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General discussion

Entry-level server for small business recommendation?

by jjohn2775 Feb 28, 2014 5:39AM PST

Hello everyone,

I am looking for a entry level server for my business. It will be used mainly as a file server and for backup, but will also host SharePoint and a remotewebaccess.com website. We've decided that a twelve bay server would be ideal for us, giving us adequate storage space now with room to expand in the future. We'd like the server to last us five years.

We've narrowed it down to two servers:
the QNAP EC1279U http://www.qnap.com/useng/index.php?lang=en-us&sn=862&c=355
or
the Advatronix Cirrus 1200 http://www.advatronix.com/store/servers/cirrus-1200-windows-server-2012-essentials.html

We are currently leaning toward the Advatronix server for a couple of reasons. It's already preconfigured with an operating system, hard drives, and RAID so we won't have to worry about doing that ourselves (we don't have an IT staff) and its form factor is pretty unique. It seems unobtrusive and is supposed to run quietly. But I'd like to maybe hear some opinions on these two first before I decide!

What do you think would be the better choice out of these two?

Thank you for reading! Happy

Discussion is locked

3 Posts
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Woah. Stop the presses.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Feb 28, 2014 10:54AM PST

Did you or did someone tell you that RAID 1 Mirroring meant you didn't have to worry about backup or such?

And for a business I don't consider these to be servers. Nice file copies, and such but in a business where we pay by the hour can you afford low file speeds?

In other words, be sure you can get your money back!
Bob

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Consumer drives
by LFDRPro Mar 12, 2014 8:27AM PDT

Yeah. 20TB with consumer drives is a bad idea, even with RAID 6. You've got a base 50/50 chance of a failed rebuild just due to UBE assuming everything else goes as expect.

RAID 6 with Enterprise Drives is the bare minimum with that much storage.

Also, you will absolutely need an independent backup and another off-site.

Don't expect to run a file server and backup on the same rack with either of these systems.

If you need 10Tb of backup space and 10TB for a file-server(or some other combination), build 2 independent systems to accomplish this.

You'll be better off in performance and cost in the long terms as well.

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And old school IT means 3 copies at all times.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Mar 12, 2014 8:42AM PDT

Otherwise we fall out of backup. Not long ago (reel tape) we had all sorts of media rotation and retirement rules. One and a copy isn't safe enough. Well it is if the user is some video "collector."
Bob

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