David G | Source Tech

Used Servers

Created on: June 3, 2016

Updated on: June 3, 2016

Used servers can provide a cost effective solution for companies looking to upgrade their network. It’s no secret that this hardware acts like the company’s nervous system, providing a junction point for all data transfers inside the business. That makes it one of the most important elements of the business, so it needs to be upgraded frequently to remain effective. Relying on aging or outdated hardware is a sure way for a business to fall behind its competitors, and as a company grows, it will need to transition away from splitting up its data among multiple drives and consolidate everything. Companies at this stage, as well as businesses on a budget, will find what they need through refurbished hardware.

Why should a business consider used servers?

It’s no different than upgrading a desktop. Over time, the hardware will struggle to maintain acceptable speeds as users engage applications that demand more and more resources. Eventually, the hardware will fail, and the company will effectively be brought to a standstill. As a business grows, its need for improved data transfer speeds, storage, and failsafe capabilities will also increase. However, much like upgrading a home computer, it’s not necessary to buy the latest and greatest every time a boost is needed.

Refurbished hardware, as long as it is handled properly, can provide most of what a new system can. Most companies find that there is little difference in terms of speed, functionality, and reliability. Again, this is similar to upgrading a desktop. While a computer built with previous generation components will not match a new system, most people won’t even realize it. All that matters is that the system meets the company’s needs, and refurbished hardware is perfectly capable of that.

With little difference in performance, the cost savings are even more attractive. In fact, some refurbished systems are available for as little as 1/10 of a comparable, new system. That extra money can be reallocated to re configuring the hardware for the company’s needs, something that a reputable seller should be able to help with. Used servers often provide superior flexibility, even though that might sound surprising. But it’s because new hardware comes with preset configurations that can be difficult to alter. Refurbished systems, though, can be set up to the company’s preferences, and sellers typically keep skilled engineers on hand to help with the process. Some will even help set up RAID and update all relevant software, ensuring excellent performance from the moment it’s switched on.

Reliability is often a concern with refurbished hardware, but the industry has improved greatly in this area in recent years, and many services will attach a warranty to their products, and one that is comparable to the standard warranties large manufacturers provide. In short, there’s no reason to overlook used servers, and the cost savings is a plus.

Important Features Of Proliant Servers

Created on: June 3, 2016

Updated on: June 3, 2016

Proliant Servers offers features that are important to most businesses and thus is why they are a top choice for many companies. With lots of research HP has increased the efficiency of their servers to meet businesses needs.

Proliant servers head the market every year, making HP’s brand of hardware a top choice for businesses of all sizes. HP has focused on making its hardware efficient in every way and allocating its resources to developing additional features in every new release. The result is a flexible piece of equipment that can facilitate everything from basic office applications to big data processes. And with an expert refurbishment crew assisting the hardware selection and installation effort, a company can put together a powerful datacenter with minimal investment.

What are some of the key features of Proliant servers?

HP has poured a lot of research and funding into making its hardware run more efficiently and more intuitively. This can be a major help to companies that operate with smaller margins, as every bit of savings can be extremely important. And with advanced management software, the company’s IT personnel can easily optimize the equipment for the business. That saves on labor costs and allows critical personnel to focus their efforts elsewhere.

A key example of the line’s efficiency is the HP Power Regulator management feature. It can be accessed independently of the hardware’s operating system and allows for fine control over how power is allocated to hardware and processors. By allowing for dynamic changes in processor performance and power states, Proliant servers can shave off 10 percent of power and cooling costs. Those are big numbers, and they get even bigger with the brand’s power capping feature. Power capping hardware allows admin personnel to alter the amount of power delivered to each piece of equipment. In short, hardware that runs at its listed wattage is often wasting energy. HP’s power capping functionality allows admin personnel to run the hardware at a lower wattage, allowing the company to install more hardware into a single power envelope. For larger companies, that may mean dozens or even hundreds of extra pieces of equipment at the same level of power and cooling consumption.

HP has also integrated advanced virtualization software into Proliant servers, making it much easier to set up and control virtual environments. HP has designed its hardware to be compatible with most virtual environments, and alert management software admins to possible failure states before they occur.

