Buy a Server: A Complete Guide to Choosing and Purchasing

Why Do You Need a Server? Defining Goals and Objectives

Before you buy a server, you need to clearly define its purpose. This is the first and most important step, which will directly impact the choice of configuration, hosting type, and, of course, the budget. Ask yourself: what exactly will run on the server? What is the expected load? How many users will connect?

Here are some common use cases:

• Hosting Websites and Applications: From a simple blog to a high-load online store or SaaS platform.
• Databases: Storing and processing large volumes of information for CRM, ERP systems, or analytics.
• File Storage: Centralized storage for documents, media files, backups.
• Game Servers: For online games with a specific number of players.
• Development and Testing: Isolated environments for software development, CI/CD pipelines.
• Virtualization: Running multiple virtual machines on a single physical server.
• Terminal Servers: Providing remote access to desktops and applications for employees.

A clear understanding of these tasks will help you avoid overpaying for excessive resources or, conversely, performance issues due to insufficient power.

Dedicated Server (Dedic) vs. VPS vs. Cloud: What to Choose?

The market offers three main types of hosting, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Dedicated Server (Dedic)

If you need full control over hardware and software, maximum performance, and security, then buying a dedicated server is your choice. You rent an entire physical server, all of whose resources (processor, memory, disks) are available only to you. This is an ideal solution for high-load projects, large databases, mission-critical applications, or when a specific hardware configuration is required.

• Pros: Maximum performance, complete isolation, high level of security, configuration flexibility.
• Cons: High cost, requires in-depth administration knowledge.

Virtual Private Server (VPS)

VPS (Virtual Private Server) is a virtual machine running on a physical server alongside other VPSs. The physical server's resources are shared, but each VPS is isolated and has its own operating system and guaranteed resources. This is an excellent compromise between a dedicated server and regular shared hosting.

• Pros: More affordable price, good performance, configuration flexibility, scalability.
• Cons: Performance can be affected by "noisy neighbors" (though minimized by reliable providers), less hardware control than a dedicated server.

Cloud Server

Buying a cloud server means renting virtual resources that scale "on the fly" according to your needs. You only pay for the resources actually used. This is an ideal option for projects with variable loads, rapidly growing startups, or for testing new ideas.

• Pros: Highest scalability, pay-as-you-go billing, high fault tolerance.
• Cons: Cost can be higher for constant high loads, difficulty in predicting expenses, potential management complexity for beginners.

How to Choose Server Power? Key Parameters

The choice of hardware directly depends on your server's tasks.

Processor (CPU)

Processor power is determined by the number of cores, threads, and clock speed. For tasks requiring a large number of parallel computations (e.g., web server request processing, code compilation, analytics), multi-core processors (Intel Xeon E3/E5/E7, AMD EPYC) are important. For single-threaded applications or databases where the response speed to a single query is critical, a higher core clock speed might be more important.

• Web Servers: 4-8 cores, 2.5-3.5 GHz.
• Databases: 8-16+ cores, high clock speed, large cache.
• Terminal Servers: The more users, the more cores and higher frequency.

To get CPU information on a Linux server, use the command:

lscpu

Random Access Memory (RAM)

The amount of RAM is critical for the performance of many applications, especially for databases, caching, and virtualization. The more data a server can store in RAM, the faster it will access it without resorting to slower disks. For stable server operation, ECC RAM (Error-Correcting Code), which automatically corrects memory errors, is recommended.

• Web Servers (medium load): 8-16 GB.
• Databases: From 32 GB to hundreds of GB depending on database size.
• Terminal Servers: From 2 GB per user (depends on applications).

To check RAM on a Linux server:

free -h

Disk Subsystem (Storage)

The choice between HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), and NVMe SSD depends on speed and capacity requirements.

RAID arrays are often used to improve the reliability and performance of the disk subsystem. More on this below.

To check disk information on a Linux server:

df -h

lsblk

Network Card (Network)

Network connection speed (1 Gbit/s, 10 Gbit/s and higher) and bandwidth are important for projects with large volumes of traffic, such as media hosting, CDNs, or online games. Ensure that the provider offers sufficient bandwidth and adequate traffic limits.

Specialized Servers: For Your Tasks

Database Server

If you want to buy a database server, focus on high-performance NVMe SSDs (for fast I/O operations), a large amount of ECC RAM (for data caching), and a powerful multi-core processor. For example, fast data access is critical for PostgreSQL or MySQL, so NVMe in RAID 10 would be an excellent solution.

