Server Advice

Remedy wrote:

I have been approached to build a server, to be used for file storage and
backups. What is a server by definition and what specs and O/S should I be
looking to provide the above? Is XP Pro sufficient?

Current IT infrastructure comprises of 4 laptops + 2 desktops

As has been said, a server is usually functionally the same as any other
machine. In a larger organisation you want a machine designed for
reliability and performance: reliable motherboard possible with several
processors, ECC RAM, SCSI RAID hard discs, maybe dual power supplies,
Uninterruptible Power Supply. It would normally run a network operating
system (NOS) such as Novell Netware, Linux, Microsoft Windows Server
version, and would not also be used as someone's workstation. You need a
different level of expertise to maintain a NOS-based system.

Purpose-designed servers can be bought from the companies other posters
have suggested, and from Fujitsu-Siemens and others. They cost a lot
more than ordinary machines.

With a small number of users and no requirement for access control and
security it is possible to set up a peer-to-peer (P2P) network using,
say Microsoft Windows non-server versions. If there is a lot of network
traffic this becomes an increasingly bad idea as network size increases.
If it is just a matter of people doing single-user word processing and
similar, rather than, say, a heavy-duty multiuser database, you could
probably use a P2P network which is essentially a collection of
independent machines with all data files being stored on one machine
(either a user's workstation or a dedicated machine) and backed up
nightly onto a tape. Depending upon the value of the data, you should
have a scheme which keeps a weeks' worth of tapes, with one off-site.

The performance requirements of a file server need not be great. I have
very successfully run about 20 users off a Pentium 75 running Netware
3.12 (old version of this NOS); a 386 would probably have been OK (it's
disc, not CPU, performance which matters). This is less true for a
machine which acts as more than file server (e.g., SQL database server)
and has a graphical user interface. One company recently migrated from
such a system to a state-of-the=art server and NOS, and were very
disappointed to find performance dropped slightly.

HTHm
--
Michael Salem

"Remedy" wrote in message
...
I have been approached to build a server, to be used for file storage and
backups. What is a server by definition and what specs and O/S should I be
looking to provide the above? Is XP Pro sufficient?

Current IT infrastructure comprises of 4 laptops + 2 desktops

FTP Required also

Please do not advise linux has I am not converse with it.

Thank you.


Please! Listen to all the advice you've been given in the other replies!
The fact that you even ask about Win XP (Windows Server 2003 would be a
possibility), tells me you aren't ready to build or maintain a server.

"Peter van der Goes" wrote in message
news:ljDtd.126344$%x.91497@okepread04...

"Remedy" wrote in message
...
I have been approached to build a server, to be used for file storage and
backups. What is a server by definition and what specs and O/S should I be
looking to provide the above? Is XP Pro sufficient?

Current IT infrastructure comprises of 4 laptops + 2 desktops

FTP Required also

Please do not advise linux has I am not converse with it.

Thank you.


Please! Listen to all the advice you've been given in the other replies!
The fact that you even ask about Win XP (Windows Server 2003 would be a
possibility), tells me you aren't ready to build or maintain a server.

Yup, top quality advice, the only rider I'd add is that if you are sure the client is gonna pay you
big, big, big (did I say big) bucks for the installation and support then think about it, otherwise
it's a job for Michael Dell.

I would just go to Ebay and find a NEW IN BOX server. A dell for instance
will have full factory warranty. I would not cut corners and use XP pro. A
full version of windows 2003 server with an additional 5 CAL's is the way to
go. If you use worksation to serve files you will be limited to a max of 10
users.

I would install a decent raid, minimum of 1 GB for RAM, and a reliable tape
backup or DVD backup. To build a server from scratch will not save you too
much money. A factory server will save you the headaches of finding windows
compatible equipment, installing the equipment, testing the equipment. Not
to mention what to do if you have a hardware problem down the road.


"Remedy" wrote in message
...
I have been approached to build a server, to be used for file storage and
backups. What is a server by definition and what specs and O/S should I be
looking to provide the above? Is XP Pro sufficient?

Current IT infrastructure comprises of 4 laptops + 2 desktops

FTP Required also

Please do not advise linux has I am not converse with it.

Thank you.

Peter van der Goes wrote:

"Remedy" wrote in message
...

I have been approached to build a server, to be used for file storage and
backups. What is a server by definition and what specs and O/S should I be
looking to provide the above? Is XP Pro sufficient?

Current IT infrastructure comprises of 4 laptops + 2 desktops

FTP Required also

Please do not advise linux has I am not converse with it.

Thank you.



Please! Listen to all the advice you've been given in the other replies!
The fact that you even ask about Win XP (Windows Server 2003 would be a
possibility),

Why? Because it has 'server' in the name?

tells me you aren't ready to build or maintain a server.

David Maynard wrote:

Peter van der Goes wrote:


Please! Listen to all the advice you've been given in the other replies!
The fact that you even ask about Win XP (Windows Server 2003 would be a
possibility),


Why? Because it has 'server' in the name?


Yes! That's one reason. Another is that a server OS has features in it
specifically designed for the purpose of being a server!

Jim Howes wrote:

don't go there unless you
are willing to deal with the one inevitable component of any server.
That component is called a USER

USERS come in many varieties.
Some users are technically minded. These users are dangerous, because
they will mess with the server and you'll have a great time finding out
why something you set up isn't working quite the same way any more.

Most users are highly-skilled, fully-trained, professional idiots.
These users are dangerous, as they will mess with your sanity.

It would help if you had access to one or more BSI's

"Bob" wrote in
:

I would just go to Ebay and find a NEW IN BOX server. A dell for
instance will have full factory warranty. I would not cut corners and
use XP pro. A full version of windows 2003 server with an additional 5
CAL's is the way to go. If you use worksation to serve files you will
be limited to a max of 10 users.

I'm always suspicious of vendors that have Dells cheaper than Dell
My mate bought a HP like this and months later noticed a small nick on the
case that had been painted over. Could be nothing, but ...

In any case, unless they have the staff permanently on site, I think office
hours onsite support with say 4 hour response ??? is a must for most
business.
Whether they have permanent staff, or outsource support per incident or per
annum is a business decision.

If they just have one person, are they allowed on vacations

Lordy

Michael Salem wrote:
It would help if you had access to one or more BSI's

British Standard Idiots?
Broken System Interfaces?
Banana Skin Instances?

I purchased an HP and a Dell server. These were both new unopened servers in
perfect condition. They have the full factory warranty and come with onsite
(24 hour) service. I opted to pruchase an extended 4 hour response service
contract from HP and Dell. This is worth the extra money. One thing I have
setup as a failsafe, was a machine with a large drive which is mirroring the
servers. If anything goes wrong with the server I can have a working server
up and running in a matter of minutes.