There are many models to choose from in the line, including rack, tower and blade hardware, so companies can balance economy, footprint, and scalability when picking their preferred setup. A refurbishment expert can assist with the selection process, and ensure that the equipment is configured for the business prior to installation. With a refurbished hardware solution, a company can save a great deal of money without sacrificing performance or reliability. In some instances, this can equal a savings of up to 90 percent, and along with the extra power and cooling efficiency, HP is an ideal choice for small businesses firming up their network infrastructure.

Of course, HP’s flagship brand is an ideal choice for businesses in any situation, and with the company’s top flight customer support, Proliant servers are as easy to manage as it gets.

What New Features Does The HP Gen9 Offer?

Created on: June 3, 2016

Updated on: June 3, 2016

The HP Gen9 series of Proliant servers was released in 2014, and remains the brand’s standard for high powered server computing. While the new generation of Proliant servers offers some new features, it’s the boost in memory and processing capabilities that will attract the most attention from IT departments. And this additional performance comes with greater efficiency as well, compared to previous Proliant generations, so large businesses running enterprise applications will appreciate the reduced hit to their bottom line.

What’s new with the HP Gen9 servers?

As expected with every new server iteration, the boost in processing and memory capabilities is sizeable. Intel tends to align its processor releases with server releases from major vendors, and this is also the case with this new line of hardware. The Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3 is the latest addition to the company’s line of Haswell processors, and it can support 18 cores in some instances. That’s a lot of processing power, and it’s ideal for corporate level applications.

The DL380, for example, comes with 24 DIMM slots as well, allowing it to accommodate up to 1.5 TB of DDR4 RAM. And with its smaller form factor, it offers an incredible amount of punch.

While Proliant’s Density Line, or DL, brand has been the company’s primary product line in the past, there are several BL, or blade line, models to choose from as well. The HP Gen9 BL460c and BL660c are the primary products in the company’s blade line, and offer top performance in a scalable, compact form. Like all other blade servers, though, the BL line has to be incorporated into a proprietary blade enclosure that houses the servers and supplies power and cooling. While this means an additional expense, it also allows a company to keep their datacenter better organized and allows for greater control over the servers. The blade enclosure, for instance, allows for hot swappable capabilities, so the servers will remain online even when power or cooling units are being replaced.

One of the brand’s points of emphasis has always been server provisioning. Its Lights Out (iLO) software makes for easy system administration without being in immediate vicinity of the system. In this latest iteration of Proliant servers, the iLO can automate VSA storage installation, making it easier to set up the brand’s virtual storage applications.

Some of the beloved features from the previous generation also make it into the HP Gen9 servers as well. Among them is SmartMemory, which interacts with a number of other systems to better support supported memory. SmartMemory, for example, can reduce the power draw from memory sticks without loss of performance, and reducing power consumption at the DIMM level by about 20 percent. That’s a major cost savings for large businesses operating an enterprise-level datacenter.

Proliant’s new line of server represents the pinnacle of server computing, and can prop up heavy computing loads with ease.

What Are The DL380 Gen9 Server Specifications?

Created on: June 3, 2016

Updated on: June 3, 2016

HP’s DL380 Gen9 is the company’s latest and greatest answer to multi-workload processes, which makes it an invaluable tool in enterprise and large scale data center applications. Proliant DL380 G9As a versatile 2U rack server, HP has billed it as its primary solution for general purpose computing, and compared to previous iterations of the hardware, it is highly expandable as well. And, of course, it comes with the brand’s industry leading power efficiency and management software, cementing its place as one of the best all-rounders on the market.

What are the DL380 G9 specifications?

