Server Reliability

[Stevehewitt]

Hi all,

Just a quick one. Anybody know of a scale or authorative graph or something that shows that the older hardware gets the worse it's reliability or TCO is.

My boss wants me to use an 8 year old server to install Exchange 2003 Enterprise on and I need to convince him that it's simply not worth it.

(As we all know!)

Cheers,




Steve.

"They have the internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson

 

[jrbarnett]

Steve,
I don't know of any documentation relating to server hardware reliability, but a few general things have sprung to mind:

1. Check whether this server exceeds the recommended system requirements for Windows Server and Exchange with the workload it is likely to need to handle.

You may want to ask in the Exchange 2003 forum about what hardware spec they would recommend for an organisation of your employers size etc, accounting for any planned growth and the duration this is expected to last before it is replaced:

An 8 year old system I'd guess would probably be about 600-700MHz, single or dual processor, not that much RAM available compared to todays systems, not that much quicker than the recommended minimum spec.

http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/sysreqs/2003.mspx

2. Presumably this will become a critical system for your employer. Therefore you would want some sort of hardware support - is it available for that age of equipment? Availability of replacement parts?

John

 

[Stevehewitt]

Hi John,

Thanks. Actually, I think I was a little overstated when I mentioned Exchange. I put him off that already.

The server in question is:

Domain Controller and all FSMO Roles
DNS
Veritas BE
File storage (VSS)
RIS (ghosting / imaging)
RRAS (VPN Auth)
Company Print Server
Anit-Virus Repository / Management Centre

I know they aren't hugly massive roles - but best practice isn't to use 8 year old hardware for your fileserver.

I've done some math, and to upgrade the system to a low server spec (and therefore hand-built with no vendor support) would cost about £1620. (We need a new processor, therefore a new mobo and memory. Also a new PSU. Only got 18Gb HD's so need new drives which would mean a new RAID card etc.!)

Just after a bit of formal documentation / best practice that states server reliability is better with a 0 - 5 year old equipment than 8 year old kit. Plus of course that vendor supplied equipment is more reliable that hand built (soak testing, HAL certification etc.)

Cheers,




Steve.

"They have the internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson

 

[Grenage]

I believe out fileserver is about 10 years old! Still runs as reliably as the day it was bought (albeit that was before my time).

I do agree with you, but when in my opinion it comes down to how critical the service is that's being hosted. We still use the old server because if it does fail, simple files are so very easily restored to a temporary machine which is then given the same Netbios name until a replacement is bought.


Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[BocaBurger]

One of the biggest problem you might run into is the power supply going bad.

Sort of like asking if you had to get to a hospital that is a distance away, would you want to be in an 8 year old ambulance or a new one?



BocaBurger
<===========================||////////////////|0
The pen is mightier than the sword, but the sword hurts more!

 

[jrbarnett]

If you've got one host with all the FSMO roles, presumably this is the only DC on the LAN - therefore its not just a fileserver, its a critical piece of kit for your company's network which will take the entire LAN down if it fails.

John

 

[dkediger]

Have you researched the server's driver support within Windows 2003 Server? If you're looking for ammo to support a replacement, I would be very critical and demand MS certified drivers available for the mainboard, the disk subsystem, and NICs.

 

[Stevehewitt]

Thanks Guys,

A new 7 page report, commentary on email and a meeting has finally secured a nice new PowerEdge 2950!

Used as lot of the above so thanks to you all for your help.

Cheers,




Steve.

"They have the internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson

 

[chiph]

Don't throw out the old machine -- use it as a backup domain controller.

Chip H.


____________________________________________________________________
If you want to get the best response to a question, please read FAQ222-2244 first

 

[BocaBurger]

And it probably cost less than the original server too.

BocaBurger
<===========================||////////////////|0
The pen is mightier than the sword, but the sword hurts more!

 

[Stevehewitt]

Planning to use it as a test server for a new testing enviroment I want to create.

Thanks again,




Steve.

"They have the internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson

 

[jrbarnett]

(hopefully with another 2950 for your Exchange setup).

John