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Dedicated server
For another side project I'm looking for a dedicated server to install Esxi on and use as a backup server (other esxi vms will be replicated there).
The servers I wish to backup are with Dacentec so to keep the backups on another location, this rules them out this time.
Other then that the location is not really that important.
Specs:
"Decent" CPU
8GB (or above) Ram
2 disks (or more), anything above 5400 rpm disks will be taken in consideration. 
500gb- 1Tb each.
Hardware raid is neccesary since Esxi doesn't support soft raid.
Any suggestions?
Comments
Well
E3-1240v3
16GB RAM
2x1TB HDD
HW RAID-1 or 0
10TB @ 1GBPS
/29 IPv4
CC Buffalo
$70/mo
I'm assuming if your servers are at Dacentec your budget for your backups would be roughly equivalent or lower than Dacentec pricing?
You're a long-term member so you obviously know these already, but just going to refresh with
HVH, Delimiter, @qps
which will probably be your best options. Also hw raid isn't super necessary considering it's just a backup server? You COULD just mirror them manually... or just use a single drive... (I'm assuming you won't be affected to much if your backup drive dies.. just make new ones..)
IPs/bandwidth and budget? I can do this with the Dual L5630 and an HP P410+BBWC for $69/mo (splitting the 2TB for 2x1TB). (24GB ram, /29 v4, /64 v6, 20TB @ GigE)
@Jonchun
Yes, those are on my 'to check' list. Did a quick check over at WHT last night, thought I would throw out the question here if someone knew of any special deals that were going around.
I rent at Dacentec for $30/month. Not the greatest CPU but it is enough for what I need at this moment. I could easily use Dacentec as my backup location if I find an offer to good to refuse. I'm flexible in that way and I have the financials
Since my main point is to replicate the current servers to the backup location I would like that location to have somewhat similar setup since it one day easily can become the primary location. See Server Axis incident, not comparing only saying that I didn't expect them to go poof like they have.
There is also some sort of logic to why I chose ESXi instead of going with some other solution. I know the product and I know how to do the replication part (including the licenses needed).
There are always 'other' to achieve the same end result. I don't have the time to learn them at this point in life. Therefor I'm willing to pay for it instead.
Thank you for pointing out the missing IP and bandwidth question.
To keep things easy, 2 IP since I need one for the Esxi and one for my NAT environment.
a /29 would be great but I don't think that is a deal breaker.
Bandwidth: the servers I have use very little bandwidth and after the initial "copy" there will only be incremental (Changed Block tracking) backups/replications done so my guess would be way less then your offered 20TB.
budget: see my answer above.
I take it that your offer is in Atlanta?
Yes. Although we could discuss other locations shortly
Edit: I'll see what we have available in Atlanta that isn't racked at the moment, perhaps some BL460c units with the built-in HW RAID - although not 100% sure if they're compatible with ESXi (HP E200i)
Please get back to me when that happens. I have tested the Atlanta location (via a friends server) and somehow it felt sluggish. I've discussed this with Mark before and there is no real reason for it to feel that way. It just does from where I usually are located.
If I connected to another server (in Miami) and from there to Atlanta it was much better but thats an acceptable situation.
I see on your website that you have a HP BL260c E5420 16GB 2x500GB for $30/month.
That is probably good enough for me if comes with HWR? The 1 IP is workable but requires a different setup. Like I said before a /29 would make it easier but not necessary.
If thats the monthly price, not the "sign up for a year and you get this price" I might pick it up just to test if it works better now then before.
I'll keep that in mind.
BL260c doesn't have HW RAID, and no slot to install one. The SL170s has room to install one. The BL460c units we previously ran (X5150, L5420, etc) have HW RAID onboard.
Server location? It is important to you?
Not much
Not to detract from your "can't teach an old dog new tricks" - but if you're bored one weekend and want to play with new stuff... it might be worth looking at Proxmox (especially if you're a fan of Debian).
