Tips For Choosing The Right Server For Your Business

There comes a time in the growth of all businesses when managing operations from your laptop is simply impossible.  There are options for small business owners in cloud-based operations, but some situations simply call for services only a server can provide.

Choosing the right server support for your business is critical for the continuing operation of your organization.  Here are a few valuable points to consider as you seek out the most suitable hardware for your organization’s evolution.

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Physical hardware’s shape and size

There are three different physical options for servers: towers, racks, and blades.  Making the choice between them is simple once you understand the basics of their functions.

A small business with an average of around 15 employees would be best served by a few tower servers.  Tower servers won’t require you to set up special cooling, and they are the most inexpensive option.

Once you have outgrown the tower system, you’ll work into a rack server system.  Racks have more internal space, while taking up less physical space, but you’ll have to invest in cooling materials.

The next step up is a blade server system.  Blade servers are simply a more expansive version of racks, and also require an investment in cooling equipment.

The option of virtualization

Virtualization may seem a bit complicated, but it’s actually a way to simplify your server needs.  Essentially, virtualization uses a single server as the platform from which to launch several virtual servers and split the memory.

Virtualization gives your business the opportunity to expand using less physical equipment and more processing power.  In theory, this method will grant you the efficiency of skipping the setup process with multiple physical servers.

To build or not to build

Another important decision which must be made is whether or not you want to build the server yourself or purchase premade equipment.  There are plenty of benefits to building your own server, but the decision truly rests on your company’s needs.

The cost of building versus premade isn’t much different when you do it right.  At least when you buy premade, you can feel safer knowing the products are insured with a warranty.

Take a thorough look at supporting factors

Before solidifying your decision, it may help to ask yourself a few pivotal questions.

What exactly will be run on the server?

How much power do you need?

How much storage and memory do you need?

How will you keep your server going if the power is out?

It’s important to gather plenty of information regarding your organization’s server needs before investing the time and money to set it all up.  Make sure there’s plenty of room for growth.