New Server... how should we set up our system?

thekooman

hi all,
getting a new HP Ml330 server at work.
currently our setup is as follows: Server with 4-5 win xp and windows 7 clients connecting through a 16port 10/100 switch. we don't have a domain controller.

the new server is coming with 2 x 250GB drives and has expansion slots for 3 more. we intend to put windows 2008 on the server; we are a .Net development house (VB.net and ASP.net with SQL Server and sourcesafe).
We intend to get 2 500GB drives for data and these would be RAID controlled.

So my questions are:
1. Should we get a Gigabit switch? would it make it quicker for developers to checkout code from sourcesafe, etc? all machines have gigabit ethernet controllers afaik.
2. should we set the server to be a domain controller? or should we use another desktop machine as a domain controller?
3. is this the best way to go... the 250GB drives as the active windows partition and the 2 extra 500gb drives as the data (db's, sourcesafe data, etc) drives?

We will probably get someone to set it up properly but i've been given the task of getting them and don't want to be a total noob when talking to them!
your ideas/advice would be great.

jamesd

Mirror the 2 * 250GB's ( means both drives are a copy of each other and if 1 fails the other has the info)
Also mirror the 2 * 500GB's.( same as above - is 500GB enough space?)

A Gigabit switch would be no harm at all and not too expensive.
Yes the server should defn be the DC.

thekooman

thanks for the reply jamesd...
the 2 250GB drives are mirrored by default and we would intend to do the same with the 500gb drives as well for data.

at the moment our backups are about 150gb and that has been the same for the last 2-3 years so i can't see us needing more than 500gb.

rolion

Is not the best setup but if you have placed the order you have to stick with them !

If you need 'outside' help,please let me know ,i can give you a good board-ed discounted rate !

A free tip: make sure the RAID is done at the RAID Controller card level !Get any type of UPS (minimum 800w) 'cause if the power goes,that server will take days to software remirror the hard drives...

Mac daddy

thekooman wrote: »

hi all,
getting a new HP Ml330 server at work.
currently our setup is as follows: Server with 4-5 win xp and windows 7 clients connecting through a 16port 10/100 switch. we don't have a domain controller.

the new server is coming with 2 x 250GB drives and has expansion slots for 3 more. we intend to put windows 2008 on the server; we are a .Net development house (VB.net and ASP.net with SQL Server and sourcesafe).
We intend to get 2 500GB drives for data and these would be RAID controlled.

So my questions are:
1. Should we get a Gigabit switch? would it make it quicker for developers to checkout code from sourcesafe, etc? all machines have gigabit ethernet controllers afaik.
2. should we set the server to be a domain controller? or should we use another desktop machine as a domain controller?
3. is this the best way to go... the 250GB drives as the active windows partition and the 2 extra 500gb drives as the data (db's, sourcesafe data, etc) drives?

We will probably get someone to set it up properly but i've been given the task of getting them and don't want to be a total noob when talking to them!
your ideas/advice would be great.

Did you order up a smart array controller with this?
if yes boot the server you will see a option to press F8 after the ILO select your two disks and configure up a Raid 1.

The server will come with a smart start CD if you have never installed a server OS this will assist you with it, it creates a small partition on the logical drive with all the drivers from the PSP and prompt you to insert the OS media.

It will also help you setup the array if you haven't done at it post.

Switch side
Depends on how often they are accessing the server and the code stored on it.
I would defo reckon going for a Gigabit switch they are cheap these days and go with it you can pick up a decent 16 port managed one for around 120Euro's or a unmanaged one for around 80Euro's ( Just have a look around for the procurve 1400 series (unmanaged) or else the 1800 series (managed)

if you want or need vlans ect go with a managed one if you don't and just want a plug and forget about switch go with a unmanaged switch.

Disk sizes
OS partition as you said use the 2x 250Gb disks in a raid 1
The data partition on a seperate spindle would be the preference.
and another disk be it internal or external to backup your data on the data partition example two external USB drives if you want the cheap option or look into getting a DLT VS or a LTO tape drive and a rotation of tapes.

Raid isn't a backup its a resilience & availability layer if your data is important store it external device/tape.
The HP servers if you have installed the proliant support pack it will alert you in the event of predictive drive failure aka replace it soon.
But if your Array controller itself decides to pack or up or you have a power outage and you don't have have a BBWC/Cache module any data that hasn't been written to the array will be lost.

Then again ask put the question to your managers is the data they have important?
if yes then back it up and don't be cheap about it, ask them how much would it cost them if the it was all lost is this cost greater than the cost of a redundant server and decent backup device.

You will need to think about the windows 2008 version that you want to go with and the functionality that you want from it.

