Dear Geek;
Our business is at the point where we need a server. What do we need to consider when buying one?
Thanks,
Served
Dear Served;
Increasingly, a server is a must-have in an office. Even most small businesses benefit from a centralized operation, and run more efficiently with a local server. Now, you know you need a server. You just have to decide what server operating systems are best for your desired applications. At this point, it’s best to speak to your IT professional to find out what OS’s (Operating Systems) are out there, and what would work best for your situation.
The most important things to consider when looking at Server OS’s?
1. Security. If you’re considering a server, computers are likely very important to your day-to-day operations. Which also means that there is a lot of data that potentially could be at risk. A loss of that data could mean huge losses, both in downtime and business/client confidentiality. The more you have to lose, the more critical security should be in deciding what server OS you go with. Make sure you do your homework (or your IT professional does), and look at known exploits against any potential server for your business, how secure the platform is, and maintenance of that security in the future.
2. Manageability. How easy is it to monitor and manage server operation from a console (usually a desktop or laptop) over the Internet? How easy it is to manage when the server is down, so that ‘admin’ can reboot and/or troubleshoot the server?
3. Performance. All servers are not made alike. Not all servers will deliver what your company needs. A discussion with your IT professional should include budget, software your are running (or plan to run) in your current environment.
4. Scalability. Does your server give your company room to grow?
5. Price. The final frontier. What can your company afford? You need to account for licensing fees, client costs over time, how many administration accounts you will need, new hardware you will need to purchase to support the server, etc.
If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to: geek@tbyd.ca. We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!
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