THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CHOOSING THE RIGHT SERVER FOR YOUR BUSINESS

The servers play a crucial role in the IT setup of any company and selecting the appropriate ones can be a challenging task. Inadequate choices can result in buying IT equipment that doesn’t meet the requirements or servers that are unnecessarily powerful, leading to a waste of resources, both in terms of time and money.

For small or growing businesses, choosing the right server and IT infrastructure can seem overwhelming with the numerous options available. However, with the right guidance and information, the process can be made easier. When constructing or expanding your IT infrastructure, focusing on some key factors can help you pick the most suitable choices for your business needs.

Step 1: Understand server requirements
Servers play a crucial role in the success of a business as they offer multiple services and enable employees to carry out important responsibilities. Common responsibilities may include:
1) Email and database hosting for business
2) Sharing and preserving files
3) Remote desktop access
4) Website and app hosting
5) Backup of systems and data
To construct an IT infrastructure, start by determining the functions that the server will perform. Evaluate the situation and compile a list of current and future priorities. Consider future growth, such as if the company plans to double in size in the next 2 years. Knowing the company’s long-term objectives is crucial for time-saving and should be obtained by communicating with management. It’s essential to keep in mind that adding servers to an in-house data center can become costly rapidly.

This will result in determining the storage (hard drives), memory (server RAM), and power (kWh) specifications for your server. You can obtain minimum system requirements for your current and future needs by consulting online resources or an IT expert. This information will provide a clear plan for your business and guide you in selecting the optimal server to meet your needs.

Step 2: Consider server location and maintenance
Another important aspect in selecting a suitable server for your company is its location. Evaluate the risk, benefits, and costs when making this decision. If you plan to host the server at your business location, make sure you have the necessary expertise on hand and adequate space. Servers can be loud and pose a security threat if not securely stored, so consider if the available space is suitable for use as a server room or closet.

Keeping data centers on the premises is often seen as a more cost-efficient solution, especially for small to medium-sized businesses that choose Tower and Blade servers. The best option for you depends on the size of your server network needs and expected energy consumption. While on-site housing can save you from paying for data center maintenance, your business will incur the cost of energy usage and potentially pay employees for after-hours work.

Another option is to host servers in specialized data centers that provide on-site support and maintenance. Outsourced server maintenance guarantees maximum uptime as the facilities will work to fix any issues and have backup power supplies, which may not be available in-house. Hosting servers in data centers also ensures proper cooling and power management, as the facilities provide an optimal environment for server networks. Data centers can provide the necessary equipment and care for blade servers, for example, which require special attention.

When selecting a data center for your company, select a reputable organization as proper maintenance is essential for the security of your IT equipment. There are numerous companies available online, but it’s crucial to thoroughly research to find trustworthy and reliable companies to avoid security breaches and inadequate internet service. Consider the data center company’s flexibility and scalability to prevent obstacles to business growth in the future.

Step 3: Calculate your budget
The nature of your business tasks will also determine your IT budget needs. The more intricate the tasks, the higher the budget must be. It’s essential to consider long-term task requirements carefully, as the cost of adding extra servers to data centers can add up rapidly.

Beware of falling into the trap of buying top-of-the-line servers to maximize business output, but these servers may not be necessary for the light of workloads. This results in wasting money on the energy to power these machines and on the equipment itself. If you have the following considerations, you can consider a smaller budget:
1) The server being offline for a period is acceptable.
2) The server does not handle crucial tasks such as e-commerce traffic management.
3) The server being offline would have minimal impact on the business.
4) The workloads are simple and require little power.
If your expectations include:
1) 24/7/365 server availability.
2) Quick and efficient handling of multiple, complex tasks such as managing databases or generating analytics.
3) Hosting high-traffic, e-commerce, or customer-facing resources.
You will need a larger budget. If you plan to host websites and expect growth, you’ll need a bigger IT budget. But there are ways to reduce the cost even if you need high-performing hardware.

HOW CAN I MAXIMISE MY BUDGET?
The first option to reduce your server spending is purchasing from the secondary market. Buying refurbished servers does not necessarily mean sacrificing performance. When obtaining refurbished servers from reputable specialists like Ref Group, thorough testing is performed to ensure their performance is equal to new servers, and a long 3-year warranty is also included for added reassurance.