File Server

For those who want to buy a file server, the priority is storage capacity and reliability. Large-capacity HDDs, combined into RAID arrays (e.g., RAID 5 or RAID 6) for data loss protection, are well-suited here. High network bandwidth is also important for fast file exchange.

Terminal Server (Remote Desktop)

If you need to buy a terminal server, the main parameters are sufficient RAM and a powerful processor. Each terminal server user consumes a portion of these resources. For such purposes, people often buy Windows Server, as it offers convenient integration with Active Directory and is well-optimized for Remote Desktop Services (RDS).

Approximate configuration for 10 users working with office applications:

• Processor: Intel Xeon E5-26xx v4+ or AMD EPYC (6-8 cores, 3+ GHz).
• RAM: 32-64 GB ECC.
• Disks: 2x NVMe SSD in RAID 1 for OS and user profiles.

Home Server

For those who want to buy a home server, low power consumption, quiet operation, and compactness are usually important. Such servers are used for NAS (network-attached storage), media servers (Plex, Jellyfin), smart homes (Home Assistant), or small websites. Often, a low-power processor (Intel Atom, Celeron, Core i3) and several HDDs in RAID 1 or RAID 5 are sufficient.

Powerful Server for High-Load Projects

When it comes to high-load web applications, Big Data, machine learning, or high-performance computing (HPC), you need to buy a powerful server. This implies multi-processor systems (2x Intel Xeon Gold/Platinum or AMD EPYC), hundreds of gigabytes of ECC RAM, several NVMe SSDs in RAID 10, and 10 Gbit/s or higher network cards. Such solutions require careful planning and specialized administration skills.

RAID Arrays: Reliability and Performance of the Disk Subsystem

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a technology that allows combining several physical disks into one logical unit to improve performance, reliability, or both. If you plan to buy a RAID array, it's important to understand its levels:

• RAID 0 (Stripping): Data is distributed across all disks in the array. Maximum performance, but no fault tolerance (if one disk fails, all data is lost).
• RAID 1 (Mirroring): Data is duplicated on two disks. Excellent fault tolerance, but only half of the total disk capacity is used.
• RAID 5 (Stripping with Parity): Data and parity information are distributed across three or more disks. Good balance between performance, capacity, and fault tolerance (allows for one disk failure).
• RAID 6 (Stripping with Double Parity): Similar to RAID 5, but with two parity blocks, allowing it to withstand two disk failures. Requires a minimum of four disks.
• RAID 10 (RAID 1+0): A combination of RAID 1 and RAID 0. Data is first mirrored, then striped across the mirrors. Excellent performance and high fault tolerance (allows for one disk failure in each mirror). Requires a minimum of four disks.

RAID can be implemented in software (using operating system tools) or hardware (using a dedicated controller). Hardware RAID is preferable for high-load systems, as it does not burden the server's CPU and offers higher performance and reliability.

Operating Systems: Linux or Windows?

Choosing an operating system is another important aspect.

• Linux (Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, etc.):
  • Pros: Open source, free (most distributions), high stability and security, vast amount of software, flexibility, and extensive automation capabilities. Ideal for web servers, databases, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
  • Cons: Requires certain command-line knowledge, not all proprietary applications are available.
• Windows Server:
  • Pros: Familiar graphical interface, full compatibility with Microsoft products (Active Directory, Exchange, SQL Server, .NET), convenience for organizing terminal servers and remote desktops. If you need to buy Windows Server, it's usually related to the Microsoft ecosystem.
  • Cons: Paid license (which significantly increases total cost of ownership), higher resource requirements, potentially larger attack surface (though modern versions are quite secure).

What Else to Consider When Buying a Server?

• Data Center Location: Choose a data center geographically close to your primary audience or users to minimize latency.
• Provider Support (SLA): Clarify what level of support the provider offers, whether there is 24/7 technical support, and the incident response time (SLA - Service Level Agreement).
• Backup: Ensure you have a reliable data backup strategy, regardless of whether the provider offers it or you implement it yourself.
• Security: Inquire about the security measures offered by the provider (DDoS protection, firewalls, physical data center security).
• Scalability: Think about future growth. Can your server be easily scaled (adding RAM, disks, CPU) or will migration to a more powerful solution be required?

Conclusion

Choosing and buying a server is a responsible process that requires careful analysis of your needs and available solutions. Regardless of whether you are going to buy a server for home use, launching a large web project, deploying a database, or organizing terminal access, clear planning is the key to success. Evaluate your tasks, determine the necessary power, choose the appropriate hosting type and operating system, and don't forget about the reliability of the disk subsystem with RAID. A correctly selected server will become a reliable foundation for your project.