Today’s Topics: Thank You for Calling CablesAndKits! | Server Hard Drives | How to Choose a Rackmount Server | News to Start Your Day
Happy Thursday!
March 4th to the rhythm of life because today is National Marching Music Day! Do we have any musicians or performers in our CK Family? Today we celebrate all the varieties of art forms that bring us “music on the move.”
“Thank you for calling CablesAndKits! My name is Shanyce, how may I serve you?”
Have you ever heard a line like this when calling us? In the world of Customer Service, our main goal is to literally “serve your face off” as we like to say around here. We are here for you! Yes, even you, who has only called us once!
In an effort to never miss a single call, the Customer Service Team is in the middle of a transition to a new phone system that will help us serve you even better. After taking some time to research, we realized our current system was not sufficient nor up to our own standards, so we quickly decided to pivot to a better system. This new system will allow us to analyze call patterns, lower wait times (no one likes to sit and listen to hold music), and allow our remote team to stay connected and work seamlessly from their home.
The team and I look forward to the flexibility we will receive by customizing to our customer’s needs, based on best practices, and to, of course, SERVE YOUR FACE OFF!
I look forward to talking to ya on the phone soon!
Shanyce
Product Spotlights & Updates:
Today’s we’ll be spotlighting server hard drives. Did you know all of our server hard drivescome with an industry-leading advanced replacement lifetime warranty? We carry a wide selection of Cisco, HP, and Dell server hard drives with a variety of sizes and storage capacity. All of our hard drives are fully tested and you’ll get the same great quality as a brand new hard drive at a much lower cost. Each of our refurbished drives are wiped of previous information and are repackaged and ready to use when you receive them. Grab a few today!
How to Choose a Rackmount Server – CK Learning Center
Hosting a server on-premises at your small business comes with many advantages. It gives you full control of the server, software, and elements related to the server such as the ability to add more terminals and grant access to the right individuals inside and outside of the premises. There are several different types of servers and various form factors, however, a rackmount server is ideal for many businesses. Rackmount servers take up a small space in your building and are generally easy to install. These servers can offer increased security and require few resources to get up and running.
There are many rackmount servers out there in the market with different sizes, capabilities, and for different operating environments. Here is a quick guide on choosing the right rackmount server for your business.
Size
One of the most important things to consider when purchasing a rackmount server is size. Will you be putting the server in a pre-existing rack? Will it be free-standing? If you plan to install the server into a rack, size is critical to ensure that it fits properly. Rackmount servers are typically 19” wide and the standard height is 1.75” (1U). They can also come in larger 2U, 3U, or even 4U heights that allow more room for additional processors and other components.
Memory
For most businesses, the server manages all the computer functions including storage and sharing of files. This means that the server is responsible for storing financial and customer data, managing emails, printers, and running software. The amount of memory and storage you will need will vary depending on the specific demands you will be putting on your server. When starting out, consider a server with at least 8GB of memory, at least 1TB storage space and about 8 to 16 processor cores. Think of a core as similar to a CPU. Therefore, a 10-core processor works like ten CPUs combined.
You can always upgrade your server components later on, should you need even more capabilities. When doing so, be sure to ensure that the parts match with those already in the server. They should be from the same manufacturer and for the specified model.
Virtualization
Virtualization is the act of creating many virtual computers, each allocated a slice of the available memory, number of processors, and storage to run a specific function different from the other. A software called hypervisor distributes these resources among the virtual computers to enhance their functionality. Each virtual computer works independently.
The main hypervisors in the market are Microsoft’s Hyper-V and VMware’s vShphere. If you are running all the programs exclusively on the Microsoft platform, the Hyper-V may be a cost-effective option. However, if you need support for other operating systems such as Linux, consider alternatives like vShere or Oracle VM.
Operating Systems
The most common Operating System in servers is Windows. It has been around for a long time and has excellent features for your business. Moreover, you are likely to find many professionals who are skilled in diagnosing Windows-based server applications. However, this OS does not support non-Microsoft applications. If you are likely to use open source software, consider purchasing a server that can allow different OS through virtualization and also check other OS programs such as SUSE, Red Hat, or Ubuntu.
Your Budget vs. The Requirements
Many small and medium businesses are constrained by a lack of adequate funding. If you are in such a situation, you may be looking for the least expensive server in the market. However, it is good to strike a balance between quality and price. Make a projection of your computing power needs for the next five years and pick a server that can handle the requirements until then. It does not need to have all the storage requirements and memory for now, but the available capacity should run for at least three years. This way, you avoid the costs that come with disposing of the server and purchasing a bigger one in the near future. It may be more expensive than buying a high-capacity server today.
This article is from the CK Learning Center.
- As of this morning, in the US, there are 8,922,245 active COVID cases, 20,003,339 have recovered and there have been 531,657 deaths.
- President Joe Biden has backed a plan to phase out direct payments more quickly in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. The $1400 checks in the Senate’s version of the plan will start to phase out at $75,000 in income for individuals and $150,000 for joint filers and read fully for those who earn $80,000 and $160,000, respectively. The income caps are lower than those passed by the House. Moderate Senate Democrats had called to limit the scope of the payments as the party seeks to pass its rescue plan in the coming days.
- A San Francisco start-up called Ample wants to make electric vehicle battery swapping work in the United States following a history of failure by others in the space. When electric vehicles started gaining ground in the early 2010s, Tesla and a start-up called Better Space promised their customer would have the convenient option of battery swapping. Both companies failed to make swapping commercially viable. Ample now operates five battery swap stations in the San Franciso Bay Area specifically for Uber drivers. Participating drivers with supported electric vehicles can exchange a spent battery for a fully charged one in less than 10 minutes.
- FedEx announced on Wednesday that it will invest an initial $2 billion toward sustainable energy initiatives, including more electric vehicles and carbon capture research. The investment is part of the company’s new goal to become carbon neutral by 2040. FedEx will give Yale University $100 million to help researchers develop carbon capture technologies.
- American rock band Kings of Leon is getting in on the frenzy over non-fungible tokens, widely known as NFTs. The group announced they’ll offer their latest album, “When You See Yourself,” in the form of an NFT, making it among the first bands to do so. Kings of Leon is offering its album package with vinyl and digital download for a token priced at $50. It’ll be released Friday on YellowHeart and open for two weeks starting at noon. After that two-week period, no ore will be made.
- Plans are underway to provide a COVID-19 vaccine to thousands of teachers and staff at schools across metro Atlanta and Georgia in the coming weeks.
Next week, employees of the Hall County School District will receive the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a mass vaccination site south of Gainesville. The school system is partnering with the District 2 Georgia Department of Public Health and Free Chapel of Gainesville, which is hosting the event Thursday and Friday at its campus on McEver Road. The vaccine is voluntary for the 3,400 Hall County School District employees.