I may need to build a server.

Phandalyon

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Jun 12, 2001
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First off, I know that the prebuilt servers are highly reccomended. But due to circumstances I may have to build one custom. I have been playing with ideal for a few hours and this is what I have up with:

This server will be a file server and used to run a heavily customized Oracle database. It will also be serving the oracle database to several other locations via VPN.

Hardware config:
Case: Supermicro CSE-933T-R760
This includes a triple redundant 760W PSU
Motherboard: Supermicro X6-DAT-G
Dual Intel Xeon 3.0GHz CPUs
2GB Registered ECC Ram (2x 1GB sticks)
External DVD-RW drive for installs and light backup.
2x 200GB Seagate SATA drives for Database (Mirrored)
2x 200GB Seagate SATA drives for file storage (Mirrored)
2x 120GB Seagate SATA drives for OS and programs (Mirrored)
2x 400GB Seagate SATA drives in external hot swappable enclosure for backups.
External FDD
Radeon X300 PCIe Vid Card
Rackmount Monitor/KB/Mouse combo in 1U casing
ONboard Gigabit Ethernet
Extra Gigabit Ethernet NIC
ONboard sound (No used)

I was thinking this would provide several levels of redundancy and almost everything is dual, so failure of one device would mean a slowdown, not a complete stop.

What are your opinions? What would you change?

There is no set budget for this. The config as it is would cost about $4900 to build. A similar, less powerful HP server is in the $8000 range, but as I said before, for reasons beyond my control that may not be an option.
 
How important is the data?

Are you going to use the onboard RAID to control the SATA devices?

Is SCSI a viable option, or would you prefer SATA?
 
The data is extremely important. It will essentially be mission critical.

Was planning on using the onboard SATA RAID systems. Would you reccomend an add-in controller instead?

SCSI is an option. I priced out the SATA because it was less expensive.

What I need to do in my situation is price out the absolutely most reliable and most fail-safe system I can create. So any suggestions to that end are appreciated. As I stated before, I know that prebuilt major brand systems are preferred, but that might not be an option. So I need to go as good as possible with the custom route. I have an eye on a couple of HPs if I can't get reliable enough to be an option.
 
you might wanna look at another motherboard, the sli seems kinda overkill IMO.

Look at an addon sata card with batery backup for the raid controlor chache, and make sure you hook those PSU's up to seperate circuits and UPS'es
 
Good ideas.

The reason I went with that motherbaord is because it was specifically reccomended as being compatible with the airflow system of the case. But I will look at others. Too much is better than not enough. I will definitely look into separate UPSes and some add-in SATA controllers with batteries. Thanks.
 
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