Servers are an essential backbone of a business’s day-to-day operations. Having the right server for a business is key for efficiently sharing information across a network—and can save a lot of time and expense.
Businesses should consider servers critical IT infrastructure. Upgrading servers will ensure that your company gets productivity, security, power efficiency and manageability benefits that will contribute directly to the bottom line.
The features a server offers and its price range vary widely. For a business looking to upgrade and purchase a new server, the size and needs of the business and the capabilities of the server are important factors to consider when making a choice.
Here are the three main types of servers—and pros and cons for each of them:
Blade
The blade server is smaller and more compact than the other two server types we will look at. It limits energy consumption and is good for businesses that are willing to invest in easily expandable infrastructure. Blade servers themselves contain a processor and storage—everything else, such as cooling, power supply, and networking, is added on externally.
Rack
Rack servers hit the middle ground when it comes to size—they are preferred by those who want to maximize capacity and computing power without taking up too much room. Because rack servers are vertically arranged, they are easy to store and can be placed on a rack or in a cabinet. They require a cooling system when several racks are stacked together and are often kept with other critical data equipment. Rack servers usually have built-in cable management systems and are very expandable if needed. Due to the fact that rack servers are such powerhouses, they are often on the pricier end.
Tower
Tower servers are larger than the other servers mentioned above, so they take up more space and are more difficult to physically manage. Because of this, they are not normally used in smaller businesses that have fewer employees and less space. They look like standard PC towers and can rack up pretty high prices, but have flexible customization and configuration capabilities.
Once a business decides on one of these three types of servers, it should also look to protect that server. Servers need antivirus and malware protection, just as other devices do. Finding the right server and modern security solution to protect it will allow for higher efficiency and endurance down the road.