I have my important VMs snapshotted daily (or more often) and rsync'd to another box. In the event of a failure I'd just login to Proxmox and hit 'restore' on the backup image. If it's OpenVZ I just set a new IP and I'm off to the races, if it's KVM I need to load up console and edit my network config for the new IPs.
I've been testing a new variation on this using Delimiter's ObjSpace & S3cmd to sync my backup directory. Proxmox handles the snapshotting & rotating backups (you set # of backups to keep), and then 1hr later my S3cmd cron runs to sync the backup directory to one of my buckets. 1hr after that 2 of my other nodes run a sync from s3cmd.
I want important stuff on standby across multiple nodes, but don't want to saturate the port pushing out multiple backups nightly - or relaying backups. After the initial push, the main box is free to continue doing what it was doing, and the other servers pull from the object storage. The latest backups are also now hosted on ObjSpace so in the event of a node failure, I can setup Proxmox + s3cmd and sync them all back and just hit 'restore' to get back online.
It's not about "teaching old dogs", I'm a easy learner - it is about the time that it takes to get a grip on new stuff. I have never beenthe person that follows a tutorial step by step without knowing what happens when I execute that command.
I currently work a full time job where I'm currently also assigned cases that a former colleague used to do. Basicly I spend about 60 hours a week doing work for someone else.
Besides thatI have a family with kids in the age where they have to be driven to each and every sport activity they are into right now.
Not to mention that the house needs to be taken care of.
At this point in life I have about 1, perhaps 2 hours a week to "projects". A list that currently is 4 pages of "things I would like to know more about".
So, someday I will learn how to do it, that time however, is not now.
Again, this is not a "feel sorry for me" post, it's about priorities.
Fair enough. Just a suggestion for something to look at, as you can run it on SW RAID which will open up a lot of other budget options. But I can respect "I know this really well, just want this because I know it will work"
I think OVH/Sys is perfect for any non-production/backup solution. I mean sure they aren't the best providers out there but you do get a bang for your buck.
Last time I checked neither ovh/sys did Hardware Raid
OVH does do hardware raid now but it does cost a decent chunk more than the others.
Sorry, ment Kimsufi when I wrote ovh.
Ah, I see. Yeah Kimsufi doesn't, sorry.
Just to actually give you some more options there's always:
JoesDC (24GB RAMDual L5630, 2x1tb with LSI 9260-8i 6G w/ 512MB cache and 20TB on 1GBPS with a /29) works out at $85/mo (Not really that reasonable as a backup solution but it's an alternative at least)
Link here: https://support.joesdatacenter.com/order/?form_id=277 (This is taken from their WHT ad)
Thanks, have even looked at wholesale and datashack and those are probably the cheapest option so far.
Yeah didn't see much point in posting them as they already have some of the cheapest pricing.
The other option and it kills me to say it is perhaps an Online.net special. There's probably a few resellers who'll be selling them such as OneProvider.
(Some options start at around 20 euros - http://oneprovider.com/dedicated-servers/paris-france)
Online.net and how they handle IP does not work very well with Esx. I tried before and it ended with me ending the contract.
It was not for me at that time.
@mikho Let me talk with sales with my parent company i work for and see what i can get for you. It is houston based but i will aleast include hw raid.
And the parent company is?
If you want hardware RAID - what about this:
https://www.delimiter.com/landingpage/blades/?p=L55202421000&l=Atlanta
Add a second disk to that
In terms of HW RAID make sure its on ESX's approved list, these fake-raids and joke raids are not on the list and you will have nothing but hell.
https://www.delimiter.com/landingpage/blades/?p=L55202421000&l=Atlanta
I prefer monthly at first to test the waters. If its good I have no problem with longer contracts but never annual or quarterly with that kind of money. Not without proper testing.
You can do monthly NP
For more money
Then I could take the offer from BharatB. It already has the second drive.
You don't want to do that
PM @Mikeyur and he'll get you sorted out with a deal. These units are instock so easy to get deployed
He already said he would look into it.