HP, like other server manufacturers, times the release of its newest hardware with the release of new processors, and this line of hardware uses Intel’s Haswell CPUs. Specifically, it is compatible with the Xeon E5-2600 v3 processor model, and it can support a pair, each of which are built with 18 processing cores. While it supports a max RAM threshold of 384 GB of RAM, which is identical to the previous iteration, it does support DDR4 RAM, which offers marked improvements in power efficiency. This additional efficiency is especially important if an IT admin intends on filling up the server’s 24 DIMM slots. The DL380 Gen9 is built in a mezzanine form factor as well, so it retains all of its expansion slots. And in fact, this server offers excellent expandability, with a trio of slots available for PCIe cards. With a second riser, an IT admin can attach another three expansion slots as well.

Extensive operating system and RAID compatibility also come standard, as the server can be used with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SuSE Linux Enterprise, Microsoft Windows Server, Oracle’s Solaris, Ubuntu, and Citrix’s XenServer. It is also RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 50 and RAID 60 compatible, giving IT admins plenty of options in protecting data integrity.

In all, the DL380 G9 is a marked upgrade in every way from the last iteration, which is to be expected. What’s also expected is HP’s superior management software that comes with the server, and its newest version has also been upgraded.

What kind of management technology comes with the DL380 Gen9?
This line of hardware is designed for use with HP’s Integrated Lights Out (iLO), version 4. The iLO 4 is a highly robust system monitoring and support technology, allowing IT admins easy and extensive control over a company’s entire network infrastructure.

Specifically, the iLO 4 allows system admins to deploy and inventory servers remotely, through iLO’s web interface, remote console, or command line interface. This can even be done through a mobile app.
Power efficiency and system health monitoring are the iLO’s primary features, and give system admins advanced control over power consumption and thermal output. This will protect the system from excessive heat buildup and keep the servers operating safely.

There are host of optimization features that come with the iLO 4, as well as advanced security additions. In all, it’s among the most robust management technologies available.

And that’s true of the DL 380 G9 as well, which stands out among its competitors for its reliability, performance and versatility.

HP ProLiant DL360 G9 vs DL380 G9 – Which Server Should You Pick?

Created on: June 3, 2016

Updated on: August 16, 2019

The DL360 G9 and DL380 G9 are two of the most powerful servers among the HP ProLiant line. Both have been upgraded in nearly every area compared to the previous generation, and are even more energy efficient than previous models. They are also designed to be used with HP’s Smart Array, which itself offers a variety of data protection and storage features. In short, these are some of the best servers and are a fit in any business application. Let’s take a look at a side by side comparison of the two.

[table id=26 /]

What makes the DL360 G9 and DL380 G9 some of the best options on the market?

Both servers make use of Intel’s E5-2600 Xeon series of processors, and two can be set in each server. This allows for up to 18 processor cores, and with a pair of processors, this means up to 36 processing threads. With the Xeon series’ use of Intel’s hyper-threading technology, that’s an enormous amount of processing power. Both are also compatible with DDR4 memory, which is a major upgrade over previous DDR models. DDR4 offers greater data transfer speeds and module density, so they can provide more RAM than DDR3 without taking up more space. DDR4 is also more energy efficient, and coupled with HP’s focus on better cooling and power efficiency, businesses will save a lot of power by going with its cutting edge hardware.

The only significant difference between the DL360 Gen9 and the DL380 Gen9 is their size, which determines how much space needs to be made for the server, and how many drives it can be fitted with. The DL360 is a 1U server, while the DL380 is a 2U server. Other than that, they are similar in design and contain many of the same high-quality components.

View Products: HP DL 360 G9 HP DL 380 G9

With so much power in such a small form factor, these servers can handle some huge applications with just moderate scaling. For example, because they provide low latency applications, they are ideal for the financial services industry, an industry where companies fight for fractions of a second over their competition. They are a strong choice for applications calling for dynamic workloads, such as high performance databases and cloud-based computing. And they can even be used for Big Data applications, which refers to processes that gather incredible amounts of data. This normally includes various simulation and analytical applications.

And with HP’s Smart Array, a business can set up additional RAID options to better protect their data and lock down everything with HP’s Secure Encryption, which blocks access to anyone except those with an encryption key. HP is also known for its top of the line fault prevention software, including its Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART). SMART spots possible hard drive failures before they reach catastrophic levels, allowing for replacement before the worst happens. This is in addition to HP’s dynamic sector repairing technology, which runs frequent background scans on drives and remaps bad sectors to preserve data stability.

