Running "windows 10 for workstations" on a server?

cr0zzb0w · June 22, 2019

Hi all..

Is it possible to dependably run windows 10 for workstations on a Dell server!! specifically a dell 910 with 4 CPUs (I have a good deal on a couple of them refurbished). I want to use two of them as two render nodes (Maya, Arnold and hopefully Aftereffects) which would mean I need to get some kind of windows running on it. As the systems are not shipped with any version of windows, I would like to know if there is any possibility of running Windows 10 for workstations on it (i can afford the 200$ price tag per license. however cannot afford the multiple thousand $$$ license for windows server). I need to run aftereffects on it which would mean Linux is out of the question.

I am worried that some of the motherboard components do not have any windows 10 compatible driver. They ship with a Broadcom 5709c NIC but I am going to put intel x540-t2 10GB card to connect to the network (maybe even in link aggregated mode). It ships with a PERC700 raid card, but again, I don't plan to run any raid off it, as long as windows can detect it.

As a boot device, I plan to get an NVME to PCIe card.

Maybe someday I can score a few InfiniBand 100GB cards and a switch someday and set up a 100GB network (But even Linus had issues with getting RDMA working on windows 10 for workstations... I wonder if there is any change on this with the update)

Please share your views on this plan and whatever complications I might run into (or if it's even possible)

Cheers!!

VinZie · June 22, 2019

9 minutes ago, cr0zzb0w said:

Hi all..

Is it possible to dependably run windows 10 for workstations on a Dell server!! specifically a dell 910 with 4 CPUs (I have a good deal on a couple of them refurbished). I want to use two of them as two render nodes (Maya, Arnold and hopefully Aftereffects) which would mean I need to get some kind of windows running on it. As the systems are not shipped with any version of windows, I would like to know if there is any possibility of running Windows 10 for workstations on it (i can afford the 200$ price tag per license. however cannot afford the multiple thousand $$$ license for windows server). I need to run aftereffects on it which would mean Linux is out of the question.

I am worried that some of the motherboard components do not have any windows 10 compatible driver. They ship with a Broadcom 5709c NIC but I am going to put intel x540-t2 10GB card to connect to the network (maybe even in link aggregated mode). It ships with a PERC700 raid card, but again, I don't plan to run any raid off it, as long as windows can detect it.

As a boot device, I plan to get an NVME to PCIe card.

Maybe someday I can score a few InfiniBand 100GB cards and a switch someday and set up a 100GB network (But even Linus had issues with getting RDMA working on windows 10 for workstations... I wonder if there is any change on this with the update)

Please share your views on this plan and whatever complications I might run into (or if it's even possible)

Cheers!!

Windows 10 Pro is for workstations as it provides extended hardware support.

On 5/15/2018 at 2:57 AM, BloodKnight7 said:

Don't want to antagonize anyone but!.... Nope, that is definitely not Dell... That all 100% Microsoft, new policies, new rules, hardware manufacturers (HP, IBM, Lenovo, Asus, etc..) will have to comply when selling new systems under these...some are faster, others are slower but when their existing inventories of OEM licenses run low you will see more of these pop-up... These licensing schemes are just a natural evolution of the Software business as standard user equipment now have access to a crazy quantity of processors and ram... most high-end PCs these days are as beefy as standard enterprise servers of the small/medium businesses.

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/254031-microsoft-launches-new-windows-10-variant-windows-10-pro-workstations

Standard Windows 10 Pro: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/store/d/windows-10-pro/df77x4d43rkt/48DN

Windows 10 Pro for Workstations: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/store/d/windows-10-pro-for-workstations/dg7gmgf0dw9s

As for licensing capabilities: Windows 10 Pro currently only supports up to two physical CPUs and 2 TB of RAM per system, but Windows 10 Pro for Workstations will support up to four CPUs and 6 TB of RAM. By CPU meaning 4 physical processors not limiting the number of cores of these. But for me the biggest thing is that finally, the industry wants to move away from NTFS over to ReFS! Let's hope we keep getting better file systems!

Windows7ge · June 22, 2019

Do you know if the motherboard supports booting to NVMe? If not you may want to use a SATA SSD for boot and NVMe just for network transfers.

Windows 10 for Workstations does appear to support 4 physical CPUs. Had you said normal Windows 10 you would be limited to two. When you get the servers I would test Windows before you put in the key. I find on older platforms Windows 10 can be hit or miss. Sometimes it works fine sometimes it BSOD's uncontrollably for no apparent reason.

Electronics Wizardy · June 22, 2019

1 hour ago, cr0zzb0w said:

I plan to get an NVME to PCIe card.

Your not gonna boot from that, just boot from a raid volume on the h700 and get a nvme drive as the scratch disk.

1 hour ago, cr0zzb0w said:

specifically a dell 910

do you mean a r910?

Id stay away from those. Get a r720 or r820 if you can. There much faster, cheaper and much less power hungry. THe the r910 can idle at 300-400w and is around 1000w under max load. LIke you don't want to run 2 of these on one circut in a normal house, and need to plan out the room cooling for those.

2 hours ago, cr0zzb0w said:

the multiple thousand $$$ license for windows server

normal windows server 2019 is only about 500 + 50 per pair of cores, not really that much more than win 10 pro for workstations and has extra features also(or if this is just for fun the trial is like 2.5 years)