The perfect server for your IT infrastructure is not always the most high-end server. Your surrounding environment and the type of activities that transpire on your systems and among your workforce on a regular basis have everything to do with selecting your perfect server. Forget about cost and quality for now, until you identify your operational and human needs. When you find the right server to meet your specific needs, cost, quality, performance, and capacity will land in the right place. There is a process to help you figure out how to match your work activities and system requirements with your server needs.
Start With A Look At Usage
You know you need a new server. Start by evaluating your workforce and your systems and figure out exactly what you expect to use a new server for. Premio offers a Market Positioning Pyramid that describes several lines of servers, their architecture, and the types of usage these varying technologies are meant to handle. There is a science behind acquiring your perfect server and the right type of storage. Look at your current tool needs, align them with your objectives, and plan ahead for what is yet to come. Consider how you are going to use your server.
What Are Your Server Needs?
If the following business services stand out on your list of must-haves, it will help you identify and narrow down the types of storage servers best suited for your business environment and your server space. Try ranking these by importance before you attempt to align your needs with a particular storage medium.
- High-Performance Computing (HPC)
- Artificial Intelligence
- Online Transaction Processing (OLTP)
- Databases
- Data Analytics
- Human Computer Interaction
- Content Delivery Network (CND)/Edge Caching
- Media Entertainment
- Disaster Recovery
- Video/Audio Archive
- Object Storage
- Archive Storage
- Compliance Archive
Knowing exactly how you plan to use your new server simplifies finding a match. Your activities lead to storage mediums that offer you the best in performance, bandwidth, and networking for the applications you use the most. This will make sorting through server options a whole lot easier.
Business Performance Expectations
In today’s market, there is no doubt “performance” is critical in the server solution you select, but the level of necessary performance varies based on your application needs. Ask yourself, “What is my ideal performance in terms of networking throughput, system bandwidth, input-output operations per second (IOPS), and latency?” What do I need? What do I expect? For every storage medium, there is an optimum solution in terms of network performance. These essential factors make up performance:
- Networking Throughput—the amount of data you can successfully move between systems within a certain period of times is called networking throughput. Throughput is generally measured in bits per second (bps), megabits per second (mbps), and possibly gigabits per second (gbps). Network throughput can be determined by measuring the amount of data being transferred within a second. When you have large amounts of data, this is an important factor in your quest for acquiring the perfect server.
- System Bandwidth—consider the “data transfer rate” you require for your applications and overall operation. System bandwidth equates to just how fast data moves through your systems. Bandwidth, like networking throughput, is frequently measured in bits per second (bps), megabits per second (mbps) and possibly gigabits per second (gbps). Naturally, each of your applications needs a different bandwidth. For example, a VoIP conversation, standard definition video, and HD video all require varying degrees of bandwidth. Bandwidth testing is an important step in determining what you need for your operations.
- Input-Output Operations Per Second (IOPS)—this performance measurement is needed to plan computer storage via hard disk drives (HHD), storage area networks (SAN), sold state drives (SSD), and all flash arrays. You measure the amount of data that can be exchanged between mediums within a second. This measurement is related to the number of reads and writes on non-contiguous storage areas. Monitoring tools can be used to gather IOPS data that is instrumental in your server decision-making process. If you are ready to evaluate a storage system such as an all-flash array, the number of sustainable IOPS is critical.
- Latency—the time it takes for data to communicate over your network, or response time, is an important consideration when you are in the process of selecting the right server for your environment. The speed of transmission is often affected by a variety of components, from wiring to fiber and radio waves. Keep in mind that latency varies between systems. The right server configuration is needed to give you the low- or high-latency solution that aligns with your business needs. Not every enterprise needs low-latency, but it is often preferred to meet business growth and change. Latency, like bandwidth and IOPS, can be tested for opportune performance.
When you study the variables that make up performance, it helps you draw conclusions about your environment and what you need the most in a server and associated storage system. In Different Types of Storage Devices and How to Use Them, you developed an understanding about storage options to meet your demands. Consider tape or optical drives, hard disk drive (HDD), NAND SATA/SAS SSD, NVMe 3DxPoint, DDR 4 RAM, Cache, CPU Core, and align their capabilities with your usage needs. Also ask yourself, “What are my storage capacity requirements now? What will they be in the next 5-10 years? What budget have I set aside for servers and storage?”
Premio Server Options
Seek a reputable provider to guide you with the arduous task of designing a server and storage strategy for success. Premio has been partnering with major leaders in the industry for decades to provide timeless server solutions to meet every business storage challenge. Whether you require dedicated servers for your on-premise environment, a remote cloud solution with data center support, or a hybrid alternative that is designed specifically with your business in mind, Premio has the server options you are seeking.
- FlacheSAN Series Flash Storage Servers. Solid state drive (SSD) servers offering fast, high-density rackmounts and uncompromised performance in a scalable option.
- DuraStreams High Availability Series. Made with precision, Durastream is easy to service and designed for uptime and speed in a tool-less design.
- Omnistreams General Purpose Series. This scalable server option is made for performance and flexibility, using a hybrid approach for every business need.
- eDrawer High-Density Series. A powerful and efficient solution, the eDrawer ScaleStreams servers are fully scalable and easy to maintain.
Pictured: High-Density Server - eDrawer4048S-D4
When you work with Premio, we take you through a rigorous evaluation process to determine your business server requirements. We use our Market Positioning Pyramid to help you design a relevant server strategy for your IT environment. We help you pair your usage requirements with the various types of storage mediums and how they stack up for the answer to your perfect server. Let Premio be your guide for a server solution made to last and expected to deliver. Join the thousands of satisfied companies that rely on proven Premio server and storage solutions to take them into a new technological era. We currently serve and partner with global leaders in the high-tech space and nearly every industry.
Why Premio Solutions
Whatever your industry, whatever your business, from startup to enterprise, our Premio solutions are built with the highest standards and based on Premio’s value add service commitment. Premio has been serving customers in the healthcare, retail, and automation industries for decades and passing on great knowledge and new technology to new industry leaders every day. Our total IT infrastructure solutions are aligning with business goals and are made to streamlines processes and enhance productivity. Premio is taking businesses to new heights. Choose a Premio server solution for your enterprise today, and be prepared for new innovation tomorrow.