It’s a lot of features to pack into such a small piece of equipment, but HP’s Proliant line of servers is often the best selling line of equipment every year, so these features are no surprise. Few companies support their hardware as well as HP.

The Rise Of Linux!

Created on: June 3, 2016

Updated on: June 3, 2016

For many years, the rise of Linux was thought to be just around the corner, and though it still is a bit player in some markets, there is no denying its overwhelming presence in some key areas. Two of those areas are enterprise server applications and enterprise cloud applications, where it is found in around 75 percent of companies, according to various industry surveys. This firm hold on the market doesn’t figure to go away any time soon, either, as developers are constantly improving its functionality. That may be a surprise to some, as the operating system has long been marketed on its free, open source nature. And while that remains a powerful argument in favor of the OS, business owners that opt for the system cite performance and security about as much as cost when explaining their choice.

How dramatic is the rise of Linux?

There are areas that the operating system has a long way to go, such as desktops, where it has only has about two percent of the market. But in the world of enterprise applications and web servers, it is no bit player. In addition to its major presence in enterprise applications, the operating system is a true powerhouse in the world of web servers. According to Alexa, of the top one million domains, 96.5 percent of them use the operating system. Expand that to the top 10 million domains, and it is still used in about two thirds of all web servers.

It’s also the leader, or close to being the leader, in the mobile market and in film production as well, so it has a foothold in some valuable areas. And these trends only favor the system going forward.

What has inspired the rise of Linux?

Since its initial release in 1991, the system’s kernel has been available under the GNU General Public License, which has allowed thousands and thousands of developers to improve the code. These efforts have led to extremely reliable and functional versions of the system, like Red Hat, or RHL. In 2001, a study on RHL 7.1 found 30 million lines of code. If that code had been developed using typical proprietary means, it would have cost nearly $1.5 billion. In other words, something like RHL was only possible through the combined effort of many developers, which suggests the system will continue adapting and growing at a much faster rate than competing technologies.

The rise of Linux is not a fluke, but due to the system’s across-the-board functionality. From the outset, it was designed to perform in multiuser applications, so it offers unmatched reliability in enterprise environments. In fact, some servers running the system have been up for years without a single error. Enterprise applications running the system also enjoy near impenetrable security, because there are so many developers that can respond to a threat. In fact, most would-be malware creators don’t even bother with the system, knowing that it will be neutralized right away.

So there’s no secret behind the rise of Linux. It’s just proven itself over the years and has cemented itself as the top option for major business applications.

The History Of The Solaris Operating System

Created on: June 3, 2016

Updated on: June 12, 2021

Solaris was released in 1992 and pushed aside its previous operating system, SunOS. Since its creation, Sun’s operating system has been in a pitched battle against Linux, as both are either UNIX-based or UNIX-like. But while Sun’s operating system has received many accolades and boasts some impressive features, it has taken a back seat to Linux, and Sun announced in 2010 that illumos, a fork of the Solaris kernel, would soon receive the company’s full attention. As a result, the end is coming for the legendary operating system, but not for many years yet. And many companies are reluctant to make the shift to Linux for a few reasons.

Back in the late 80s there were several popular versions of UNIX on the market, including Xenix, BSD, and System V.In an effort to consolidate the best features of the three and make a more robust version of the technology, AT&T and Sun agreed to collaborate on UNIX System V Release 4 (SVR4), which would be one of the first commercial variants of UNIX at the time.

In 1991, around the same time that Linus Torvalds was perfecting Linux, Sun announced that it would phase out its BSD-derived UNIX and shift to a version built off of SVR4. Released the following year, Solaris would quickly become a powerful option for businesses looking for an operating system that could handle enterprise applications.

