Help starting homelab

[Firespyer]

I'm interested in starting a homelab, mostly to work with Avaya software in ESXi. I could use some help finding a server that will meet my needs.

The Req for IP Office is:
• CPU: 4 vCPU
•RAM: 8000MB
• Hard Disk: 100GB
• Network Ports: Dual Gigabit

THe second VM for the contact centers req's are:

250 GB disk space, thick provisioning.
Memory 8GB
Processor 1 CPU with 4 Core Reserve .

I'd also like to run a Windows server or two and to start learning Linux.

If you can help recommend what a prebuilt server, small , quite and under $1,000 I would really appreciate it.

Thank you!

 

[cortexodus]

I'm not super-knowledgeable on this topic, but my first guess would be Dell Outlet

 

[/usr/sbin]

I'm confused. You have a host requirement of 100GB storage, but a VM requirement of 250 GB storage?

 

[Stoly]

I'm confused. You have a host requirement of 100GB storage, but a VM requirement of 250 GB storage?

Well because the 250gb storage is virtual, it doesn't exist in the real world.

I assume OP listed the minimun system requierements by the vendor.

 

[Child of Wonder]

Everything will be virtual soon anyway. Just set up your ESXi host with a few VMs on it, run VMware Converter, point it at the ESXi management IP as the source and vCloud Air as the destination and then your homelab is entirely virtual and in the cloud.

 

[Firespyer]

sorry for the confusion,

The IP Office would be 1 VM
the 2nd VM would be for a separate avaya app

The above are the min specs from Avaya

 

[stiltner]

I'll sell ya a Dual Xeon X5650 series with 48GB and 5 x 146GB 15k RPM drives for $950 shipped Throw a 6th drive in it and you have about 800GB of storage, additional storage can be by NAS if you wanted it then.

 

[cortexodus]

The above are the min specs from Avaya

Are these min specs for a production system? Generally you don't need nearly the same level of resources applied to a development/test environment.

 

[Netwerkz101]

Are these min specs for a production system? Generally you don't need nearly the same level of resources applied to a development/test environment.

Off Topic: Why would your test environment not mimic production??

EDIT - I think I just answered that question:
- Test = future
- Train = mimics current production

or at least how I remember using the different environments.


On Topic:

You can find deals on Dell PowerEdge T110-II's now and then (my first choice)
PowerEdge T-20 for $249 recently

The Lenovo TS-140's go on sale from time to time as well for about the same.
All are tower systems (about mid ATX size) and are usually quiet.
All max out at 32GB RAM


And .....

I'll throw in my "stuff for sale" too

Dell PowerEdge T110
X3440 2.53GHz Quad Core (with Hyper-threading)
16GB RAM (8GB x 2 ECC UDIMM - 2 empty slots available)

NOTES:
- Supports VT-d for pass-through / all-in-one type setups
- Dell says 16GB max, but I tested 32GB (4x8GB ECC UDIMMs) successfully.

 

[Firespyer]

Off Topic: Why would your test environment not mimic production??

On Topic:

You can find deals on Dell PowerEdge T110-II's now and then (my first choice)
PowerEdge T-20 for $249 recently

The Lenovo TS-140's go on sale from time to time as well for about the same.
All are tower systems (about mid ATX size) and are usually quiet.
All max out at 32GB RAM


And .....

I'll throw in my "stuff for sale" too

Dell PowerEdge T110
X3440 2.53GHz Quad Core (with Hyper-threading)
16GB RAM (8GB x 2 ECC UDIMM - 2 empty slots available)

NOTES:
- Supports VT-d for pass-through / all-in-one type setups
- Dell says 16GB max, but I tested 32GB (4x8GB ECC UDIMMs) successfully.

Thank you for the reply

Off-Topic: its basically for me to test different programming, and conf options on both platforms. Most of the people I have installed these on are in datacenters with way more gear that I could hope to own so mimicking production is not really a possibility. I just need something at home that I can monkey around with.

On-Topic for both of those servers I would have to add a separate network card right?

 

[Netwerkz101]

<snipped for brevity>

On-Topic for both of those servers I would have to add a separate network card right?

The PowerEdge T-110's had an integrated Broadcom Gbit NIC working OOB with ESXi.
The PowerEdge T20 has a newer Intel i217 ...have to look at ESXi HCL...

Edit: ESXi 6.0 has inbox support for i217 NICs

Lenovo has one built in too ... can't remember model ...

 

[Firespyer]

I need 2 nic's min for the ip office to actually work, or the ova will fail to load.
Basically Avaya took the OS for there control unit the IP500V2 and created an OVA out of it, the base install has 2 nics that install with a default IP's

 

[Netwerkz101]

You can always add a dual/quad port NIC as needed.