Setting up a server!

R

realbigdreamer

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Hi guys,

I want to set up a server. I already got a server computer, but I need info on what it will cost (connecting it to a high speed line) and where I can set it up. I don't have great knowledge about setting up a server so if anyone has any info that could be useful please let me know! :)

Thanks
 
Nice gushing.
Now breathe ...

1. I need info on what it will cost (connecting it to a high speed line)
What does this server do?
2. Where can I set it up.
Where do you want to set it up?
 
What must the server do?
are you talking about a web server / file server / ftp server / p0rn server / games server???
 
spiderz said:
What must the server do?
are you talking about a web server / file server / ftp server / p0rn server / games server???
Click to expand...

:eek: You have experience with this type of server spiderz?

If so, can I help next time? :D:D

Otherwise nothing constructive to contribute here, without answers to the questions spiderz and davemc asked.

B
 
spiderz said:
What must the server do?
are you talking about a web server / file server / ftp server / p0rn server / games server???
Click to expand...

And what OS you would like to run?
If MS, - how many users (Cals are pretty expensive after the first 5 you get with it)......
 
Lol, okay here is more info:

1. It will be a web server.
2. I think that I will be running a Linux OS, because I heard that it's more stable etc.
 
I would recommend you rather co - locate that server in a proper facility or outsource this project. Clients will expect you to know what you are doing (I mean no offence, based off from "because I heard that it's more stable etc").

Do you have experience doing this?
 
just become a reselller.. or hire someone who know what they are doing.. you only have one reputation
 
Lol, no I don't want to go into web hosting very deep. I just want to play around with it. So it's not very serious.

Anyway, is there someone who can give some info on what I asked? I just want to know how much it will cost and if I should put the server in a Data Centre or how to connect in to a high speed line.

Sorry I didn't explain everything in the first post.

Thanks
 
use Hetzner.co.za

also if you aonly wanna play around... What databases are you gonna use? MS SQL will require the server to be MS server.
I prefer Linux with php + mysql setup.
 
Deadl1y said:
Linux with PHP + Mysql should be the way to go.
Click to expand...

Ok, then what do you know aobut "Linux with PHP + Mysql"?

You can run something like XAMPP for Linux, but it comes wide open by default as it's meant for development, so if you decide to deploy, you will have to tighten it up.

Nonetheless you are still going to need to learn about Apache (if using XAMPP), or whatever web server you choose, PHP and MySQL, and running all that in a hosting environment. And how to fix it, quickly, if it breaks, as you will have paying customers on your back if you don't.

The abovementioned is free, you would have to decide what sort of line you want to connect to, and then find out who provides said line, and find out the cost from them. From what has been said, would recommend that you locate the server at a decent facility.

B
 
Putting the server in a data-centre is big $$$. If you just want to host the web server, then you need a leased line to the internet (ask IS or MWEB, pricing will differ depending on the required speed), a router (R10k (Cisco), depending on what you need), a firewall (Cisco 10k, or depending on what you need, you could get a Linux box - or use no firewall (not a good idea at all....)).

Then you configure the Router to route to the Gateway (provided by the ISP), and you point your Servers' Gateway to point to the Router (ISP> Router > Server). If you use the Firewall, then you go ISP > Router > Firewall > Server - unless you do a three point DMZ, then you go ISP > Router > Firewall > DMZ > Firewall> Server.
 
Bismuth said:
Ok, then what do you know aobut "Linux with PHP + Mysql"?

You can run something like XAMPP for Linux, but it comes wide open by default as it's meant for development, so if you decide to deploy, you will have to tighten it up.

Nonetheless you are still going to need to learn about Apache (if using XAMPP), or whatever web server you choose, PHP and MySQL, and running all that in a hosting environment. And how to fix it, quickly, if it breaks, as you will have paying customers on your back if you don't.

The abovementioned is free, you would have to decide what sort of line you want to connect to, and then find out who provides said line, and find out the cost from them. From what has been said, would recommend that you locate the server at a decent facility.

B
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info.
Yes I will use XAMPP. It is great and easier to install an Apache distribution.

Also, I will definitely not have paying customers for a whole while. I plan to set the server up and offer free hosting, at least for a while so that I can learn to run the server properly.

Just need more info on where I can host the server and the cost for the line.
 
Deadl1y said:
Thanks for the info.
Yes I will use XAMPP. It is great and easier to install an Apache distribution.

Also, I will definitely not have paying customers for a whole while. I plan to set the server up and offer free hosting, at least for a while so that I can learn to run the server properly.

Just need more info on where I can host the server and the cost for the line.
Click to expand...

Just remember to close the security holes if you use XAMPP.

Maybe look at Conradl's suggestion, I would say it's your best option at this point.

B
 
If this is just a learning exercise, you could rent a virtual server from a cloud computing provider (Amazon, Rackspace etc) and be up and running with a bare-bones linux OS in very little time.

You can then follow some tutorials over at http://www.howtoforge.com/ on setting up your chosen disto to become a fully fledged hosting box.

If you are going to be providing services to customers, they will probably expect some sort of minimum service level, even if you don't charge them.

If you have to host it locally, then Hetzner provides a nice service called TruServ where they manage the hardware and you manage the software.

If you want to be hard-core, you can do as Conradl says in any of the big datacentres.
 
xistenz said:
If this is just a learning exercise, you could rent a virtual server from a cloud computing provider (Amazon, Rackspace etc) and be up and running with a bare-bones linux OS in very little time.
Click to expand...

Yep, this is actually a very cool thing, i recently investigated this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Elastic_Compute_Cloud

I actually wanted offsite storage, and Amazon S3 was my solution, then i learned Amazon has built all these other stuff on top of this storage.

Amazon EC2 you pay per hour to keep a virtual server online. I think it will cost about R1000 [minimum and depending on traffic] a month for a Windows 2003 Server 24/7 , but you can sign a yearly agreement to reduce this cost significantly. (For a small/medium business i think it's relatively cheap if you ask me) It's also cheaper for a Linux Virtual Server. But if you just want to play around/test/develop it's really the way to go, put it up for a few days and shut it down...great as a backup/failover solution too i'd say.

The cool thing is Amazon gives you an image preloaded , you can pick what OS, what virtual hardware [memory/cpus etc] and you're literally up and running in 15 minutes. It's really quite amusing going "next next next" and voila you got your own server online... You can then customize that server with apps as if it's a real server [remote desktop into it etc etc].

Obviously Amazon is not the cheapest solution out there, there are alternatives. I just happened to stumble on this "feature" while using their online storage facilities. And even better, you can sign up for free and all Amazon's services are based on actual usage [there is no minimum fee, if you don't use it, you don't pay] , so you can build a little server and only pay when it actually goes online. Since all of this all integrate, it's a very nice solution:

1. Amazon S3 = massive amounts of storage for dirt cheap [$0.15 per GB per month]
2. Amazon CloudFront = take all that stuff you're storing on your Amazon S3 and make it available via the web [thus hosting it from the storage].
3. Amazon EC2 = virtual servers, you pay per hour per server, but you can make as many as you like, whatever you like

Amazon's EC2 details: http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/
 
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