Server HW Recommendations

[DJLC]

So I'm looking at replacing our 2009 Xserve at work... it has and continues to serve us well, but I know our time is limited. We use it primarily for Profile Manager (possibly FileWave next year), print sharing, PaperCut, and some light file sharing. Authentication (AD) and DNS are on our Windows server.

I have a quote on a Mac Pro A1289. Not sure the exact year. Quad Core 3.2GHz Xeon, 16GB, 2TB HDD, Radeon 5770. 3-year replacement warranty, $799.

I've asked for the age on the A1289, but depending on what that is it doesn't seem like it'd really even be worth replacing a 2009 Xserve with a Mac Pro that's potentially from 2010 or 2011.

Of course we could go with a brand new Mini Server. Or new Mac Pro. But we're a public charter school, so budget matters a lot.

Thoughts / suggestions?

 

[satcomer]

So I'm looking at replacing our 2009 Xserve at work... it has and continues to serve us well, but I know our time is limited. We use it primarily for Profile Manager (possibly FileWave next year), print sharing, PaperCut, and some light file sharing. Authentication (AD) and DNS are on our Windows server.

I have a quote on a Mac Pro A1289. Not sure the exact year. Quad Core 3.2GHz Xeon, 16GB, 2TB HDD, Radeon 5770. 3-year replacement warranty, $799.

I've asked for the age on the A1289, but depending on what that is it doesn't seem like it'd really even be worth replacing a 2009 Xserve with a Mac Pro that's potentially from 2010 or 2011.

Of course we could go with a brand new Mini Server. Or new Mac Pro. But we're a public charter school, so budget matters a lot.

Thoughts / suggestions?

IMHO if you want to run a server on a Mac Pro 2008-2010 you will be better of getting a dual processor system!

 

[DJLC]

IMHO if you want to run a server on a Mac Pro 2008-2010 you will be better of getting a dual processor system!

Well and at that point, why bother spending the money? I know Mac Pro parts are more available than Xserve parts, but...

 

[Geeky Chimp]

We're using a number of 2014 Mac Minis to provide a range of services and the mid & higher spec stock configurations work well for us. Our main file server is a higher spec 2014 Mac mini with an upgrade to 2TB fusion and it works really well. We've split the fusion storage though so we have the SSD for the OS and Server config etc and the HDD for shared folders and homes.
We have a number of base spec Mac minis but have decided to use them to host other roles rather than PM, file servers, mail servers etc.

 

[guzhogi]

Sonnet has some rack mounts for the current Mac Mini & Mac Pro. Adds some PCI slots as well. Not sure if you're interested. http://www.sonnettech.com/product/thunderbolt/index.html

 

[jamall]

You could spend $200-300 on an identical '09 Xserve as a backup machine to cannibalise if/when any components fail on your main server.

 

[Mo398]

Well and at that point, why bother spending the money? I know Mac Pro parts are more available than Xserve parts, but...

We currently have a mac mini and its struggling to keep up, the Ram maxed out at 16GB. Mac Pro allows for scalability and the mac pro can support ECC Ram (if thats a feature that you want.)

 

[DJLC]

Update: couldn't get the budget to replace our Windows Server 2008 box AND the Xserve.

So I got a super beefy refurbished Dell R710 with Server 2012. Now that does all of our file storage, AD, and DNS for the entire network. Xserve is just sharing printers via Bonjour, runs PaperCut server, and Profile Manager for our MacBooks (went Mosyle Manager for iPad MDM, but it can't handle Macs). I'm trying to get the Caching service going but it's not working out well. And I tossed Ubuntu Server on our old Win2008 box to do DHCP.

I hate having to continue to rely on a machine that could literally crap out at any second, but I can only work with what they give me.