The best way to maximize your spending is by utilizing scientific and advanced infrastructure suggestions to optimize your server. Ref Group recently participated in a study that showed that a properly optimized older-generation server can perform better than a newer generation in terms of output and energy efficiency. This peer-reviewed research, featured in an IEEE paper, debunks the notion that only new equipment has the best performance, making it an excellent option to consider if you want to get the best performance from an older server.

Estimating the cost of building a server estate from scratch is a complex task, similar to asking how long a piece of string is. The cost is influenced by various factors such as IT hardware components, server maintenance and support, operating systems, power, and cooling. If you’re having trouble determining the cost, don’t worry. An IT expert can assist you by explaining the expenses, both capital and operational, that you may incur based on your specific needs.

Step 4: Select your server type
It’s time to choose the best physical server type for your business. Servers are available in different physical forms, categorized into three types: Blade, Rack, and Tower. Although the internal components of servers are similar, it is crucial to consider your long-term server needs to prevent any limitations in scalability in the future. If you have thoroughly evaluated your budget, system requirements, long-term business goals, and locations, choosing the right physical server type should be a straightforward task.

CHOOSE BETWEEN TOWER, RACK, AND BLADE SERVERS
A Tower Server resembles a typical desktop computer in appearance. Its vertical design allows it to be standalone and doesn’t need to be placed in a cabinet, making it a great choice if you don’t have a server room. Tower Servers are typically viewed as the most cost-effective option as they don’t require additional mounting hardware or cooling equipment and are generally less expensive than Blade or Rack servers.

Smaller businesses with limited IT budgets usually opt for Tower Servers as they offer good processing power and support virtualization, despite being the more affordable option. However, it’s important to consider the amount of space they may occupy, especially if you plan to expand in the future. If space becomes a concern, converting Tower Servers into Rack Servers with a rack conversion kit is a cost-effective solution for upgrading.

Rack Servers are different from Towers as they are housed in a cabinet and require a dedicated server room. The cabinet can accommodate multiple servers stacked on top of each other in slots, making Rack Servers a good choice for reducing floor space when you have multiple servers. Growing companies with stronger system requirements often prefer Rack Servers as they offer higher processing power than Towers and take up less space.

Rack Servers offer convenience with their rails, making it easy to add or remove rackmount servers from the cabinet, making maintenance, such as upgrades, simpler. They are also a suitable choice for businesses anticipating growth as their design allows for the easy addition of extra servers to the network. However, Rack Servers need specialized cooling equipment, so be sure to factor that in.

Blade Servers are a step up and are preferred by large enterprises because of their high density and integrated networking. Their slim design makes them even more space-efficient than Rack Servers, but they still require specialized cooling equipment and a special blade enclosure for installation.

Blade Servers provide improved performance with more processing power and reduced cabling, making it easier for IT administrators to manage the infrastructure. They can be managed through a single interface for easy maintenance and monitoring. However, due to their high thermal output and weight, Blade Servers must be housed in a specialized data center with proper cooling equipment. As the costliest option, Blade Servers should only be considered for the most demanding workload requirements.

CONFIGURE-TO-ORDER SERVERS
When buying servers, keep in mind that you don’t have to stick with the standard components that come with the server. You can customize the server to meet your specific business needs through a process called Configure-to-Order. This can lead to benefits such as lower power costs, greater scalability, and time savings.

Remember, as well as configuring your server, it’s also possible to optimize them for major cost and performance benefits. Using the Interact tool, it’s possible to enhance servers to outperform the immediate next generation. This banishes the misconception that purchasing from the refurbished market means compromising on quality.

Step 5: Get in touch with an IT specialist
Keep in mind that you can optimize your server for cost and performance benefits besides just configuring it. Using the Interact tool, you can boost your server’s performance to surpass the next-generation models. This dispels the idea that buying refurbished servers means sacrificing quality.

REF Group offers a broad selection of IT equipment and servers from major brands like Dell, HPE, and IBM, with a total value exceeding $1 million. Our focus is on delivering eco-friendly IT solutions and we have expertise in both new and refurbished gear.

Check out our extensive selection of new and pre-owned servers online. Our customization service for tailor-made servers is offered at no cost, and every IT product and component we sell is backed by a three-year warranty.