Corsair 600T case, Asus 24' display, etc. & a good home server: i3 2105, Biostar H67, 16 GB 1333 RAM, 4 HDDs (2X 1.5 TB & 2X 2 TB), Corsair 650W TX PSU, & Lian Li Lancool case.


Want you want is a decent server like my server. i3 2105 @ $135, H67 mobo @ $70, 4-8 GB Ram 1333 @ $25-$50, decent case @ $60, 500W PSU @ $60, and hard drives. I figure you can get the above for about $350 if you shop the bargains at Newegg or Techbargains.com. HDDs are a problem because of the increased prices and what you need. You could start with a 1-2 TB HDD and go from there. A 1.5 TB HDD can be had for $120. You still need software, and I advise Windows Home Server 2011 for $50. If you need more you could get Windows Small Business Server @ $270.

If you want further help message me directly.

 

[randomizer]

If by "file sharing" you mean that the server will be storing important files used by all workstations, then there is one thing you should consider above all else: Backup, backup, backup.

 

[sniper26]

Sniper,

Been there done that: worked a solo practice for 15 years until I got a government job. Now I can indulge my hobby of building rigs. I have a great gamer: i5 2500K, ZSRock Extreme6 mobo, 16 GB of 2133 RAM, SSD, 3 HDDs (320 GB, 640, GB & 3 TB) 2 X GTX 470 in SLI, 950W PCP&C PSU, Corsair 600T case, Asus 24' display, etc. & a good home server: i3 2105, Biostar H67, 16 GB 1333 RAM, 4 HDDs (2X 1.5 TB & 2X 2 TB), Corsair 650W TX PSU, & Lian Li Lancool case.


Want you want is a decent server like my server. i3 2105 @ $135, H67 mobo @ $70, 4-8 GB Ram 1333 @ $25-$50, decent case @ $60, 500W PSU @ $60, and hard drives. I figure you can get the above for about $350 if you shop the bargains at Newegg or Techbargains.com. HDDs are a problem because of the increased prices and what you need. You could start with a 1-2 TB HDD and go from there. A 1.5 TB HDD can be had for $120. You still need software, and I advise Windows Home Server 2011 for $50. If you need more you could get Windows Small Business Server @ $270.

If you want further help message me directly.

So that configuation would do what i want it to do with no problems i supposee?

 

[chesteracorgi]

Yep, and you could boost the RAM (with the right mobo) to run a Virtual Machine or macnines for other purposes. But I would't suggest using the server as an internet station: too open for security concerns. Use the work stations for internet access and browsing (you also don't need a monitor or keyboard or mouse as you will access the server through a workstation0. And I think that WHS 2011 is your best bet.

 

[sniper26]

Yep, and you could boost the RAM (with the right mobo) to run a Virtual Machine or macnines for other purposes. But I would't suggest using the server as an internet station: too open for security concerns. Use the work stations for internet access and browsing (you also don't need a monitor or keyboard or mouse as you will access the server through a workstation0. And I think that WHS 2011 is your best bet.

No there wont be any internet browsing on the server and i wouldnt need any virtual machines either.
So you think WHS would best fit my needs? Does it actually have all the functionallity?

 

[chesteracorgi]

WHS 2011 has all the functionality of MS Server 2008 and if you are not running VMs you might get by with 4 GB of RAM. It is especially suited to a 3 workstation configuration

 

[daship]

Its not very easy to get multipoint server 2011 on your own. You can't buy it at a retail shop or newegg ect.. for that matter. Your probably going to need to buy from an oem and get it preinstalled on their hardware.

I run multipoint server 2011 on my custom build but I have a technet sub

 

[13thmonkey]

look at office 365 from Microsoft, and see if a hosted SaaS solution fits your needs. What do you want the server to actually do?

For printing, get a switch and a network printer.

 

[chesteracorgi]

Its not very easy to get multipoint server 2011 on your own. You can't buy it at a retail shop or newegg ect.. for that matter. Your probably going to need to buy from an oem and get it preinstalled on their hardware.

I run multipoint server 2011 on my custom build but I have a technet sub

What the hell are you talkin about?

WHS 2011 is available from Newegg or any one of a million sources. Dimbulb darship. I bought and am running it myself from Newegg.

 

[13thmonkey]

What the hell are you talkin about?

WHS 2011 is available from Newegg or any one of a million sources. Dimbulb darship. I bought and am running it myself from Newegg.

multipoint and whs are different things