JSR,

 

Sorry for the lat reply, I should open my cplug mail folder more often.

 

I set up at least one or two servers a week.  Mostly W2K3 standard or enterprise.

 

Here is an overview of what I've been working with lately.

 

IBM   $$$$$  XSeries 336's, Its cable management arms are a PITA.  We have 4 hour support on these, if the parts are local, its a great thing.  Latest problem was one that is ~4 years old, first showed drive errors, then raid controllers, then the MB failed.  I think it was a bad MB all along.  In any event they sent both the parts and someone to install them, I didn't care either way but after the third call I gave up and let them work on it till it was running 100% again.

 

HP $$$$  DL380 series Generation 3's and 4's are what we have the most of.  They are well built, haven't had many parts issues, mostly failed drives. With 300 + servers, it happens. 

 

Dell $$$ 2950 Series, they are going for a total revamp of their number scheme in the next month or two so... We have been buying these as they underbid HP this year to get the business.  We probably get ~ 80 servers a year.  I can't say I have any complaints on these servers, we have and occasional failed drive, and sometime we need to reseat a memory chip.  I don't think they are built as well as the HP or IBM servers.  But, once they are rack mounted it doesn't much matter.  Nice cable management arms on these as well.

 

All three makers have downloadable set up and install disks, that will create a utility partition and load the needed drivers to the partition for you.  Makes installing a bit easier.  One thing on the Dell 2950's the newest Version of the Broadcom drivers (12) reqires DotNet 2 to be installed before you can use the teaming software.  However its not included in SP2 by default so you'll need to either make a slipstream w2k3sp2 + disk with all the extra patches on it or, configure a stand alone nic, run all the windows updates, and then configure the teaming later.  If you use it at all.

 

For VMWare we have been using 2950's with dual Quad Core's and 16 gb or ram.  HP SAN connected storage.

 

Jeff B.

 

 

 

 

 

 

>>> "Josiah Ritchie" <josiah.ritchie-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> 6/27/2008 12:04 PM >>>
I haven't purchased server grade hardware in over a year. In my prior
shop, we would almost always default to Dell. I've heard whispers that
HP is the way to go. I want a machine that I know runs lots of other
places without any trouble rather than something I build from scratch
or someone else tosses together for me and I want something
economical. The server will host an application called MPower and it's
SQL based database. (It's win only now, but they are moving toward the
open source which will include linux and MySQL support I hear.) The
machine will unlikely have more than 5 consecutive users in its
lifetime.

I'm spec'ing out a PowerEdge 2900. I thought some of you guys might
have something better with the latest info and given that it may turn
into a Linux box in the future.

Thanks,
JSR/

--
Our Mission
Technology and Hospitality for God's Workmen
http://missions.ritchietribe.net




_______________________________________________
CPLUG mailing list
To unsubscribe send a mail to cplug+unsubscribe-n/VI1dMKjLJeoWH0uzbU5w@public.gmane.org
Archives: http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.org.user-groups.linux.cplug.general