Also it doesn't take days to rebuild a Raid array either... if you have a decent controller and cache module and prior to inserting the disk if you change the rebuild priority to 75% write and 25% read you will be finished in a couple of hours.

If you need anything else just let me know.

rolion

Mac daddy wrote: »

Also it doesn't take days to rebuild a Raid array either... if you have a decent controller and cache module and prior to inserting the disk if you change the rebuild priority to 75% write and 25% read you will be finished in a couple of hours.

If you need anything else just let me know.

While all other info is corect,thanks for sharing and open-ness of your advise,please revise my post and see that i've mentioned the software re-mirror...that will take days ,at least if the data partitions is still being accessed ! That is not valid if you have it in the RAID controller,where the rebuilding is done in the background at a specified priority !

Overall ,for the OP, should not take more than a day to do all these and cheap enough ! !
What generation is the 330 ? G5 ,G6 ?

thekooman

many many thanks folks for the advice.
We hadn't even thought of a UPS backup either as we currently haven't got one. my RAID knowledge is limited but there is some great advice there.

What generation is the 330 ? G5 ,G6 ?

its a G6.

Did you order up a smart array controller with this?

there is a Smart Array b110i with it.

again ask put the question to your managers is the data they have important?

We have 4 USB external drives that we rotate to backup the data. I bring these home with me and one of the developers has a latest copy of the code on his laptop which is also brought home.

You will need to think about the windows 2008 version that you want to go with and the functionality that you want from it.

We were going to go with windows 2008 server enterprise edition.

rolion wrote:

If you need 'outside' help,please let me know ,i can give you a good board-ed discounted rate !

many thanks Rolion but we are in mayo and would hope to go with someone local in the event that something goes wrong down the line.

Mac daddy

rolion wrote: »

While all other info is corect,thanks for sharing and open-ness of your advise,please revise my post and see that i've mentioned the software re-mirror...that will take days ,at least if the data partitions is still being accessed ! That is not valid if you have it in the RAID controller,where the rebuilding is done in the background at a specified priority !

Overall ,for the OP, should not take more than a day to do all these and cheap enough ! !
What generation is the 330 ? G5 ,G6 ?

Sorry Man didn't see you mentioned a S/W raid but you are 100% correct with the regards to software raids rebuilds speeds and times, and they are a absolute nightmare to fix if something does happen.

To the OP
The smart array controller that you have ordered up is more than sufficient for your needs, it does Raid 0, 1 , 10
Dodle to setup using either the Array configuration utility or else the smart start assisted CD.

Good to see you have some form of a backup solution in place even if it is using external USB drives, its cheap and it works fine for a small business.

Last Question is regarding the platform choice why 2008 Enterprise edition over Standard Edition?

thekooman

Mac daddy wrote:

Last Question is regarding the platform choice why 2008 Enterprise edition over Standard Edition?

We have both! :-) We're using Win 2003 Enterprise at the moment. we've actually decided to use Hyper V instead of VMWare Server as well as i've read that id have to get rid of Hyper V to put on VMWare.... i see on the details of the Enterprise edition that we can get up to 4 VM's for the 1 license using the Enterprise edition so that could be a good thing.
Any other plus's of Enterprise against Standard?

Mac daddy

thekooman wrote: »

We have both! :-) We're using Win 2003 Enterprise at the moment. we've actually decided to use Hyper V instead of VMWare Server as well as i've read that id have to get rid of Hyper V to put on VMWare.... i see on the details of the Enterprise edition that we can get up to 4 VM's for the 1 license using the Enterprise edition so that could be a good thing.
Any other plus's of Enterprise against Standard?

Differences between the two are here :
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/r2-compare-roles.aspx

Being a VMware Engineer by trade I know what my choice would be
VMware ESX4i and virtualize the whole lot.

Hyper-v is a okay product still young and miles behind vmware but should be fine for spinning up a hand full of machines no problem at all.
Once you start loading more VMs onto it you will find it won't be processing power that is slowing you but memory.
But thats another story I won't go into this.

thekooman

Mac daddy wrote: »

Differences between the two are here :
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/r2-compare-roles.aspx

Being a VMware Engineer by trade I know what my choice would be
VMware ESX4i and virtualize the whole lot.

Hyper-v is a okay product still young and miles behind vmware but should be fine for spinning up a hand full of machines no problem at all.
Once you start loading more VMs onto it you will find it won't be processing power that is slowing you but memory.
But thats another story I won't go into this.

I couldn't see us wanting more than 2-3 virtual machines... i use VMWare Server on my own XP machine but that can only run 1 machine and a virtual image of Windows 7 absolutely kills it. thanks for the pointers though.