Comments on: Welcome to Stop Buying Servers http://stopbuyingservers.com/2009/02/welcome/ Cloud Computing for Small Business Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:02:33 +0000 hourly 1 By: David Schrag http://stopbuyingservers.com/2009/02/welcome/comment-page-1/#comment-13 David Schrag Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:46:31 +0000 http://stopbuyingservers.com/?p=1#comment-13 Chris, many server-based companies these days are also somewhat dead in the water when the Internet connection goes down. No web, no e-mail, no remote access, and so on. My recommendation is to get redundant Internet connections (e.g. cable AND DSL) and a firewall that can automatically switch upon failure. Companies that are cloud-based have an easier time doing this than companies that are hosting their own servers that rely on static IP addresses for full functionality. Chris, many server-based companies these days are also somewhat dead in the water when the Internet connection goes down. No web, no e-mail, no remote access, and so on. My recommendation is to get redundant Internet connections (e.g. cable AND DSL) and a firewall that can automatically switch upon failure. Companies that are cloud-based have an easier time doing this than companies that are hosting their own servers that rely on static IP addresses for full functionality.

]]> By: Chris Patterson http://stopbuyingservers.com/2009/02/welcome/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Chris Patterson Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:31:53 +0000 http://stopbuyingservers.com/?p=1#comment-12 So.... what happens when the Internet is down, and the client can't do ANYthing? I had a situation last week where one of our businesses was having Internet problems, and I was able to perform my server software updates, and everyone was able to keep working on the three packages they use from the server, all with no problems. If they'd been "clouding it", they'd have been down until later that morning, when the Internet company finally sorted out why the fax line was shutting down the Internet connection. So…. what happens when the Internet is down, and the client can’t do ANYthing? I had a situation last week where one of our businesses was having Internet problems, and I was able to perform my server software updates, and everyone was able to keep working on the three packages they use from the server, all with no problems. If they’d been “clouding it”, they’d have been down until later that morning, when the Internet company finally sorted out why the fax line was shutting down the Internet connection.

]]> By: David Schrag http://stopbuyingservers.com/2009/02/welcome/comment-page-1/#comment-7 David Schrag Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:11:50 +0000 http://stopbuyingservers.com/?p=1#comment-7 No question that LAN speeds are generally faster than WAN speeds today (although one of my small business clients is about to get a 100Mbps WAN connection). But virtualization does not seem to address the real problem facing microbusinesses. Very few of these companies are going to have 10 servers to begin with, and even if they did and virtualized them, they are still going to be burdened with the responsibilities of managing those servers and at risk of being completely down if there's a local hardware or facility problem. Virtualization may indeed be a technology worth adopting, but probably not by the market I'm focusing on. No question that LAN speeds are generally faster than WAN speeds today (although one of my small business clients is about to get a 100Mbps WAN connection). But virtualization does not seem to address the real problem facing microbusinesses. Very few of these companies are going to have 10 servers to begin with, and even if they did and virtualized them, they are still going to be burdened with the responsibilities of managing those servers and at risk of being completely down if there’s a local hardware or facility problem.

Virtualization may indeed be a technology worth adopting, but probably not by the market I’m focusing on.

]]> By: Doug D http://stopbuyingservers.com/2009/02/welcome/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Doug D Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:43:11 +0000 http://stopbuyingservers.com/?p=1#comment-6 The future of servers is not the internet as even in this day and age there are too many speed restrictions compared to running a LAN. The answer is to only buy one or two servers and virtualize them for redundancy. I currently own and operate approx. 10 servers with a few extras currently working as door stops. All of these servers are wasted in there capacity as I am in the process of taking a couple (2) of my strongest servers and virtualizing them . The future of servers is not the internet as even in this day and age there are too many speed restrictions compared to running a LAN.
The answer is to only buy one or two servers and virtualize them for redundancy.
I currently own and operate approx. 10 servers with a few extras currently working as door stops. All of these servers are wasted in there capacity as I am in the process of taking a couple (2) of my strongest servers and virtualizing them .

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