raid configs and hard drive types

just using the dell config/buyer wizard thing on the website:

I just want a half decent server with raid 1 really
so what do i pick
I selected this raid controller (since the onboard won't do raid 1)
SAS5iR Controller

for choice of C4 below, or C7
do i need to buy SAS drives, or can i stick with SATA, also whats the
difference between C4 and C7


C1A - Motherboard SATA cabled, min 1, max 1 Hard Drive connected to onboard
SATA controller add £0.00
C1B - Motherboard SATA cabled, min 2, max 2 Hard Drives connected to onboard
SATA controller add £0.00
C1C - Motherboard SATA cabled, min 3, max 3 Hard Drives connected to onboard
SATA controller add £0.00
C1D - Motherboard SATA cabled, min 4, max 4 Hard Drives connected to onboard
SATA controller add £0.00
C2 - Ad-in SAS/SATA cabled, no RAID min 1, max 4 Hard Drives connected to
ad-in SAS controller add £0.00
C3 - Ad-in SAS/SATA cabled, RAID0 min 2, max 4 Hard Drives connected to
ad-in SAS controller add £0.00
C4 - Ad-in SAS/SATA cabled, RAID1 min 2, max 2 Hard Drives connected to
ad-in SAS controller [Included in Price]
C5 - Ad-in SAS/SATA cabled, RAID5 min 3, max 4 Hard Drives connected to
ad-in PERC controller add £0.00
C6 - Ad-in SAS/SATA, RAID0 min 2 max 4 Hard Drives connected to ad-in SAS
controller add £0.00
C7 - Ad-in SAS/SATA, RAID1 min 2 max 2 Hard Drives connected to ad-in SAS
controller add £0.00
C8 - Ad-in SAS/SATA, RAID5 min3 max4 Hard Drives connected to ad-in PERC
controller add £0.00

that's not enough information. how many users do you intend to have
connected to this server. is it only providing file services or other
things as well. do you have an estimate of the current and future disk
space required. do you already have a backup solution or will you be
looking to buy that too. do you have operating system software or will you
be buying that too... i often find that the cost of the server hardware
itself is dwarfed to a point of what i would call almost meaningless when
you consider the cost of the operating system, backup software, backup
drive, set of tapes for the backup drive, and the time (read money) it takes
to configure and migrate all users to... so i tend to not purchase the low
end machines if it is for a single server installation... they just don't
save you very much and limit your upgrade path and life cycle. whatever you
do i suggest you price out the pe 2900 before you purchase a lower end
machine.

"Geoff" <> wrote in message
news:459b8d4f$0$31226$...
> just using the dell config/buyer wizard thing on the website:
>
> I just want a half decent server with raid 1 really
> so what do i pick
> I selected this raid controller (since the onboard won't do raid 1)
> SAS5iR Controller
>
> for choice of C4 below, or C7
> do i need to buy SAS drives, or can i stick with SATA, also whats the
> difference between C4 and C7
>
>
> C1A - Motherboard SATA cabled, min 1, max 1 Hard Drive connected to
> onboard SATA controller add £0.00
> C1B - Motherboard SATA cabled, min 2, max 2 Hard Drives connected to
> onboard SATA controller add £0.00
> C1C - Motherboard SATA cabled, min 3, max 3 Hard Drives connected to
> onboard SATA controller add £0.00
> C1D - Motherboard SATA cabled, min 4, max 4 Hard Drives connected to
> onboard SATA controller add £0.00
> C2 - Ad-in SAS/SATA cabled, no RAID min 1, max 4 Hard Drives connected to
> ad-in SAS controller add £0.00
> C3 - Ad-in SAS/SATA cabled, RAID0 min 2, max 4 Hard Drives connected to
> ad-in SAS controller add £0.00
> C4 - Ad-in SAS/SATA cabled, RAID1 min 2, max 2 Hard Drives connected to
> ad-in SAS controller [Included in Price]
> C5 - Ad-in SAS/SATA cabled, RAID5 min 3, max 4 Hard Drives connected to
> ad-in PERC controller add £0.00
> C6 - Ad-in SAS/SATA, RAID0 min 2 max 4 Hard Drives connected to ad-in SAS
> controller add £0.00
> C7 - Ad-in SAS/SATA, RAID1 min 2 max 2 Hard Drives connected to ad-in SAS
> controller add £0.00
> C8 - Ad-in SAS/SATA, RAID5 min3 max4 Hard Drives connected to ad-in PERC
> controller add £0.00
>

