Dear Navision gurus, We have immediate plans to replace our 3 year old Navision server and I would like to ask your help to select the proper hardware and software options. At the present moment we have: non-SQL 3.01A 36 users with possibility to add 10 more database size - 14Gb growing at 4-5 Gb per year clients’ computers - Windows 2000 and Windows XP Windows Terminal Services running on a separate server Ethernet 10/100 managed switch 2 hubs We need to design backup options, RAID, determine OS (Windows 2000 for server?), dual procesing and all other hardware requirements. I was also considering ExpandIT for backup procedure… Any suggestions/comments will be very appreciated. Thank you all! [:)]
Well. Here’s a suggestion - 1 CPU (no dual when native!) - 1 GB RAM - At least 8 disks in RAID1 pair0: OS and exe’s pair1: DB pair2: DB pair3: DB pair4: DB Maybe one more pair Buy cabinette to make room for expansion - Fast controller (no write cache enabled!!) - 15Krpm disks - Fast NIC (also important on Your WTS) - W2000 on server W2003 works fine also. - Upgrade exe’s to 3.70 with latest SP’s if possible And throw out those hubs and bye switches- Rgds
Extended : Change Server from 100MBit to 1GBit, so user don’t disturb each other. Check the switch where the server is connected, that it has a 1GBit port ! The speed of the disks is the most importend influence to speed, so buy FAST disks
Lars and iammicky many thanks for your replies! Great to be a part of this wonderful community!!! My sysadmin tells me that we only have 100 Mb switches and also questions the necessety for 1Gb NIC card for the server. What might be the arguments in that case? Please advise. Thank you all again for your invaluable support!
If your going to upgrade to a new server it’s not like the 1 GB Nic is going to break the bank. Your info will be fyling around without any hiccups. Well worth the $150.00 to $200.00 buckarooskies. ps Lars, How much improvement do you reaaly get from the switches over the hubs?
If your sysadmin is a good networker he can proof if the 1GBit lane to navision server is good for you or not. Without knowing the whole network it is unpossible to say something. My network has a 1GBit “Backbone” by twisted pair cable and laserlines, so different departments do not influence on the way to the servers. All servers are equipped with 1GBit-networkcards. Perhaps this is the start for a new network ? I try to explain it by example : All clients are connected to one switch. Server is connected to the same switch. Then a 1GBit uplink to server is good, because (theory ) 10 User by 100MBit can share the lane to server without influence to each other. (Same to hub, but i don’t know a hub with a 1GBit uplink !) In practice you can say 20 to 30 navision user can use the 1GBit line without influencing each other, until your server ist fast enough ! !! DANGER !! take a short journey to MICROSOFT to “blocksize in ethernet”, in many cases there are different registry entries on server and client, which causes an extra work to TCP-IP stack on the server. Be shure that you understand what happens, else some advantages of 1Git will be lost. Try using a “network optimizer” (mostly used for DSL but also working in network) The difference in speed between hubs and switches on the way to server is very small, because on both equipment is only one channel to server which the clients have to share. Therefor the planning of a network is very important and it should be done in a period of less work in other themes.
Hi, We use the ExpandIT backup utility and it works fine, no problems at all. The setup could be a bit easier, but that’s my only gripe. (and you only need to set it up once anyway! [:D]) Cheers