Unfortunately, licensing issues would undermine the technology to some extent. In 2005, Sun decided to release the operating system’s codebase under its own proprietary license, the Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL). While this opened the door for other developers to improve on the operating system, the CDDL was a controversial decision, as it is generally incompatible with other free licensing programs – most notably the GNU General Public License (GPL). And in 2010, following the acquisition by Oracle Corporation, the OpenSolaris open source project, as it was known, was discontinued after some internal frustration with it. Although Sun was already planning on rolling out illumos, canceling the project was seen by many to be anti-open source. With Linux making its open source nature a primary selling point, the move may have come off as shortsighted.

Even with its fading popularity, though, Solaris is still a highly robust operating system that pairs best with the company’s SPARC systems, though it is also compatible with an array of x86-based servers. In particular, companies running the OS appreciate its DTrace and ZFS features. DTrace allows for real time tracing and problem troubleshooting, and is capable of providing highly granular data that allows for more accurate analysis. ZFS is a proprietary volume manager and file system that provides additional defense against data corruption, and also provides a bevy of features, including better data compression, snapshots, regular integrity checks, and automatic repair. Many IT departments swear by these features, along with the excellent performance that Solaris provides overall, which is why it will likely maintain a strong presence up to the moment it is no longer supported by Sun. Let SourceTech help you find the perfect server for your business. Contact us today!

Linux Server

Created on: June 3, 2016

Updated on: June 3, 2016

A Linux server is a common sight among small and medium businesses, and many IT departments prefer them for several reasons. Because it is a highly flexible operating system, it comes in several varieties, though Red Hat and SUSE are the ideal choices for small and medium businesses, as well as enterprise applications.

The operating system offers a wealth of choices to a business, and that means it can find the perfect network infrastructure for its operations, and adapt it as it sees fit. Talented IT professionals, for example, can wring a lot of functionality out of the system and adjust it without disputing the production environment.

What are the benefits of a Linux server?

It’s important to keep in mind, this operating system was originally designed for multiuser applications, so it is naturally secure and reliable. How reliable and secure is it exactly? Consider the following:

Reliability – Some IT heads would say that they’ve never seen a Linux server crash, and they may not be exaggerating. It’s well-known that these systems can run for years without a single hiccup, which is particularly important for small and medium businesses. These companies can’t tolerate unexpected downtime, and that’s something they won’t have to worry about with these systems. Running several applications at once can cause most operating systems to slow down and struggle, but these systems are much more capable of maintaining top speeds. Finally, there is no need to reboot the system when new configuration settings have been established, or when the system has undergone an update. It may not seem like much, but bringing down the system for a reboot is still a waste of time and resources.
Security – A Linux server is almost always going to be more secure than a system that runs Windows or another operating system. That’s because it is designed to handle multiple users, so only the admin has administrator privileges. Fewer programs can access the system’s kernel, so there is a reduced fear of system corruption. And even though people are always coming up with new ways to exploit networks, they tend to ignore these systems in favor of systems that can be exploited more readily. That means fewer exploits, and when one does rear up, the community is generally adept at countering it before it has a chance to do serious damage. For example, there once was a problem with the system’s kernel, and it dated back several years. It was fixed a few years ago, and not a single person had exploited it.
Efficiency – Normally, a system will need frequent upgrades to keep up with current trends in technology. This isn’t the case with these systems because they are extremely svelte and scalable. So they will remain relevant for longer and without having to sink money into them for upgrades.

Although business owners may be comfortable with Windows or another option, a Linux server is the pinnacle of multiuser applications and is perfect for businesses that prize reliability and versatility.

Workstations

Created on: May 30, 2016

Updated on: May 30, 2016

The line between standard office PCs and workstations has blurred greatly since the turn of the millennium. However, that line is still there to some extent, and while commodity PCs can provide all of the performance most office employees need, professionals in the technical, scientific and financial industries need much more. Fortunately, Sun, Dell and HP produce a range of powerful computers designed with demanding applications in mind. And just like when purchasing a PC or server, a buyer can save a lot of money by going with a refurbished model.

What businesses should consider workstations for their operations?

Commodity PCs, like those found in offices around the world, are not intended to be used in memory or graphic intensive operations. They tend to be designed with budget processors and may even be equipped with integrated graphics instead of a dedicated graphics card. In other words, performing anything more than basic office tasks will bring the computer to a halt and possibly result in instability.

