Server hardware is one of the most common network obstacles. Your servers must be powerful computers capable of handling all the work that your network will throw at them. Don’t cut corners with a modern computer you bought at a discount computer store.
Here are the four most important components of your server hardware:
Processor: Your server must have a powerful processor. As a general rule, any processor available in a $500 computer from a store that sells TVs, washing machines, and computers is not a processor you want to see in a file server. In other words, avoid processors designed for consumer-grade home computers. For optimal performance, your servers should use server-grade Itanium or Xeon processors.
Memory: You can’t have a great memory. Memory is cheap, so don’t skimp. Don’t even think about running a server with less than 8GB of RAM.
Disk: Don’t mess with cheap SATA hard drives. To be respectful, you should only have SCSI drives.
Network Interface: A $9.95 network card might be fine for your home network, but don’t use one in a file server that supports 50 users and then expect to be happy with the server’s performance. Remember that the server computer uses the network much more than any other client, so equip the servers with good network cards.
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