SBS Hardware Rec...

[zukinx]

I've got a couple consultants helping me overhaul our network for a move to a new building. We're going to be moving to SBS. We only have about 20 users currently and have our ISP supplying our email. We'll be bringing that in-house and making use of groupware functionality in Outlook.

The two bids we're most seriously looking at have divergent hardware recommendations for the server. Primarily, the difference is that one makes the server processor heavy, suggesting dual processors and one gig of RAM, whereas the other recommends only one processor, but four gigs of RAM.

I haven't been able to find any good info on where the bottlenecks lie in SBS. So I'm looking for recommendations from your experiences.

Thanks for the help.

 

[58sniper]

We deploy DOZENS of SBS boxes every year. As a general rule, our specs are as follows:

Dual processors, 2GB of RAM as a minimum, assuming you're going to be using SBS 2003 Standard. If you're going to be using SBS Premium, go with 4GB of RAM, dual processors (3GHz+)

Pat Richard, MCSE(2) MCSA:Messaging, CNA(2)

 

[scanjam]

The more ram the merrier. SBS2003 in our experience chews plenty or RAM for exchange (typically store.exe) and the MSSQL or MSDE parts for monitoring, ISA etc.

A quick look at a clients server shows exchange to be using 600MB after 2 days of running with only 7 users. Typically CPU usage has always been less than ram, this machine only has a single XEON processor.. but as you mentioned with 2 users you wouldnt want any less than 2 Processors and at least 2 GB - 4GB ram (especially is using premium)

GOod luck! Hope this helps in some small way