What really determines the hardware requirements for a server? What processor should I get? How much RAM? Do I need a hardware RAID controller? What hard drives should I choose? To answer all of this we first have to figure out what the server is going to be used for. If we are doing heavy compilation on the server we will need a lot of RAM and a fast clocked CPU, if we are hosting a web server, the CPU clock speed is less important, but instead a server needs plenty of RAM. It's important to know the minimum requirements for any application the server will be running.
What is a difference between a server and a desktop PC?
So you might be wondering what is the difference between a server and powerful desktop PC running an Intel i7 processor for example? Well there are two main differences, the ability of the server based system to utilize ECC memory (Error Correction Codes) and the sheer size of the memory that most server motherboards will accept compared to a desktop. Because the server usually run 24-7 while utilizing large amounts of RAM and usually operating at almost full capacity, it's very possible memory errors can occur. To prevent a crash servers utilize ECC memory that uses Triple Modular Redundancy or Hamming Code as the primary methods of detection and elimination of errors. So if this will be a server that will remain on 24-7 and you will need more than 12 GB of rams (usually the maximum that will fit into a desktop PC), I strongly suggest going with a server level motherboard/CPU and ECC RAM.
Some good general guidelines to consider when picking the server hardware:
Is the server intended to handle multiple users, or is the server used in virtualization? If so depending on how many users are logging into the server, having lots of RAM is a good idea I recommend at least 12-16 GB depending on the server configuration and what level of virtualization the server will be performing.
Will the server perform complex calculations/compiling/rendering? If that is the case, I would recommend at least 12-24 GB of RAM and a fast multi core and even dual processes server with at least an Intel Xenon level processes or an AMD Opteron. (More to come on Intel vs AMD server CPU battle)
What is RAID and do I need it in my server? RAID or (redundant array of inexpensive disks) is crucial in a server. In case of a hard drive failure it could cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to restore the server back to its previous state, using RAID a simple drive swap and the server is back to its previous state. The most optimal array for a RAID controller in a server environment is RAID 5 or a RAID 1. A minimum of 3 drives is needed for RAID 5, and at least 2 drives in a RAID 1 configuration is required. I would recommend a hardware based RAID controller instead of a cheaper software based one. Having hardware based controller card removes the burden away from the CPU especially in case of a hard drive failure, having to rebuild the array would can cause significant system slow down if done without a physical hardware controller.
What hard drives should I pick for my server? Usually not only will the larger drives perform better because they have less number of disks so the access times will be faster, but they will guarantee you ample storage for the future. Depending on what your server is used for.
File Server or on a budget
I would recommend going with large SATA 7200RPM or 5400RPM 1TB+ drives with at least 32MB of cache. I recommend brands such as Western Digital, Seagate and there has been a lot of positive rave about the new Samsung Spinpoint F1 drives as well. Due to larger disk capacity, the dencity of each disk on the drive spindle is greater, this means that the reading head of the drive only has to travel small distance while reading data, this decreases seek times in drives and significantly improves performance.
High Performance Server:
I would recommend SAS 10,000RPM or 15,000RPM drives and if money is not an object SSD drives are becoming readily available and the price has come down since their first introduction. SAS drives are hot swapable, meaning you don't need to shut your server down in case of a drive failure, simple pull the drive and the replace and the RAID controller will rebuild the data.
Picking the right server hardware is crucial in achieving smooth operations. I recommend to start by write down everything you want your server to be able to perform today and everything you MIGHT want it to do in the future. Now write down a number with a $ in front of it that will be the most you are willing to spend on this server. This will give you an idea of what type of server this will be and what hardware suites your needs the most, it becomes a balancing act between performance and budget but ultimately you are the only one that can make that decision.
For more technical articles on servers and information technology, check out the blog at http://www.itwiredsolutions.com/blog
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