How to choose the right server?

When deciding which server to choose, you should consider many basic and additional factors. Since modern servers are the basis of any technological infrastructure, the selection should be approached competently and consciously, comparing the features of use, purpose and functionality.

How to choose a server for the intended purpose?

The purpose of use is the first factor that should be taken into account when selecting a server. There are countless areas of equipment use today. You can choose separate configurations for simple data storage, working with email, communicating online or while gaming.

When selecting equipment for small or medium-sized businesses, it is advisable to pay attention to inexpensive offers from the middle segment. For large companies and enterprises with the prospect of expanding their activities, powerful high-class installations are suitable.

Correctly defining the purpose and goals is an important step on the path to purchase. This will allow you to correctly match your needs, as well as avoid overpayments when purchasing equipment that does not meet your needs.

Types of servers, their benefits and what they are suitable for

Modern manufacturers offer their clients servers in three main types of form factors:

• floor;
• rack-mounted;
• blades.

To understand how to choose the right server based on form factor, let’s look at the features, advantages and disadvantages of each type.

Floor installations

These types of devices belong to the simplest category. They are also called vertical or tower. Such equipment looks like a regular desktop computer and is equipped with a similar case.

Vertical installations are characterized by a sufficient level of power, especially for small businesses. Moreover, among the advantages of this form factor:

• ease of assembly and replacement of parts;
• quiet operation;
• unpretentiousness;
• no need for special cooling.

The disadvantages of a vertical device include poor scalability. Tower servers take up a lot of space, which is especially noticeable when there is a need to expand business and increase capacity.

Rack options

Such installations differ from analogues in their compactness. They require significantly less space than the same amount of equipment in vertical enclosures. In addition, rack-mount versions are characterized by impressive power and require the use of cooling systems. High noise levels when servers operate in racks require the allocation of a special room.

Advantages of the device:

• ease of expansion;
• high level of reliability;
• functionality.

Disadvantages include noise and the need for cooling systems.

Blade servers

The most powerful and at the same time compact devices. They are placed one above the other in a large housing according to the principle of blades. This saves space and simplifies operation. But due to the large number of components in one case, the maximum possible cooling is required.

System advantages:

• high level of productivity;
• ease of installation;
• scalability without cluttering space.

The weaknesses of such a device are:

• high price;
• the need for careful selection of consumables.

Why is it so important to choose the right server?

Proper selection of the form factor and equipment characteristics directly affects the functionality of the system and the company’s performance. When determining which server is best to choose, you should take into account the following features of the offers:

• CPU. Including cache size, socket type and clock speed.
• RAM. In this case, it is better to buy a server with high performance, but taking into account the number and complexity of the tasks performed.
• Disk subsystem.

The correct selection of a server should take into account all the features of its use, the prospect of further scaling and the level of the purchase budget.