ElectronicsJR Computer Design & Service

Client/Server Network

Typical Peer-to-peer Network

Do you need a Server?

If you have multiple computers, moviles devices, external hard drives, printers, multimedia devices, and/or other peripheral, and you need sharing files, data and other resources, it is probably time to consider to change your Main PC to a superior and centralized role as Home Server or Small Business Server. Servers help keep your data, files and other resources secure and organized at home and office, plus help you to share resources, access then local and remotely, and run your business more efficiently with more security.

Don't worry, ElectronicsJR can help you to find a cost effective solution for your server following your indications and budget.

The most important thing you can do to ensure that your server meets your needs and fits your budget is to devote a bit of time and energy to assessing those needs. Until you have a good understanding of exactly what you want to use your server for, you run the risk of not buying enough server power or spending too much of your valuable budget on features you simply don't need. A little planning in the beginning can make for significant savings and proper equipment sizing in the end.

What is a Server?

A server is a special computer which fulfils requests from other computers. Once you add a server to your network and entrust the responsibility of authentication to it, your network is transformed from a peer-to-peer network in to a client/server network.

Requirements of a server’s operating system and application software differ from those of a desktop computer. A server is better able to share data from multiple people securely and reduces bottlenecks. Additionally, a server may also provide secure application sharing, as well as e-mail, Internet connectivity, data backup functionality, and shared printer and fax services - features that can significantly increase a small business’s productivity.

A server is designed to manage, store, send and process data 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 356 days a year. Thus, servers need to be far more reliable then their desktop counterparts. To accomplish this, servers offer features not typically found in a desktop PC. Some servers are, do or include:

• Dual processors or multi-core processors (either equipped with or capable of supporting)
• Faster RAM options for optimal application performance
  
• Redundant hard drives or power supplies
• Multiple hard drives for increased data capacity and redundancy
  
• Hot-swappable components
• Scalable to meet current and future needs
• Process data faster and more efficiently

For an office with less than 25 employees, a server with one processor and 2-4 hard drives should be sufficient. If you have more than 25 employees or if you're planning to run data intensive applications, a server with two processors and 4-6 hard drives is recommended

Not every small networked home or small business needs a server, but if you find that you, your family member and your employees need to shared files, photos, video, data printers, and mobile devices in a orginized, centralized y secure way, then you need a server or a special computer with the role as a server.

If you are running your business on a PC-based peer-to-peer network or some other ‘pretend’ server wannabe solution, you are hurting your business, hurting yourself, and hurting your employees.

Servers offer small businesses a clearly defined, logical pathway to future growth. With a bunch of PC’s cobbled together to imitate a real server, all you get is an increasingly unmanageable, unsecured, and costly mess.

The Advantages of The Real Server:

• Security, with built-in, highly automated features that stop attacks before they get embedded and keep unauthorized users out
• Collaboration and Remote Access features that deliver all the required computing resources to users no matter where they are located
• Manageability that includes capabilities for you to manage the entire computing resource from any remote location
• Storage and data management features that automate data back up to keep your business up and running through thick and thin