Re: Help me configure hardware for new Dell Server

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

Chris Fisher wrote:
Hello,

I am getting ready to replace my three year old Dell server with a new one running SBS 2003. I was looking at Dell's website and noticed they are running SATA drives now which suprised me for a server. Are these ok to use on a network with 25 empolyees or is the SAS the way to go. We run a Goldmine CRM software (SQL version), Quickbooks Enterprise accouting package, Trend CSM and a couple of smaller software packages along with the typical SBS 2003 Standard install.

What do you all think about dual processors.. either duo or quad? I was planning on using RAID 1 with duplexing using two partitions, one for the system and boot on drive C: and the data and programs on drive D: the second partition. Does this sound good? I am planning on reinstalling the SBS 2003 software from the original server onto the new one since it won't be used anymore so I am not anticipating any problems with the install or switching the licenses. I am also going to get 4GB of RAM. I use a Smoothwall firewall so only need one NIC and am going to go with the embedded GB NIC.

Do these things sound good or does anyone see a problem with this configuration?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Chris

Stay clear of the Dell SAS 5ir RAID card: performance is dreadful unless you enable write caching (dangerous) by downloading and running a special tool.

Better to use the PERC 5 RAID card with 256MB of cache with some nice 15k SAS drives in RAID 1 or RAID 5

-- stephen
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Slow Domain
    ... I suspect that you'll have to redo your entire SBS setup.....not 100% sure, ... I'm not a big fan of REV drives. ... No raid is a huge oops. ... Lanwench suggested that server should be installed from scratch. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: Disk Management Strategies...? (here we go again!)
    ... Scalability of SBS is not so much restrained by 'it does this' as it is ... configured their test server in a similar fashion: three sets of RAID ... of the RAID 1 array of two physical drives that I had planned). ... Microsoft's more expensive discrete server technologies. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: HP LaserJet 5L is streaking, how to clean up?
    ... RAID, mirroring, and tape backup are the road to hell. ... If I have two identical drives, ... back their data up the week before shutting the server down. ... I re-did the entire system previously running Novell 3.12, ...
    (sci.electronics.repair)
  • Re: How can I back up SBS 2008 VM inside Hyper-V Server 2008 R2
    ... which is the USB drive plugged into Hyper-V Server 2008. ... After it was created, I went into Disk Manager in SBS, activated it, ... the drives being swapped but Server 2008 won't. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: SBS 2008 Backup - restore utility?
    ... If you've already installed a fresh copy of SBS 2008 on another server, ... the Recovery Wizard in Windows Server Backup to recover files and folders ... On the Specify location type window, choose "Local drives" and clik ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)