Recommended server to buy in 2018

[Doomie22]

Hi all,

 

I am currently running a Raspberry Pi 3 with a 1TB drive on it that is running as a testing server for web development.  It is also running owncloud for some storage.

 

Next year I will be moving my business and growing it, so I am looking for a proper server that will be able to run the following.

 

• LAMP for my testing bed (I know there is things like docker but this gives me the ability to show people as well anywhere I am)
• owncloud for a good dropbox solution.
• Gitlab-CE.  I have had this running on a linux pc, but the pc wasn't practical to have on 24/7
• Small in size due to physical space.

Can anyone recommend what I could do for this? I cannot get any U racks in the room, so it needs to be like a micro server.  Do I get myself a brand new one for future proofing or is there any 2nd hand servers that are going for a steal that I can look out for that still gives me the upgradeability?

 

Thanks,

Doomie

[Ashleyyyy]

any modern pc can do that stuff i think...

 

although i don't know what LAMP or Gitlab-CE are. but if it runs on a pi3, it'll run on anything. even a pc from the early 2000's, with a pentium 4. that's about equal to the speed of the pi3. 

 

just build a pc powerful enough for you.

[Ashleyyyy]

unless you mean by "server" a Xeon system with ECC ram, raid cards and everything else, in which case a normal pc is not a good option.

[WereCat]

14 minutes ago, firelighter487 said:

unless you mean by "server" a Xeon system with ECC ram, raid cards and everything else, in which case a normal pc is not a good option.

With Ryzen he can have ECC support for fairly cheap. Almost all if not all AsRock motherboards support ECC on Ryzen in ECC mode (unbuffered ECC RAM only).

[Ashleyyyy]

Just now, WereCat said:

With Ryzen he can have ECC support for fairly cheap. Almost all if not all AsRock motherboards support ECC on Ryzen in ECC mode (unbuffered ECC RAM only).

oh yeah i forgot. sorry. i'm used to working with old Xeon machines, so when i hear "server" that's what i think of.

[dalekphalm]

4 hours ago, Doomie22 said:

Hi all,

 

I am currently running a Raspberry Pi 3 with a 1TB drive on it that is running as a testing server for web development.  It is also running owncloud for some storage.

 

Next year I will be moving my business and growing it, so I am looking for a proper server that will be able to run the following.

 

• LAMP for my testing bed (I know there is things like docker but this gives me the ability to show people as well anywhere I am)
• owncloud for a good dropbox solution.
• Gitlab-CE.  I have had this running on a linux pc, but the pc wasn't practical to have on 24/7
• Small in size due to physical space.

Can anyone recommend what I could do for this? I cannot get any U racks in the room, so it needs to be like a micro server.  Do I get myself a brand new one for future proofing or is there any 2nd hand servers that are going for a steal that I can look out for that still gives me the upgradeability?

 

Thanks,

Doomie

I have some questions:

 

1. How important is up-time? If the server goes down, can you afford to have it down for days (or weeks) while you await a replacement part?

2. How important is warranty? If you buy 2nd hand, if something breaks, you will need to purchase a replacement part - assuming said part is available.

 

If this is for your business, I'd personally recommend checking out a Dell T series server (Tower series - they come in varying sizes), with the 3 Pro Support warranty. This warranty basically means if something dies, Dell will priority overnight ship any replacement part, and have a technician on-site the next day to install it.

HPE also has comparable servers and warranties - so getting a comparison between a similar server from each is a good idea.

 

This will cost more, yes. So it comes down to what's more important to you:

1. Saving money upfront

2. Ensuring minimal downtime + having a one-stop vendor for support

 

Alternatively, you could build your own using new components, but then you'll have warranties that are all over the place, and 9 different companies to deal with. So it's a trade-off.

 

Once you've got the physical server, I'd install ESXi 6.5 (free version), and virtualize all your servers, as needed.

[lufihengr]

7 hours ago, Doomie22 said:

Hi all,

 

I am currently running a Raspberry Pi 3 with a 1TB drive on it that is running as a testing server for web development.  It is also running owncloud for some storage.

 

Next year I will be moving my business and growing it, so I am looking for a proper server that will be able to run the following.

 

• LAMP for my testing bed (I know there is things like docker but this gives me the ability to show people as well anywhere I am)
• owncloud for a good dropbox solution.
• Gitlab-CE.  I have had this running on a linux pc, but the pc wasn't practical to have on 24/7
• Small in size due to physical space.

Can anyone recommend what I could do for this? I cannot get any U racks in the room, so it needs to be like a micro server.  Do I get myself a brand new one for future proofing or is there any 2nd hand servers that are going for a steal that I can look out for that still gives me the upgradeability?

 

Thanks,

Doomie

Is there any reason not to use gitlab's FREE hosted service?

I would really recommend learning docker.  Why couldn't you use it to show people wherever you are?

Also, public cloud like AWS or Google Cloud platform. They both have free tiers, and GCP has a 12month 300dollar trial on top of that. And since you now have all your applications dockerized, you can stick them in a scheduler like kubernetes or docker swarm and be done with it.

 

Then just have a NAS for your local storage needs.

 

Edit: Oh and you could put gitlab in a highly available cluster in a public cloud if you want.