Better questions. Better infrastructure.
Short guides to prepare for your next server or storage conversation.
How many CPU cores do I need?
List the applications and their peak CPU usage. Consider concurrent workloads, processor performance and the software licensing model. More cores are useful only when the workload can use them; user count alone is not enough to size a server.
How much RAM should I plan?
Add the working memory of the operating system and applications. For virtual hosts, include the VM allocations and host overhead. Reserve headroom for growth and for workloads moved from another host during maintenance.
RAID or backup?
RAID helps maintain service through some drive failures. It does not replace backup. Keep recoverable copies outside the primary failure domain and test restoration against your recovery objectives.
What makes an HA design?
High availability needs compatible hosts, networking, storage and software configured together. Plan for the surviving hosts to carry the required workloads. HA is separate from backup and disaster recovery.
What should I send for a quote?
Share applications, VM count, processor and memory utilization, usable capacity, network requirements, current hardware, growth expectations and purchase timeline. Include software and support needs.
What about Windows Server?
Identify the required Windows Server edition, physical host configuration, virtual machine count and user or device access needs. Ask for the applicable licensing and hardware support to be validated with your configuration.
Let’s size your next solution.
Share your applications, capacity, availability needs and timeline. Reach out for configuration and pricing.
Planning a server purchase?
Use our practical checklist to prepare your workloads, capacity, site and support requirements.
Read the server buying guide →