If your organisation needs to store lots of data, you'll likely need to set up a server to help store that information, however, there are lots of variables. How much data will you need to store? How much physical space do you have to store it? How much can your organisation afford to spend on servers? This video will walk you through some of the differences between Rack, Blade and Tower servers.
- If you're looking at storing large amounts of data, you'll need to figure out what the best way to store that information is. Or more specifically, how you're physically going to store the data. Small amounts of data can be stored locally on computers. But if you're going to be storing lots of data, you'll probably need something a bit more specialist than just a computer. This is where servers come in. Servers can handle large amounts of data and processing power, and come in one of three different varieties. One, rack servers, two, blade servers, and three, tower servers. So, what are the differences between each of them and how do they work? Let's start by looking at rack servers, which is servers mounted inside a rack. Racks a general purpose servers that support a broad range of applications and computing infrastructure. The main benefit of racks servers is that they can be vertically stacked, meaning they save space in a data center. More space means more racks. This is really efficient in small data centers, and they can be expanded with more storage, RAM and processers. However, because rack servers can be really densely packed, they often require more cooling units, raising energy costs. And lots of rack servers raises energy demands too. Next, let's look at blade servers. Blade servers are enclosures that house multiple modular circuit boards called blades. Most blade servers are simply CPUs and network controllers, although some might have internal storage drives too. Each blade shares server components with the enclosure like switches, ports and power connectors. Blades can be managed as a group of servers or act as an individual server, allowing applications and end users to be assigned to specific blades. They're multi-purpose too, so they can host OSs, hypervisors, databases and more. Blade servers' processing power serves at high computing needs, and they typically fit rack unit measurements, allowing IT to save space. Blade servers can save money as the chassis of a blade server has the ability to cool and power multiple servers that are fed into the chassis. However, blade servers can cost a lot up front, and more high density blade servers can require some advanced climate control to keep them cooled. Finally, let's look at tower servers. Tower servers are servers built in a standalone chassis configuration. And if you were to walk into a room with one, you might mistake it for a normal desktop PC. Tower servers are typically aimed a mid-sized enterprises who might not need a full data center. And as they are highly customizable, they can be configured as general purpose servers, communication servers, web servers, or network servers that integrate using HTTP protocols. Towers can be made to order or they can be customized on site. Towers can be scaled as you need them really easily, so they can be upgraded. They also don't require much in the way of cooling as they're low on components. However, upgrades can get costly over time, as they often require high-end components. Multiple units can take up a lot of space too. So, future planning for scalability should be considered when purchasing a tower server. And that's it for the different types of servers. What type of server is best for your organization?