From specifying an appropriate server for your network, to
installing and supporting it aFinite can provide all the service
and support your business needs.
There are several diffent types of server, but most fall into
the following categories:
- Microsoft Windows Server
- Apple Mac OS X Server
- Network Attached Storage (NAS) Appliance
Benefits of a Server
-
Centralised Administration
Centralised user account administration giving the ability for
your users to log securely into any computer on your network and
access their files as appropriate as well as the ability to secure
files and folders on the network.
-
File and Folder permissions
The ability to secure files to individuals or groups of users
which follow users around based upon their username and password,
not based upon which machine they happen to be using.
- Centralised deployment and management of software
- If you have more than one site, files can be replicated to
servers at each site providing distributed access to the files
which can be backed up and secured through Windows Active Directory
permissions.
- Certain applications may require a server to run on providing
database, file storage or a central location to access the data in
an application from.
Sizing a Server
Sizing a server correctly for your needs is very important.
Underspecifying a server can have a signficant impact as upgrading
the server in future may require a completely new machine. We
recommend choosing a server which will meet your needs for the next
3 years. If this means buying something slightly more expensive in
the short term, it will only pay dividends in the future. Key
features for any server are
-
Storage
On board RAID capability, and support for at least 4 disk drives
is really useful in the longer term.
We would also recommend the use of enterprise class hard disks
using Serial-Attached-SCSI Hard Disks as these provide much greater
performance and reliability than Desktop standard SATA drives.
-
Manageability
A true server will have built in remote and onboard management
capabilities allowing administrators to monitor the state of
components such as Disk array status, internal temperatures and the
status of key components from RAM to power supplies.
Expansion
The ability to add an additional processor, network cards and
drive cages are all key features a server should include.
Why not use the cloud?
There is a huge amount of hubris around the cloud and its
benefits for companies of all sizes. For a balanced view, come and
talk to aFinite. We offer Google Apps and Microsoft BPOS (Hosted
Exchange and Office 365) as well as traditional internally hosted
services. We believe it is important to understand both the risks
and benefits of moving to the cloud. For genuine advice, come to
the experts. Talk to aFinite.