Small businesses may find the prospect of investing in IT infrastructure daunting; this is especially true for modest budgets and staffing levels. The complexity and cost associated with servers, specifically rack servers—traditionally perceived as too unwieldy—can deter such ventures. This blog post delves into the powerful computing capabilities that rack servers offer to small businesses at affordable costs—an exploration of how these potent machines can enhance performance without financial strain.
What Do Rack Servers Entail?
Sometimes referred to as a rack-mounted server, a rack server represents a compact design specifically for mounting in either a server cabinet or rack. Typically measuring only 1U (one unit) or 2U (two units) in height, this allows for minimal space consumption within the overall structure of the chosen placement. Businesses can incrementally increase their computing power by installing multiple server racks in one unit of storage and thus maximize efficiency according to demand.
Complete standalone server computers, known as server racks, encapsulate processors, RAM, storage drives, and necessary operating components such as a power supply and network interfaces. These share power sources with other servers in the rack; they also benefit from collective cooling systems—utilizing common cabling arrangements—and occupy shared space within their respective racks. The efficiency and scalability of this arrangement are notable features.
A Boon for Small Businesses
Small businesses reap numerous benefits from utilising rack servers: enhanced efficiency, cost savings, and scalability, to name a few
Server racks possess several key advantages, rendering them ideal for small business environments; these include:
Compact and Modular
A small footprint characterizes rack servers, which permits the accommodation of multiple units in one rack. This modular strategy empowers you to commence operations with precisely the computing power required for today’s needs; subsequently, as your demands augment—seamlessly and without disruption—additional servers can be incorporated.
Cost Effective
At a mere fraction of the cost, these servers offer the same reliability and performance as enterprise-level ones. Their compact 1U and 2U form factors require fewer materials, an advantageous feature for even small companies due to affordability.
Efficient Use of Space
By mounting multiple servers in a standard server rack, you make efficient use of the available space. Rack servers can be neatly tucked away in a closet or server room, freeing up precious square footage in your office.
Easy to Manage
Managing many server racks is easier than managing the same number of tower servers scattered around the office. These servers can be accessed remotely over the network for convenient administration. Powering on/off and cabling are simplified with everything located in the rack.
Designed for Business Applications
Server racks run industry standard CPUs, OS, software, and virtualization platforms. They provide the same performance, uptime, and support for business workloads as more expensive servers.
What to Look for in an Affordable Rack Server
When evaluating budget-friendly rack servers for your small business, keep the following features in mind:
Processor
The processor is the brain of a server, so you’ll want a reasonably modern and powerful CPU, even on affordable servers. Look for Intel Xeon or AMD EPYC processors that are no more than a generation or two old. Having at least 4-8 cores per processor is recommended, as this allows running multiple workloads on virtual machines. Avoid outdated single or dual core CPUs, as these will quickly limit what you can do.
Memory
RAM provides the working memory for applications and operating systems to perform tasks. 8GB is really a minimum for any server today, but 16GB or 32GB is better if you can afford it. Make sure the server uses error correcting (ECC) RAM for best reliability. Also confirm that the memory is DDR4 versus older DDR3, and that there are empty DIMM slots or capacity to add more RAM later up to at least 64GB.
Storage
The storage subsystem impacts performance and capacity. Look for server racks that support both SSDs for boot/applications and HDDs for data storage. This allows you to get the best of both speed and affordability. NVMe SSDs are fastest if supported, while SATA SSDs are a more budget-friendly option. For HDDs, 7200 rpm SATA models provide a good balance of capacity and performance.
Networking
With server racks, networking is handled through built-in ports, riser cards, or add-in adapters. Gigabit (1GbE) networking is standard, but 10GbE ensures room for growth. The ability to team or bond ports together for more bandwidth is also useful. SFP+ ports that support fibre optic cabling are sometimes included too. In a pinch, old 100Mbps Ethernet can work but will quickly become a bottleneck.
Remote Management
Nearly all server hardware today offers some form of remote management capability using standards like IPMI or vendor-specific technologies. This allows administering the server over the network versus having to be physically present at the rack. Look for options that provide full remote control access without licensing fees or restrictions.
Warranty and Support
Buying from a reputable vendor ensures you get a decent warranty and support options. A 1 year warranty is generally standard, but look for servers that come with 3 years or more of coverage. Extended warranty upgrades should also be available. Importantly, make sure phone and online support are included so you can get expert help when needed.
Top Affordable Rack Servers
Here are some examples of budget-friendly rack servers suitable for small businesses:
1U Single Processor Rack Server
This 1U rack-mount server is equipped with a single, powerful multicore processor. It can accommodate up to 32GB of ECC RAM, with four drive bays for both SSD and HDD storage. Dual 1GbE onboard networking provides connectivity.
2U Dual Processor Rack Server
Stepping up to a 2U rack server form factor allows this server to be outfitted with two multicore processors. It scales to 128GB of memory and has eight hot-swap drive bays. Dual 10GbE networking delivers high speed connectivity.
Hybrid Tower/Rack Server
This convertible server has a tower form factor but can also be mounted into a rack using optional rails. Two processor sockets, 64GB of RAM capacity, and eight drive bays provide balanced capabilities.
Micro Server Appliance
For basic tasks like file serving, this extremely compact 1U server rack has just one processor socket and 8GB of memory. It’s well suited for appliance duties versus running heavy workloads.
Conclusion
Rack servers have evolved into a viable server platform for resource-constrained small businesses. Compact, affordable models from all the major vendors pack impressive performance and reliability into 1U and 2U rack-mountable form factors. By deploying server racks, small businesses can invest in just the data centre compute power they need today, with the flexibility to scale seamlessly as workloads grow. Sophisticated remote management and leading virtualization platforms make it easy to configure and administer many server racks efficiently.