Obviously, not all industries need the best hardware for their operations, but professionals that deal with a lot of data or graphics will require the extra performance. With their greater capacity in running simulations, handling huge data loads and rendering advanced graphics, they are ideal for scientists, engineers, financial experts and designers.

The difference between the high performance machines and standard PCs is all about the components they are built with. With top tier processors, additional RAM and one or more high end graphics cards, workstations can go much further than standard computers.

What are some popular models that companies can get refurbished?

Sun and HP both have a number of models to choose from, and though Sun no longer produces new models, its Ultra 25 and Ultra 45 are still in use in critical applications, including government and defense. Both run on the brand’s highly respected SPARC chipset and are prized for their performance and excellent reliability. Both are configured with up to 16 GB of RAM and use the brand’s Solaris OS. They can handle four SATA or SAS drives, with up to a TB of storage.

HP has released a number of workstations in recent years, so it can offer even more impressive performance with its products. They are built with the E5 line of Xeon processors and offer 16 DIMM slots for up to 512 GB of RAM. They can also be upgraded to NVIDIA’s respected Quadro line of video cards, which are ideal for extremely graphics-intensive applications, like 3D design programs. Among the most popular HP models are the Z600, Z620, Z800 and Z820.

Dell also offers a number of respected models in its Precision line, including the T7610, a tower form factor, and the R7910, a rack form factor. Both can accommodate several graphics cards and are built with Intel’s line of Xeon processors.

When a garden variety PC just won’t cut it, business owners should consider workstations for their professionals. The performance boost will be a welcome sight for employees, and will result in immediate productivity benefits.

What Products Can A Win Server Offer?

Created on: May 30, 2016

Updated on: May 30, 2016

A Win server refers to a number of hardware and software products offered by Microsoft, and includes systems configured for greater productivity and security.While the computing powerhouse has offered software-based systems for many years, it has focused on creating an extensive line of network solutions since 2003. Before 2003, Microsoft’s contributions to the industry mostly included hardware operating systems that were modified versions of its ubiquitous Windows OS. Now, though, its newest products are engineered with software specifically catered to enterprise markets, and many of these products can interact with other Microsoft programs, such as Office.

What are some of the most popular products offered through the brand?

There are many Win server product options, and most of them facilitate other Microsoft processes, allowing a company to completely synergize its operations at every level. Some of the most popular product offerings include:

Commerce products, which gives companies the tools to create and operate an e-commerce portal.
Internet Information products, which include web management software, FTP systems and modest e-mail management capabilities.
Exchange systems, which are designed for robust e-mail management and collaboration.
Host Integration systems, which are designed to connect data and management software. These systems are intended for use in Microsoft environments like the AS/400.
PerformancePoint systems, which are exclusively for managing business performance and employee tasks.
Project systems, which are intended for use with Microsoft Project. This win server product allows decision makers to manage the fine details of a project and allocate resources when needed.
SharePoint systems, which offer a range of file sharing, social networking, web publishing, and collaboration applications.
Skype for Business systems, which grant businesses powerful instant messaging and presence tools, giving managers the ability to keep personnel organized and communicating efficiently. Skype for Business systems can be integrated with PBX telephone systems.
SQL systems, which are industry standard systems for database management and organization.
Virtual systems, which are the Win server version of virtualized platforms.

Microsoft has also released its Forefront line of comprehensive security options. They include the Threat Management Gateway, which combines firewalls, routing, virtual private networks, and web caching to secure processes and data. Forefront also offers additional security for Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint systems, and provides protection for Exchange Online and a unified access gateway function.

In addition to its security and productivity products, Microsoft offers its System Center line, which is designed to aid IT admins in overseeing and controlling the company’s Microsoft system products. Among these products are the System Center Advisor, which is a piece of software that can be used to configure other Microsoft systems over the internet, and the System Center Data Protection Manager, which offers continuous data recovery and protection.

And these are just a handful of the products offered through Microsoft. With so many options to choose from, any business can get the combination of services they need through the brand.