This article examines what's available in the server market, and what the various server types are designed to do.

by Gerald Williams of CrossNodes, an EarthWeb site [May 11, 2001]

Every IT manager knows that network users consume capacity like kids eat candy. Users and developers instantly find ways to utilize all the available power and storage. It is the demand for faster connections, database applications, e-commerce, increasingly complex documents, and streaming video that forces IT managers to constantly plan for the next upgrade.

IT managers also know that servers need to provide more than storage. Users demand quick response time. As a first step, IT managers can enhance network performance using switches and enhanced transport connections like 100M-bps Ethernet and fiber optic backbones. Still, the managers know that an upgrade looms behind each new application.

Selecting the right server for an organization is not an easy task, however. The choice requires IT managers to realistically assess the processing and throughput demands of their companies. They must ascertain the demands that the network will place on the server, examine the costs associated with maintaining the server or servers, and determine the future costs of upgrading the server.

High-End Servers:   These systems typically cost more than $1 million and provide high throughput and extended management utilities. Most run Unix or Linux as the operating system and support multiple proprietary processors, high memory capacity, and large disk storage. The servers are designed for throughput and reliability, but they require experience to install, configure, and operate. IT managers generally implement these servers for e-commerce and large database applications that require high traffic and constant processing. According to published reports, International Data Corp places the annual value of this market at $11.4 billion.

Mid-Range Servers:   Priced between $100,000 and $1 million, these servers also feature multiple proprietary processors running under the Unix or Linux operating system. The servers offer similar features as high-end servers, but they generally are less robust. Still, the servers require a trained staff to operate them properly. International Data Corp. reportedly places the value of this market at $17.6 billion.

Intel-Based Servers:   These systems generally offer multiple Intel microprocessors and optimized architectures designed to increase throughput. Although they cost much less than the more powerful mid-range and high-end servers, they also offer less power. Still, they can support many smaller businesses and some e-commerce and database applications. Many IT managers mistakenly believe that vendors take desktop systems, add large, fast mass storage devices, and call the resulting system a server. In reality, the products on the market bear little resemblance to desktop architectures. Servers frequently support multiple processors, and the vendors enhance the systems with high-speed memory buses, disk storage arrays, monitoring software, and multiple high-throughput I/O devices. IT managers generally implement these as clusters of servers running Microsoft NT, Novell NetWare, Unix, or Linux. The cluster of servers can help balance workloads and offer good response times.

Thin Server Appliances:   These low-cost add-on servers help expand an existing network's processing power. The servers integrate an operating system (generally Linux or Unix) and offer simplified configuration. The products are specialized units designed for ease of installation and operation. These offer a good alternative for IT managers who need to expand network storage quickly, establish an e-mail server, or consolidate Internet connections.

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