"Christopher Muto" <> wrote in message
news:20Rmh.3$Lh.0@trndny09...
> that's not enough information. how many users do you intend to have
> connected to this server. is it only providing file services or other
> things as well. do you have an estimate of the current and future disk
> space required. do you already have a backup solution or will you be
> looking to buy that too. do you have operating system software or will
> you be buying that too... i often find that the cost of the server
> hardware itself is dwarfed to a point of what i would call almost
> meaningless when you consider the cost of the operating system, backup
> software, backup drive, set of tapes for the backup drive, and the time
> (read money) it takes to configure and migrate all users to... so i tend
> to not purchase the low end machines if it is for a single server
> installation... they just don't save you very much and limit your upgrade
> path and life cycle. whatever you do i suggest you price out the pe 2900
> before you purchase a lower end machine.

i only wanted to know what hard drive choices i have with the raid cards
dell sell with their servers though

but ya, i'm pricing up something for a file server, will be serving 7 poeple
currently, expanding to up to max 20
just windows file share space mainly, email server
currently my desktop machine does all this stuff, and i want it back

"Geoff" <> wrote in message
news:459d0137$0$2449$...
> "Christopher Muto" <> wrote in message
> news:20Rmh.3$Lh.0@trndny09...
>> that's not enough information. how many users do you intend to have
>> connected to this server. is it only providing file services or other
>> things as well. do you have an estimate of the current and future disk
>> space required. do you already have a backup solution or will you be
>> looking to buy that too. do you have operating system software or will
>> you be buying that too... i often find that the cost of the server
>> hardware itself is dwarfed to a point of what i would call almost
>> meaningless when you consider the cost of the operating system, backup
>> software, backup drive, set of tapes for the backup drive, and the time
>> (read money) it takes to configure and migrate all users to... so i tend
>> to not purchase the low end machines if it is for a single server
>> installation... they just don't save you very much and limit your upgrade
>> path and life cycle. whatever you do i suggest you price out the pe 2900
>> before you purchase a lower end machine.
>
> i only wanted to know what hard drive choices i have with the raid cards
> dell sell with their servers though
>
> but ya, i'm pricing up something for a file server, will be serving 7
> poeple currently, expanding to up to max 20
> just windows file share space mainly, email server
> currently my desktop machine does all this stuff, and i want it back
>

here is a list of raid choices available with dell servers:
http://tinyurl.com/w3g9o

>> i only wanted to know what hard drive choices i have with the raid cards
>> dell sell with their servers though
>>
>> but ya, i'm pricing up something for a file server, will be serving 7
>> poeple currently, expanding to up to max 20
>> just windows file share space mainly, email server
>> currently my desktop machine does all this stuff, and i want it back
>>
>
> here is a list of raid choices available with dell servers:
> http://tinyurl.com/w3g9o
>
>

this tells me what features each raid controller does
not what hardware to buy for them in the wizard

"Geoff" <> wrote in message
news:459d83da$0$32018$...
>
>>> i only wanted to know what hard drive choices i have with the raid cards
>>> dell sell with their servers though
>>>
>>> but ya, i'm pricing up something for a file server, will be serving 7
>>> poeple currently, expanding to up to max 20
>>> just windows file share space mainly, email server
>>> currently my desktop machine does all this stuff, and i want it back
>>>
>>
>> here is a list of raid choices available with dell servers:
>> http://tinyurl.com/w3g9o
>>
>>
>
> this tells me what features each raid controller does
> not what hardware to buy for them in the wizard

then you are right back to where you started. if you want a server
recommendation then you have to provide lots more information. what i asked
before was just scratching the surface and you didn't seem willing to
volunteer that information. i think you would probably benefit from hiring
a consultant to help you.