Choose the Right Server for Your SMB

Your small or mid-sized business has the same basic IT infrastructure needs as larger companies, but you may not have an IT budget as large as an enterprise enjoys. According to Ray Boggs, Vice President at research firm IDC, small and mid-sized businesses will spend nearly $161.1 billion on information technology in 2015. Even though there are millions of SMBs, that number represents a big chunk of any one company's revenue. When the time comes to buy IT hardware, you'll want to be sure you spend wisely on the right hardware, and with support for Windows Server 2003 ending soon, it may just be the right time to upgrade.

The right server makes a major difference in overall performance, and servers usually make up the bulk of the spending when investing in new IT hardware. Sometimes, companies are tempted to buy unbranded white box servers to save money, but this usually ends up costing more money. The difference in performance and reliability between white box servers and top-brand servers is huge while the price differential is small. In the long run, you are much better off to go with brand names like Dell PowerEdge or HP ProLiant, both of which have sterling reputations for performance and reliability. You might also consider refurbished server, which can provide high performance and reliability at a low price.

Dell PowerEdge Servers

Dell PowerEdge servers are available in multiple form factors, including tower, rack, blade server as well as innovative converged infrastructure platforms. Dell servers are fully customizable, so you can configure the server to match your exact needs and budget. Prices for Dell PowerEdge Servers start at under $500 for a basic tower server, but you will likely want to upgrade from the base 4GB of memory, depending on your use for the server. More memory improves performance and decreases latency, so add more memory whenever possible. The newest servers accept up to 384GB of DDR4 memory and have space for up to 18 hard drives for storage.

As an example of the power of this server line, the entry level Dell PowerEdge R430 rack server can support up to two processors from the Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3 product family and takes up to 384 GB of DDR4 RAM. It can run Microsoft Windows Server 2008/2012, Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Red Hat Linux Enterprise Server or VMware vSphere. It can use Citrix XenServer, Microsoft Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V or VMware vSphere for Hypervisor support, making this server a great choice for accelerated virtualization and remote management applications in space-constrained environments.

HP ProLiant Servers

HP ProLiant servers are another excellent choice for IT hardware because of their performance, reliability and economical price point. The ProLiant server line receives high scores in most standard industry benchmarks, including the SAP Sales and Distribution Standard Application Benchmark. The HP ProLiant line comes in rack and tower form factors, and the most recent generation accepts up to 1.5 TB of DDR4 RAM, 90 TB of storage and an 18 core 45MB processor for screaming fast performance.

HP ProLiant Blade servers are ideal for server consolidation and application clustering in data centers. They offer maximum computing power highly efficient space saving design. The HP ProLiant BL460c Gen9 Server Blade supports Intel Xeon E5-2600 V3 processors and up to 1TB of RAM. It can run a variety of Microsoft Windows, Linux operating systems, VMware virtualization software, and HP OneView Management software. It's an excellent choice for 75 to 100 user environments where space and energy efficiency are important factors.

Refurbished Servers

Not every budget can stretch to cover a top of the line server, but refurbished servers can provide excellent performance at a reasonable price. You can even purchase some of the latest equipment as refurbished server hardware. Refurbished servers are very reliable because they have undergone extensive burn in and all components thoroughly tested to ensure they are functioning properly. Refurbished servers enable you to provide better overall performance for your organization than you might otherwise have been able to afford.

Whichever servers you choose for your business, rely on knowledgeable experts to help you configure the right balance of memory, storage and other components to meet your needs without exceeding your budget. Consider Aventis Systems for all of your Dell PowerEdge and HP ProLiant server needs. In addition to our knowledge of small and medium businesses, we have the quickest build times in the industry, averaging two to three business days for typical orders. Contact us for your next server refresh today.