Hardware Question

dfranc

So I have been tasked with replacing a dying Tower server. I need 2 servers to act as Domain Controllers and another for an EXSi server. Hardware is not my strong point and there is a ton to choose from. I know I don't need anything too beefy for the DC`s but the EXSi will. So what are your recommendations. I know I will be spending 2.5K on both DC`s but the ESXi server I am not sure. Need to save money with this build.

MAC_Addy

Why not just buy one server and put the two DC's on a ESXi box? Unless they're at different sites.

dfranc

I guess I am just worried about everything being on one box. What about redundancy?

dhay13

I would buy one DC box and one ESXi server and install the 2nd DC on the ESXi server. You still have two separate physical boxes. I would advise against putting both on the same physical ESXi server. A MB failure wipes out your network until you get a replacement.

If budget is a concern you can get away with a Supermicro (or other off-brand) server for a DC. I built one at my last job from parts from TigerDirect for under $1000. Doesn't need to be that beefy for a DC unless your organization is very large.

As for the ESXi server, that depends on what you plan on running on it as to the requirements. Anywhere from about $3k to who knows how much.

MAC_Addy

Over the past 10 years I've only had one server crap out on me. And it didn't really matter since we were doing bare-metal backups. Technically even with 3 physical servers there's no redundancy. The key is to probably go with a preferred vendor, like Dell. You can get pro support with 4 hour response time. Meaning, if you have a hardware failure, they'll get the part out to you within 4 hours. It is a little expensive, but it takes the worry away.