Windows : Suggestions requested for Windows MCITP server spec

[MarcLister]

Hi all. Have been away for a bit. But I'm back now.

Early next year I'm going to start on my MCITP book. I'd like to build a server that would be capable of running Windows Server 2008/Exchange etc so I can use it to help me with my MCITP studies.

I only dip into current PC trends when I want a new PC and I've never built a machine to be used as a server before so I thought I'd ask some of the wise chaps (and chappesses!) on Boat Drinks if they could help me with specifying parts that would give me a solid server with which to study for some MCITP goodness.

I understand that I won't need an expensive CPU, perhaps an Intel C2D E5700 or some other Intel C2D with Virtualisation Technology? From what I've seen I'd need 8GB, possibly 16GB RAM for all the software I'd be running? I can find plenty of simple motherboards that can take 8GB RAM but hardly any 16GB mobos. Would I really need 16GB or is 8GB more than enough?

If anyone could give me hand identifying what components I could do with I'd be most grateful.

[Zirax]

I'm taking another look at my MCSE and I am doing that on a HP micro server with 8gb ram. I'm messing around with v centre as well as hyperv for the virtualisation. Really you can get away with running the servers with the bare minimum. I'm looking at 4 virtuals and 1 host.

I sincerely doubt you will be spanking the exchange server hard enough to require full specs for the MCITP. With mine the boot is slow, but why would you turn off a server often? Once the machines are up and running then they are fine really

[MarcLister]

Hi Zirax. Is the HP micro server the one with the £100 cashback? I've got a thread on another forum and people there are saying 16GB minimum.

Like you say I wouldn't need to turn the server off very often. I'd just leave it on and turn the monitor off when I'm not working on it.

[Zirax]

Yep thats the one. If you are in a production environment then sure you'll need that. Bearing in mind that you are only really going to be applying lessons learned in the textbook. Worst case scenario is the hdd will thrash a bit but get another and shove them in raid 0 backing up to an external drive.

So for £120 you get a machine, and then you can get another 8gb of memory from ocuk.

There is a much better reason to get a micoserver and that is this picture below:-


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Personally I have used 3 hdd bays that I pull out the drives from when I dont want them e.g.
1= general win 7 test box
2= win server 2008 and hyper v setup
3= esxi test rig

Thus giving me a bucket load of machines from it. The worst case is if you really need to get some kit then it will only be another £150 which will still be less than buying a great big server. It also does not drain the grid and sound like a small jet engine

edit:-
To help you with the memory requirements of exchange:-
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l.../dd346700.aspx

I can't remember the memory config, but I know I have run it on less than 'minimum' requirements in the past.

[MarcLister]

When you say another £150 for kit, what kind of components are we talking about?

I must admit that, especially with the £100 cashback, the Micro Server looks a very cost efficient option compared to building my own one. I had kind of set my heart on putting my own server together, not just buying an off the shelf one!

[Zirax]

Originally Posted by MarcLister

When you say another £150 for kit, what kind of components are we talking about?

I must admit that, especially with the £100 cashback, the Micro Server looks a very cost efficient option compared to building my own one. I had kind of set my heart on putting my own server together, not just buying an off the shelf one!

Depends on how far you want to go in all honesty. ~130 for the server with 250gb.
ocuk 8gb for £25

That will get you up and running. Do you have a sata cd drive knocking about? If you do shove one of those in there. Otherwise I think you can do everything from a USB stick (well you can certainly get ESXI on there).

I was meaning if you get one for £150, then run out of VMs due to the 8gb ram limit (unlikely).... get another one

I was going to build my own but with the server being so cheap I couldn't say no

[MarcLister]

250GB HDD would be enough? Or do you mean two x 250GB RAID'd together?

If I did have to get another HP microserver, how would I link them together? Or would I not need to do that for the MCITP stuff?

[Zirax]

Originally Posted by MarcLister

250GB HDD would be enough? Or do you mean two x 250GB RAID'd together?

If I did have to get another HP microserver, how would I link them together? Or would I not need to do that for the MCITP stuff?

Sorry that was what it comes with. You are between a rock and a hard place on hdds at the moment. I have some old 500gb and 1tb drives that I use (I finally found a use for them \0/ ). With hyper-v I put my main host server OS on the 250gb and then used the 1tb as a image dumping ground.

Easy to link together. Then you would use a cluster with ESXI and have the two microservers as host machines. This would be good learning material and will have you swearing.

Or you could keep them separate and then just have the VMs on the same network by pointing to your DC/DNS server.

[MarcLister]

Ah right. Yeah, not a good time to look at HDD prices. Perhaps by January/February the prices will be a bit better.

This DC/DNS server you talk of would be provided by Server 2008 on one of the Microservers?

Thanks for all your advice Zirax. So far!

[Zirax]

Originally Posted by MarcLister

Ah right. Yeah, not a good time to look at HDD prices. Perhaps by January/February the prices will be a bit better.

This DC/DNS server you talk of would be provided by Server 2008 on one of the Microservers?

Thanks for all your advice Zirax. So far!

Yes, I set them as virtual machines on the microserver.

No problem, still learning configuring domains and establishing forests with GPO settings. Don't ask me about that and its fine