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Servers Simplified

From form factors, processors, and operating systems to pricing, features, and configuration, in this how-to guide you'll get the basic information you need to assess your needs and then purchase and install a server.

It's not rocket science anymore. Figuring out whether you need a server, what type, and the right features and functionality is now within your grasp. Just think of servers as electronic versions of the ubiquitous filing cabinet, but accessible by your entire staff simultaneously.

We'll be looking at the issues that decision-makers in small to midsize businesses confront when they decide if they need a server. From form factor to processor to operating system, storage, input and output, and peripherals we'll help you determine what features are important top your business.

A server can be more than a networked computer offering users shared access to an organization's files. Servers also can provide shared access to printers, to the Internet, and to e-mail. Furthermore, they can provide access to special shared applications, such as accounting and production systems.

Server components -- including the operating system, processor, memory, disk drives, power supplies, circuitry, and fans -- are designed to move large amounts of data efficiently rather than run single-user programs. The hardware is ruggedized for reliable long-term unattended operation.

Here's what you need to know when shopping for a server for a small to midsized business, including features and price ranges.

Server Form Factor

Servers came in three basic form factors: towers, racks, and blades.

Towers are beefy versions of the familiar desk-side PCs. Despite the name, a tower server is unlikely to be more than 18 inches tall. Commonly, they are placed on tables rather than the floor, to facilitate access.

Racks are just that: metal racks, resembling industrial shelving that hold standard-sized components such as servers.

A standard server rack is 19" wide and each rack unit, or U, is 1.75" high. A standard rack has 42 units and can hold servers as small as 1U and as large as 4U.

In most cases, each server on a rack is self-contained and only needs to be plugged into a power outlet and the network; the rack itself only supplies support. Some tower units, incidentally, can be installed sideways in a rack. The multiple servers on a rack are typically controlled through a single shared keyboard, monitor, and mouse, through a special switch.

Blades are modular, bare-bones computers that often reside in racks. Each blade is basically a circuit board (often in a special box) that plugs into a slot in a special chassis that in turn slides into a rack. The chassis supplies power and connectivity for the blades.

In contrast to towers, racks and blades greatly increase the amount of computing power that can be placed in a given space. However, they also increase energy and cooling needs and providing network cable access can be complex; raised floors are often used to conceal the snake nest of cables leading to racks and blades.

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