Portable servers?

SiD the Turtle

SiD the Turtle

SiD the Turtle

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Hi all,

We run a number of Microsoft training courses, mostly on customer sites. This means every few years buying a dozen high spec laptops to run virtual copies of whatever server applications we want to provide training for.

This is becoming prohibitively expensive given that most of the laptops have a low resale value at the end of their life due to their age and the amount of abuse they receive and that Microsoft's upcoming product stack (SQL 2008 R2, MOSS 210 etc) needs more RAM that you can buy in a laptop to run at a decent speed.

So the idea I've been floating around is some kind of portable server, able to host say three or four machines for training purposes. My main concerns are twofold: does such a product exist or will I have to end up say building an i7-based Shuttle with a tonne of RAM and what can I do about protecting it from shocks? Our laptops are shipped around the country by courier in large, well padded flight cases and are fine, but as soon as we start talking about a real piece of kit with add in boards, heavy heatsinks etc, I'm worried it's going to end up falling apart.
 
I do a lot of temp. comms stuff for the events industry.

We use Packhorse to package all our stuff, pretty faultless IME but the price of a well designed shock mounted rack isn't cheap.

But as Mr BRS points out, we're normally trucking a fair bit of kit, so throwing a few extra cases for servers and other gubbins on doesn't really factor into it.

We have one rack containing 6 ML380 G5's and it weighs in at a good 350Kg with the UPS's and other assorted bits and pieces in it, not something you really want to put in the boot of your car ;)
 
I think some people are getting the wrong end of the stick here - the OP is running software training, not server hardware training. It obviously wont need redundancy or any other traditional server features - just a lot of RAM and a decent CPU. The OPs idea of a shuttle build is probably the simplest option.
 
iaind said:
I think some people are getting the wrong end of the stick here - the OP is running software training, not server hardware training. It obviously wont need redundancy or any other traditional server features - just a lot of RAM and a decent CPU. The OPs idea of a shuttle build is probably the simplest option.
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Actually I'd say it's fairly clear that not carrying round a server and just specifying the client should provide internet access and using a remote box is the simplest option...
 
bigredshark said:
Actually I'd say it's fairly clear that not carrying round a server and just specifying the client should provide internet access and using a remote box is the simplest option...
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Either way - obviously dependant on the quality and availability of internet access, if the students need to be transferring large files to and from the server from their workstations then it may not be as suitable.

Both options are good, certainly better than a mobile rack full of servers :)
 
Cheers for all of the advice guys.

Remote access isn't an option, though I wish it was, a lot of our customer have shoddy net access or their training room has no network points, plus one of our other partners (who shall remain nameless) provides training facilities though Citrix based remote access and our trainers face the same issues.

I like the idea of a rack flight case though, I could pick up a relatively cheap 1u or 2u server, pack it with ram and send it out.

I'll do some more research, though any more advice is appreciated!
 
Sounds like you want a half decent /powerful server and a couple of those ultra small thin clients..

The problem is, all well and said but they all (ideally) need a screen! So you're probably better of with a laptop based thin client? I doubt any of your solutions are going to be able to move away from a laptop unless your client is going to provide equipment?
 
bigredshark said:
If somebody turned up to do training for our guys with a shuttle, I'd laugh at them. It's not exactly a professional looking solution...
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What about spending the extra to make something that really looked the dogs danglies? Low profile, black, brushed aluminium, etc etc. Nothing fugly, just something that screamed quality?

Hardware wise the OP would be able to put exactly what he wanted in it and thost would be siginificantly lower than a laptop, especially over time. I'd suggest an SSD if the things going to be carted around.
 
z0mbi3 said:
What about spending the extra to make something that really looked the dogs danglies? Low profile, black, brushed aluminium, etc etc. Nothing fugly, just something that screamed quality?

Hardware wise the OP would be able to put exactly what he wanted in it and thost would be siginificantly lower than a laptop, especially over time. I'd suggest an SSD if the things going to be carted around.
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I work in enterprise and service provider environments, really anything that isn't off the shelf from a major vendor I regard with suspicion, anything home built or the like with outright contempt (in a business environment, I'm not knocking it for home but when you need to make money out of it).

If I needed a box for that and a real server was inappropriate I'd look at an HP or Dell SFF desktop, most of those have a quad core option these days and will take a decent amount of RAM while remaining portable.

But if it was me I'd just say to customers 'your responsibility to provide an internet connection', that's what virtually every training company we've ever had in has said (a few have brought soho firewall units and the like but nothing bigger than that...)
 
Cuchulain said:
Sounds a bit simple but could you not give them remote access to a single static server?
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this +

bigredshark said:
But if it was me I'd just say to customers 'your responsibility to provide an internet connection'
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If someone turned up to my work with a 2u server over their shoulder expecting to just dump it on a desk and hook it all up, they would get laughed out of the building.
 
TBH I couldnt care less what the "server" was when I was training - it's not like it's being put under any sort of real world load, provided it works well enough to do the labs then it really doesnt matter how "professional" it looks
 
bigredshark said:
If somebody turned up to do training for our guys with a shuttle, I'd laugh at them. It's not exactly a professional looking solution...
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I'd have to argue against this.

For a server that has to run software to run several clients for training purposes if someone turnt up with a shuttle who would honestly care?

Are you telling me you would go to your boss and say "this guy just turnt up with a shuttle PC omg". Think they would tell you to just get on with it.

To me someone coming with a server instead of requiring the client has hardware /internet connection is more professional

The internet based solutions are used for saving time and money by trading off reliability and capital investment for a cheap "one for all" solution, so If i had to pick between the company too cheap to properly run a training course Vs someone who is using a shuttle as a server for a couple of users, then I'd prefer the shuttle. Just because other companies are doing it doesnt make it right, most companies are there to maximise profit, not supply the world best training session and for now, that means internet based soutions are not 100% pratical.

What you have there is brand hate, like me turning around and saying Dell is crap and if anyone tried selling me a dell Id laugh at them, but the fact is, these companies make more money then most of us put together so who laughing at the end of the day?

For a couple of user brining your own portable server is ideal. 1u+ servers are made for use in racks and bringing one of those down, unless it had some significant role (such as showing the client what a 1u server is) is pointless and is less portable IMO.

Anyway, point is, if you want a 5* training course, you'll have to pay a lot of money and send your employees to their training center. If you're paying someone to come down to do a training course, for the trainer to supply hardware is more professional than the one relying upon the client's internet connection.
 
lukus001 said:
I'd have to argue against this.

For a server that has to run software to run several clients for training purposes if someone turnt up with a shuttle who would honestly care?

Are you telling me you would go to your boss and say "this guy just turnt up with a shuttle PC omg". Think they would tell you to just get on with it.

To me someone coming with a server instead of requiring the client has hardware /internet connection is more professional
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I simply wouldn't book stuff with them again I don't think, if you're paying for somebody to come in your likely paying far more per head for personalised training. If that's the case I want a serious professional outfit delivering the training. Serious professional outfits do not use small form factor home PCs.

I'd have no problem with anybody asking for internet access of a given bandwidth etc...I mean who doesn't have that?
 
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