Servers Simplified
Server Microprocessors
The speed and design of microprocessors intended for servers span a wide range. Many have dual and even quad processor cores, meaning they are actually the equivalent of two and even four entire microprocessors on a single chip. Because of heat-related problems with multiple microprocessors on single system, chip-power consumption has become a key metric for chips.
Server microprocessors often have a larger cache (the on-chip memory used to avoid delays fetching data from RAM) than desktop units -- as much as 8MB rather than 1-2MB.
On a desktop PC, more microprocessor speed is desirable as most end-user applications depend on computational activity. But that's not the case with servers tasked with moving data; access requests are the chief cause of throughput delays. Thus, paying for leading edge processing speed in a server may not result in a return on investment. Yet, because a server's microprocessor interacts with RAM through its FSB (Front-Side-Bus), maximum FSB speed is desirable.
Another option -- other than RAM -- common to servers is ECC (Error Checking and Correcting) memory. In essence, ECC memory adds extra bits to each byte of RAM; if a bit goes bad the system automatically senses the problem, figures out which bit went bad, and corrects it. Without that correction, processing may come to a stop upon accessing a corrupted byte.
A server's chip set and motherboard determine the nature and speed of the processor, the FSB, and the presence of ECC; little can be done to upgrade them after purchase. Usually, however, the motherboard can support more RAM than is advertised with the base price. Adding more RAM is often the simplest way to increase throughput, but keep in mind that most versions of the Windows Server operating system support no more than 4 GB of RAM.
For smaller businesses, unless you're in a computer-intensive industry, such as software development or Web hosting, rack and blade servers may be overkill.
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