Datacentre server

[chroniclard]

Unsure if right section but.......Need to look into getting some kind of server in a UK datacentre but one caveat is we have to put in our own router thing which connects securely to a DVLA API.

Server runs a mostly Microsoft tech stack, websites, API's, SQL databases, unsure of how to find someone who can accommodate this....and unsure the best solution (virtual, dedicated, other.....)

Have looked at Azure but seems hideously expensive and not sure how we would use the above mentioned router.

Currently we run it from the office on a Dell server but its growing too much now to be feasible much longer.

 

[chroniclard]

Its a Juniper SRX300 I believe and we have no choice but to use it for the gateway/firewall/whatever it is.

Seems 2 or 3U co location might work....

We are a very small business and I am trying to figure our what we need and its not my area(software dev ), struggling.

 

[chroniclard]

Are you looking to colo your own server or rent a dedicated server but have your SRX300 in-front of it?

Colo for your own server and a small firewall shouldn't cost you more than £60/month excl VAT as a starting price but can vary depending on bandwidth and power requirements.

A modern hardware dedicated server could be anywhere from £65/m to £lots depending what you really need.

I don't know, I'm struggling to come to a conclusion. I think Colo 2-3U, we buy our own server, then relocate the router box, is the easiest route at the moment.

I spoke to a few places and they will not put the router in with a dedicated server.

 

[chroniclard]

Not sure who you've spoken to, but something must have been lost in translation; putting your own firewall/ router into a DC should 100% not be a problem. I've worked on countless sites for customers who do just that.

if we rent a dedicated server they won't put the router in with it. If we Colo we can do what we want.

 

[chroniclard]

Understood.

How big is the server you need? You could always look at purchasing it outright - you could look at a Dell server and purchase with Dell Financial Services to spread the cost out to something more manageable. You should be able to get a discount by going through someone like Techdata / Softcat / Arrow, or one of their partners too.

Doesnt need to be insane, been looking at an AMD Epyc one for about 5k should be more than enough for now. Will check out the ones you mentioned thanks.

 

[chroniclard]

Gah, we also need a firewall if we are collocating our own server?

 

[chroniclard]

You don't need a firewall to co-locate, though I thought you had the requirement for your SRX300 to be in-front of it ?

The majority of colocated servers are placed straight onto the internet on a public IP address with a software firewall running on the server itself.

The srx300 is solely for connection to the DVLA. Probably be wise to get our own firewall I think as well.

 

[chroniclard]

Does it have to be an SRX300? Would a vSRX running in public cloud be an option?

Yes, we already have it and have no choice.