Hi everyone! I'm managing IT for a small engineering consulting firm with about 20 staff across different departments like admin and engineering. We recently got our hands on a few older Dell PowerEdge R720s servers and I'd love some expert advice as I prepare to discuss setup options with suppliers this week.
**Hardware Setup:**
We've got four Dell PowerEdge R720s:
- Unit 1: 2 CPUs, 96GB RAM
- Unit 2: 1 CPU, 32GB RAM
- Units 3 & 4: 1 CPU, 64GB RAM, with 4x600GB HDDs
Along with a Dell PowerVault 114X with 4 chassis containing 12x600GB drives each. Our budget for setup, cables, licenses, and labor is around $8k USD.
**Use Case:**
We're mainly looking to use these servers to:
- Host virtual machines (like AD, file server, internal apps)
- Store and share CAD/Revit files for our engineers
- Run the Autodesk Network License Server
- Manage backups and some basic remote access (e.g., VPN/RDP)
**Specific Questions:**
1. Proxmox vs VMware: I'm leaning towards Proxmox because it's free and open-source with good support for older CPUs. Is there any reason to go for VMware instead in a small business setting?
2. Do I really need Windows Server? What roles absolutely require it? Can I use Linux for any of these functions?
3. Is keeping the Dell PowerVault 114X powered on 24/7 worth it, or should it be used just for less-frequent data and powered on/off as needed?
4. What's the best way to distribute roles across our four R720s? Should I set up a Proxmox cluster or assign specific roles to individual units?
5. Any backup strategies? What lightweight solutions work best with Proxmox, like Proxmox Backup Server or UrBackup?
**Any Tips:**
I'd love to hear from anyone who has experience with Proxmox in small business settings, or any dos and don'ts for making legacy hardware reliable, especially around RAID/NAS setups. Thank you!
4 Answers
Hey, I get where you’re coming from! Just a heads-up, those R720s are quite old and might not be the best option for critical business operations. They can use a lot of power and might have reliability issues. If you want to go ahead with them, aiming for Proxmox is a good call since it can work well with older hardware, plus it’s free! But check what functionalities you truly need for your business first.
If I were you, I'd seriously consider modernizing your setup rather than sticking with those old servers. Yes, you can definitely run a small business on them for basic tasks, but think about whether it’s really more cost-effective to keep them running versus investing in new equipment that’s energy efficient and performant. Also, you can easily use NAS for file storage instead of having the PowerVault on constantly!
Totally! A dedicated NAS like Synology could be much easier to manage and more efficient than the old hardware.
For your setup, I'd stick with using Windows Server if your clients are running on Windows. Linux can replace some roles, but don’t try to replicate all Windows features in Linux! It's probably simpler to stay on the Windows path where you can. And for backups, Proxmox Backup Server is solid, but look into using some offsite cloud solutions if that's feasible for you too.
Good point! Having some backups offsite can be a lifesaver in case of major hardware failures.
These R720s could still work for you, but I'd advise against using them in a production environment without some serious double-checking. You might want to consider a solution like XCP-ng instead of VMware because of the age of your hardware. And yes, it's wise to keep an eye on your monitoring systems so you catch any hardware failures before they lead to significant downtime.
Exactly! Monitoring and having ready-to-go replacements for parts will save you a lot of hassle later on.
I agree with you! It’s really about what the business needs. Like, if there's a heavy reliance on Windows apps, you'd need Windows Server for AD, but don't over-complicate it with Linux unless you're sure about it.