Home Server Build Part 3 – The Context @ Hardware Slave
I have always been interested in servers and like the idea of having another computer where I can store my excess data or spin off other applications to run so they don't take up resources on my main machine. Back in the early says (before Ninjalane.com) I played around with NT4 and at one time had a remote server running a simple fileshare for me. The hardware was something like a Intel 486 with whatever hardware I had laying around. it was just a test and started a lifelong obsession to create the ultimate server.
Servers are a delicate balance of Min/Max between hardware cost and hardware performance and making sure you spend the money where you need it. Some simply need data storage so a simple NAS might be plenty. Others wish to run applications so CPU and Memory might be important. In the end you need to consider where the performance bottlenecks are and make sure you spend your money to maximize return.
Hardware Slave is building an article series on building a home server. The content and writing style remind me of some of my early work and while I never tackled a server build article I can understand exactly what they are doing.
In parts one and two, we basically spec’d and built a basis for a Home Server. In reality, other than plans to use it as a Server, it is currently just a desktop PC with RAID SSD’s and a lot of RAM. We have had the server up and running now for some weeks and it has performed flawlessly.
The 2 tests HDD’s are running quiet and cool, thanks to the 120mm case fan blowing fresh air over them and they are delivering content on demand while storing all our critical information. But now, it’s really time for the context of the build.
My latest server upgrade consists of a Core i7 3770k on a Gigabyte motherboard. The server is designed as an application server so it needs CPU power but also serves as the primary data store for the house. Because of this I spend extra time making sure the data subsystem was fast (Hardware based RAID 5) and that there was enough CPU to handle large data transfers over the Gigabit network.
Hardware Slave is on the right track though I suspect there will be some hardware upgrades shortly after the server goes live.
Related Web URL: http://www.hardwareslave.com/arc/home-server-build...
