Hi all:
I am shopping for a server.
My 1st and 2nd server were mostly custom. Both times - people said, why didnt you just buy an HP?
So I am shopping HP.
I would consider IBM, won't give Dell a dime of my (or my boss') money (not saying they don't make a good product, I wouldnt know, just not buying anything from them). And those seem to be the "big 3" these days...so...
I was reading a post the other day:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Hardware/Servers/Q_23292780.htmlIt talked up the ML370 as the way to go for a Tower HP - like the ML370 was the bottom of the beginning for any serious piece of hardware. I would like to know how that info holds up 1 year later? If you were shopping HP today - what would you be buying. (If you are shopping elsewhere - I still would like to know. I am not that close-minded - just focused in one direction at the moment, but I can be swayed)
I want a box that will run Exchange 2007 under Win2008 Standard.
I doubt I will do much else with it.
Budget IS a concern unfortunately. Never used to be, but my boss has changed in the last year...whaddya gonna do?!??!
So, ideally I would like to go as slim as I could, but with room to grow, i.e. something with 1 Quad-Core for now, ability to add 2nd later. Minimum of RAM to start with vs. ideal, etc. you get the picture. Over the next year I could slowly add RAM and CPU - smaller expenditures spread out over time easier than up front sticker-shock.
I am a small business. Right now we are on Exchange 2003 running on Win2003 Enterprise.
I am buying this box with the intention of upgrading. And even if I dont make the jump to Exch07 now, I want the power to do it when ready. I already have licenses for the software - its just a matter of being ready.
Usage: we have about 3 dozen active mailboxes, a dozen OWA users, but the bulk of our activity i think comes from use of Public Folders. We have several Public Tasks Folders, we do all of our scheduling with a Public Calendar, and we have several public folders which are accessed constantly and serve as anything from posting back and forth for communication among users, to filing emails to track cases (we are in legal services and track and keep live emails sometimes for years).
Sounds like peanuts compared to most posts I read about having 700 users, etc. But right now I am one of those people plagued with pop-up windows about "problems connecting to exchange server" and "connection to exchange server restored" all day long. Plus - go ahead - frown, my exchange is on my DC, along with a ton of other stuff. My server is overworked. The usage may not always show it - but the performance does. If you care to know more and havent read my other posts that describe my server and environment let me know.
If I can get what I want for a price my boss will swallow - awesome. Otherwise - I am going to play switcheroo - and take down my current backup server (Dual Quad 2.83, 8GB RAM - except my HD are not optimal for Exch - 7200 SATA) - wipe it, use it for 2008 & exchange07 (or 03 for now) and then buy an entry level box at a much more reasonable cost to the boss that will become the backup.
So, what would you buy? My true budget is a tough ? There are good days and bad for asking the boss. But once you tell me the minimum config you would start with and I can price that out - then I know where I can take it from there depending on how the wind blows.
