Server hardware

[han]

hello...

well i am planning to setup (in brief)
and *nix on one machine with all services
like ircd,bnc,vhosts,shells etc.,

i see adds for server machines branded one they are
so costly ... i am deciding to assemble it myself

in brief:-
A good motherboard dual processor
with 256 l2 cache .. and all tat scsi .. raid
1 Ghz processor (later on add the second processor with the latest one)
and more ram and pci slots etc., etc.,
128 mb ram
20 gb hard-disk
a good server cabinet which has all the good function
for power supply and other fans for cooling

now i want to know if the above configuration is ok
to setup a server

i want to know some ideas on what other features should i look
for in a motherboard for server needs
and other things if i have not listed

i want to setup a server in less money good configuration

Can we upgrade/add more hdd in a server which is up and running
without turning it off
and whats is it feauture called?

i also want to know whats the minimum speed i need for internet
to setup a will 64 kpbs will do or i need more...

lemme know all your suggestions etc.,
about server..

thankyou
bye

[DrZaius]

Hi han,

First, what will be the purpose of this server? Approximately how many people will be accesing this server? Different purposes will require different setups.

As for the hardware, I would definately get more RAM, 256MB or even 512MB. You can also get (2) 20GB harddrives and set them up in a RAID 1 (for backup) array. Make sure they are fast ATA100 drives. I believe you can hotswap harddrives (pull out a drive while server is running) with some RAID setups.

Since you wan't a dual processor setup you will be limited to Intel CPUs. Also, since it is a server, you may want to look at FreeBSD for the OS.

I'm no server expert so I'm sure others have more to add regarding the motherboard and such. Hope that helps.

[Charliey]

Well, scsi would be much faster and more reliable then ata100.

[Dharma Lion]

so many possibilities....
for my money (and your reqs) it would be the ABIT VP-6 http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.asp?EDC=268038 which supports dual P3s and has an onboard RAID controller. however, as stated above...it will depend on your needs. the fact that the RAID controller is onboard is a point of concern however when putting the price up against a Adaptec card...well there is a HUGE price gap....what kind of budget are we talking about? if the funds are flowing then you can look at something from ASUS..maybe the CUV4X-DLS http://www.asus.com.tw/products/moth...ndex.html...we need a little more info on the role that this server will perform.

[mosquito]

Before you start picking hardware, think about what the server has to do. How many services will be running, how many users, what network connection,... If you are going to run a webserver for 2 concurrent users on a 256Kbit line, you don't need a top notch server (your connection will be the bottleneck, and even a 2Ghz machine won't give you any benefit.)
Scsi drives will give you a big performance jump when you are using heavily multithreaded applications (with lots of concurrent disk accesses, a loaded webserver or database server are good examples).
But your main concern should be memory. For a good server you need a lot of memory (start thinking with 512Mb as a minimum).

If you can post me some details of what you want to do with the machine, and what the expected load will be, I can give you better indications of what hardware to use.

[Statica]

The possibilities are endless, but it would depend on:
(a) What is the load we are talking about?
(b) The funds available to you.

Dr Zaius is right, your initial projection really lacks RAM. Forget IDE for a server setup, not worth it, if it is to be a true server and not a desktop being a server-wannabe.

In actuallity, if you are going to be running such a myriad of services and are going to have a high volume of traffic, then I'd suggest splitting costs over a couple of lower/mid range machines than one high end. By laying out your services thus, you wont be constricted by upgrades to that one machine. Especially if you are going to put in a UNIX/Linux OS, you really dont need to shoot for the moon, provided you know how to layout your OS securely. 2 P-III machines are way better than ONE dual PIII.

If you are going the route of one high end server, then there are a variety of options you should be considering that makes up a good server:
* A good full tower type housing or rackmount depending on the space u have available with oodles of cooling
* Dual Powersupply that is hotswappable [300W each is a nice number]
* ECC RAM abt 512MB worth is a nice number .. be aware of the speed of your RAM .. take care abt RAM upgradeability
* Recommended need to have at least one non-raid drive that may/maynot be slower than your raids
* RAID array controllers, if you want kick*ss then AMI is great! Be aware that there are 32bit and 64bit depending on the price u are looking at (optional)
* backup media??


If you arent too sure abt building a server, might be a better idea to get one made by a name brand.

[pa]

DrZaius

you can get dual amd boards they are only out a few weeks and A dual amd board is about$950

[DrZaius]

pa,

You are correct, there are a few dual AMD boards out, but for all practical purposes Intel is the only dual solution for now.