[AccessD] OT: Server Needed

Hi Rocky

At that price one would expect a brand name slightly-over-entry level
server machine (IBM, HP) at 1.6 to 2.0 GHz P4 and an 18 GB SCSI drive
with three years warranty with at least the first year as on-site
warranty. 

It's true that a work machine can act as a server but it doesn't make
it a server machine. These are built for continuos run and have better
cooling and space for drives - and often they have server monitoring
facilities. However, there is a "grey zone" of entry level servers
with IDE disks and often these are little more than renamed tower
cased work machines.

This would be an upgrade of your client's setting - a working shared
Win98 machine is pure luck - it's proved but still pure luck. A real
server can be expected to work without luck. This does cost some more
money.

What is certainly missing from the budget is a backup solution. Don't
go without it.

The budget for hours is too low. Aside from the server installation
all service packs must be applied, data moved, printers installed and
tested - and all the work machines will need a walk through. It will
take some hours just to test a backup not to mention if the client
wants proof of a true and complete restore from the tape. Two days for
a skilled guy is more appropriate.

If your client wants to go for a Windows server, consider the small
business OEM pack which carries a cut down SQL Server as well. But why
five licenses? Ten will be needed - where did this supplier earn his
reputation? Or didn't your client provide full needed specs?

The cost for a Novell NetWare Small Business pack will be much
smaller and the client will need only six licenses as they count for
concurrent users (not by seat).
If budget is tight consider Linux, say a Red Hat or Caldera server
distribution, which are at zero cost in licensing and a small amount
for the package. Also, processor requirement for Novell and Linux is
about 50% of that for a Windows server which means that your client
will be fine with a good machine on sale with as little as 500 MHz
processor speed.

For current models, your client can do with an entry level server. But
given the additional costs for software, backup solution and
installation the difference in the total budget may be of minor
importance. But no matter what, go for a brand name machine (yes, I
know, there are bunches of fine white boxes. But this is not you but
your client).

/gustav


> I have a client who wants to upgrade the server on his network.  There's about 10 seats on his network, of which maybe 6 are being used.  Seems to me that he could use any good, fast P4 box with
> 1/2 gig of RAM , etc.  Which is well under $1000 these days from dell, or gateway, with three years on-site.

> A local, old, fairly reputable company in San Diego - Datel - is quoting him $1457 for and Intel entry level server with a P4 (speed unknown), 512MB RAM, 80GB HD, with DUAL LAN RAID - whatever that
> is.  Plus another $775 for "WIN 2000 SVR W/5 CLIENT SP3 OEM-CD".  Plus something between 5 and 10 hours of installation charged at a price unspecified in the quote.

> Right now his "server" is an old Win98 box, slow, but effective.

> My question is, what is the difference between a box that someone like Dell calls a server and an ordinary computer?  Does he need a server?