Dropping a black box on a client network
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I have a solution being setup that will involve install CentOS 7 & MS SQL Server Express.
This is an on-prem only solution.
Obviously, our first recommendation is always for the client to spin up a 2vPCU + 3GB RAM VM for this purpose.
But when they cannot, for whatever reason, my goal is to drop a box on their network to do this job. These are not networks we have any control or insight into. We are not their IT. This is a software/web product just needing a local database server that will reach out to whatever database the LoB app uses and pull in data, manipulate it, and then sync it up to a web server.
So with no control to the network, what should I setup? I am heavily leaning to the "appliance" model. Drop CentOS 7 + MS SQL on it and be done. Trying to put in some type of hypervisor makes no sense. This is not something that is going to be integrated in to anything the client has. The MS SQL database is honestly not important as the data is sync'd up to the web server every 5 minutes. It is never the "master" or only copy of the data.
So if I go with something like this, I do at least want something with basic redundancies. Really just dual powersupply.
A Dell R230 on Xbyte shows $599 to start.
I have no idea where to start configuring a Supermicro.
So before I start spending time, on this, what are everyone's suggestions?
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@JaredBusch Hardware wise, xByte is the only 3rd party I'd trust for anything going into production. A Supermicro is going to start at $1,500, which is a good deal for a new server.
That said, if you just want to cheap out, I got my current Home Lab box from Orange Computers. No factory warranty, and I have no idea how good the support is if it's needed.
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I can help with Supermicro config if you need. drop me a line.
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@ysapir said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
I can help with Supermicro config if you need. drop me a line.
Mostly, I don't want to wade through all the options on the Supermicro site just to get an idea.
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@travisdh1 said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
@JaredBusch Hardware wise, xByte is the only 3rd party I'd trust for anything going into production. A Supermicro is going to start at $1,500, which is a good deal for a new server.
That said, if you just want to cheap out, I got my current Home Lab box from Orange Computers. No factory warranty, and I have no idea how good the support is if it's needed.
I would never do something without a warranty of some type in this kind of scenario.
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@JaredBusch said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
A Dell R230 on Xbyte shows $599 to start.
"To start"...in that case it's without CPU, memory or disk. So it's a server that does not start.
Get a new one instead from Dell. Dell R240, 8GB ECC RAM, Dual-core G4900 CPU, 1TB disk. $709 ready to go on dell.com
G4900 is latest gen CPU, more than you need. To step up to 4 cores it's $176 to get a Xeon E-series CPU in the same machine.
Supermicro is never going to be a cheap as Dell or HP low end models so there's no point even looking at it.
PS. Also you get 1 year basic HW warranty on site in that price but you could extend to 3 year for $100 or whatever the customer wants.
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@JaredBusch said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
@travisdh1 said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
@JaredBusch Hardware wise, xByte is the only 3rd party I'd trust for anything going into production. A Supermicro is going to start at $1,500, which is a good deal for a new server.
That said, if you just want to cheap out, I got my current Home Lab box from Orange Computers. No factory warranty, and I have no idea how good the support is if it's needed.
I would never do something without a warranty of some type in this kind of scenario.
So the box is considered semi critical.
Does it have to be onsite? What about a Vultr VPS and a VPN connection? -
@Dashrender said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
@JaredBusch said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
@travisdh1 said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
@JaredBusch Hardware wise, xByte is the only 3rd party I'd trust for anything going into production. A Supermicro is going to start at $1,500, which is a good deal for a new server.
That said, if you just want to cheap out, I got my current Home Lab box from Orange Computers. No factory warranty, and I have no idea how good the support is if it's needed.
I would never do something without a warranty of some type in this kind of scenario.
So the box is considered semi critical.
Does it have to be onsite? What about a Vultr VPS and a VPN connection?What part did you not understand?
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@JaredBusch said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
@Dashrender said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
@JaredBusch said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
@travisdh1 said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
@JaredBusch Hardware wise, xByte is the only 3rd party I'd trust for anything going into production. A Supermicro is going to start at $1,500, which is a good deal for a new server.
That said, if you just want to cheap out, I got my current Home Lab box from Orange Computers. No factory warranty, and I have no idea how good the support is if it's needed.
I would never do something without a warranty of some type in this kind of scenario.
So the box is considered semi critical.
Does it have to be onsite? What about a Vultr VPS and a VPN connection?What part did you not understand?
All of it apparently.
I didn't go back and re-read the OP after reading the comments - ON Prem ONLY.. fsst - whatever.
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@JaredBusch said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
This is an on-prem only solution.
.....
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@Pete-S said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
@JaredBusch said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
A Dell R230 on Xbyte shows $599 to start.
"To start"...in that case it's without CPU, memory or disk. So it's a server that does not start.
Get a new one instead from Dell. Dell R240, 8GB ECC RAM, Dual-core G4900 CPU, 1TB disk. $709 ready to go on dell.com
G4900 is latest gen CPU, more than you need. To step up to 4 cores it's $176 to get a Xeon E-series CPU in the same machine.
Supermicro is never going to be a cheap as Dell or HP low end models so there's no point even looking at it.
PS. Also you get 1 year basic HW warranty on site in that price but you could extend to 3 year for $100 or whatever the customer wants.
Pretty good deals on previous gen Dells on their outlet site too. R230 with E3 series processor and 3-years support for $629
None of these super cheap options are going to have dual power supplies though.
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https://www.dellrefurbished.com/enterprise-products/servers/dell-poweredge-r720-4-port-140081.html
%40 off for president's day
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@bnrstnr said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
Pretty good deals on previous gen Dells on their outlet site too. R230 with E3 series processor and 3-years support for $629
Not really a good deal IMO, because you can get a current gen for only $100 more.
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@JaredBusch said in Dropping a black box on a client network:
Not really a good deal IMO, because you can get a current gen for only $100 more.
With 2 years less warranty and less processor... I don't know what's more important to you in this scenario.
A few hundred dollars probably isn't the biggest deal here anyway lol
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Spammer ban hammered.
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@JaredBusch I don't know if you ever finished up with this client, but for $1236 you can get a decent server that would work well.
Add $99 if you wanted the 3 year warranty
