Below is a pic of my server setup; in the right rack is the patch panel and two 3Com 24pt 10/100/1000 +4SFP switches. In the left rack, on top is my IPCop firewall, which is a free Linux based firewall. Behind that is another switch like the two in the left rack that is linked to them via two trunked Gig fiber runs. Under the FW is an IBM x345 with dual 3.06Ghz Xeons and 6GB RAM running VMWare ESXi (their free Hypervisor). In that is running my web server, spam appliance and my BES Server. Under that is an IBM x346 with a dual core 2.8GHz Xeon & 3GB RAM runningServer 2008, Active directory, DNS, DHCP print shares and file shares. Under that is another X346 running Server 2008 R2 & Exchange 2010. In the bottom are two Lieber GXT2-3000 UPSes with two expansion battery packs each. Everything was purchased used from a local company called Executive Personal Computers. They resell all kinds of computer equipment that's returned to their parent company (CSI Leasing) off lease.
With all due respect, if I can afford the stuff in my racks for running my e-mail and tinkering with the newest MS tech to keep proficient for my job (which BTW, does NOT pay all that great), no one has any excuse to be running their BUSINESS and storing their business critical data on a $200 workstation and cobbled together peer to peer network. Everything in the two racks cost me about $2000 or less, plus my Technet Subscription (Action Pack is about the same price). There's nothing saying everyone always has to purchase new; heck, my 3-6 year old used equipment is light-years better than using any workstation as a "server". For less than $500, I can get a decent used server, generally with everything needed except the OS (server, RAM, HDDs, RAID controller).
With all due respect, if I can afford the stuff in my racks for running my e-mail and tinkering with the newest MS tech to keep proficient for my job (which BTW, does NOT pay all that great), no one has any excuse to be running their BUSINESS and storing their business critical data on a $200 workstation and cobbled together peer to peer network. Everything in the two racks cost me about $2000 or less, plus my Technet Subscription (Action Pack is about the same price). There's nothing saying everyone always has to purchase new; heck, my 3-6 year old used equipment is light-years better than using any workstation as a "server". For less than $500, I can get a decent used server, generally with everything needed except the OS (server, RAM, HDDs, RAID controller).
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