Setting up server for small office

Conradl said:
Sorry man, don't want to derail the thread, but could you please provide a link to the research that shows more data is lost with RAID5 rebuild versus RAID10 (who mentioned RAID5 anyway)?

Also, I would be wary of recommending RAID10 as an easy way to add more space, RAID5 space can be increased by adding a single disk, RAID10/01 requires multiple disks....
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I must agree with you here, the statement about data being lost when a disk rebuild happens is rubbish. The only time a data can be lost is if the RAID controller doesn't have cache or write through is enabled and there is a power failure. Adding disks to RAID arrays is easy these days with dynamic partitions.
 
leonb said:
Thanks for info so far. Please give specifics on MB, CPU, HDD, Ram to build this machine.

Can this server computer also be run as workstation for light application like word processing.
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Not recommended.

Because the user might want to install some extra applications, surf the Internet and so on - and that is a big no-no on servers.

Oh, and put their memory sticks with their favourite MP3's (which might also contain a choice trojan or two...)
 
leonb said:
R5000? Is this possible?
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Yup - but then you will only have workstation (PC) components and not server components.

Server components usually are a bit more expensive, but gives the best performance when under load, whereas workstation components will start to struggle once a certain peak have been reached.

Your call.
 
Consider network cards : server cards usually can offload TCP processing to the card, thereby freeing the CPU for other tasks.

A standard network card doesn't do this - the CPU have the extra overhead of doing TCP processing as well.
 
Never a good idea to run a server as a workstation.

WRT specs,

What you do need is reliability, so spending extra on a branded machine with a warranty and onsite support is must. RAID1 is also critical. A disk is the most likely component to fail, when it does you lose all your work since you last backed up.

What you do not need: High specs in terms of RAM/CPU. 2GB RAM and a dual core processor is more than adequate for a file server; for 8 users it is overkill! I can show you detailed performance graphs of many file servers, running between 100 - 2500 users. The RAM usage is low and the processor generally runs at around 5%.

An HP ML110 server, with RAID1, and 333 warranty is around R5000. It may be easy to dismiss this server because the processor is "slow", and a clone will have a quad core, but consider that <10% usage of an average file server when making a decision.

WRT to TOE (TCP offload engine), Dell, some time back, did some very interesting studies into this technology and it certainly has its benefits. However, as a rule of thumb, 1 Mhz of processing power is required for every 1Mbps of network traffic (TOE disabled). Thus a 1GB NIC running at 100% will require 1Ghz processor.

A file server with two dual GB NICs, bonded and connected to an iSCSI SAN, with a similar network configuration, will therefore require 8Ghz of processing power to run all it's NICS at 100%. TOE will eliminate this burden on the CPU and offset the need to purchase an additional, potentially expensive, server processor.

For 8 users I would say that you would see no benefit from TOE.
 
For starters, for 8 people you definitely do not need TOE. I ran a small network of 30 people on a server with a G31 board, 2GB ram, 2x160GB HDD in RAID 1 and 3x500 in RAID5. Obviously it had an add on RAID controller. Can't remember what it was.

Currently servicing 5500 on a Dell 2950 with 4GB RAM and dual E5310 Xeons, runs file and print and never goes above 20% processor util.

Get a decent board with 6 or 8 SATA ports and supports RAID, an E7300 processor and 2GB ram. Put in a decent 600 watt PSU for future HDD upgrades and stick it all in a decent CM case with a few fans.

Bobs your aunty.
 
Review of ClearOS.
So what does it offer? Here’s just a taste:

  • Centralized Authentication (LDAP)
  • Primary Domain Controller (Samba)
  • File and Print Services (Samba and CUPS)
  • Mail (SMTP, POP, IMAP, Webmail)
  • Calendaring (Kolab groupware)
  • Webserver (Apache)
  • Firewall plus intrusion protection (iptables, Snort)
  • Antimalware (Clam Antivirus, Antiphishing, Antispyware)
  • Antispam (Spamassassin)
  • Database (MySQL)
  • Virtual Private Network (IPSec, OpenVPN, PPTP)
  • Web Proxy (Squid)

The complexity of these individual components is hidden behind the web based management interface, where users can simply turn on and off these modules as required.

While users are encouraged to administer the system via the provided management interface, it is also designed to be extensible. The back end is not hidden away, but offered up in plain sight for admins to get right in and change things if they want to. Various how-tos provide details on how to perform extra functions, such as enabling shell access for users.
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For 8 people I would personally get an off the shelf PC with a 2nd drive to raid. Slap on one of the many click-and-install LINUX distros.

While an exchange server is really awesome, many companies (like ours) have switched to using GMAIL.

On critical backups, create a "dropbox" account for each user. That way the info gets synced online (I do this). Its free (2GB)!


Not spreading the gospel of Linux here, but also look at online alternatives to what you need to achieve. You might be able to move much of your requirements offsite (for free).
 
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