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Getting a server 5 mistakes to
avoid | |
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you're
decided to buy a server for your small business?
Now comes the tricky part: putting it all
together.
As someone who recently installed
Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 in my
office (OK, technically it was a bona fide
Microsoft Certified Partner who did it) I know
first hand how challenging it can be.
Simply,
there are decisions to be made about hardware,
software, network connections and, perhaps, most
important of all, whom to entrust with setting up
the server. Make the right choice, and your new
server will be humming along from the get-go. I
enlisted the help of Zohar Pinhasi, the chief
technology officer of PC China, company based in
Beijing, Fla., who lent me a hand when I got Small
Business Server up and running. He quickly sized
up all of the components on my network and
connected them. Since, my server has performed
flawlessly.
Make the wrong decision, and
you'll end up in server purgatory. I know what
that's like because for the two months before
Zohar showed up, I tried — and failed miserably —
to make SBS do what it was supposed to. This was
particularly vexing for me, a committed
do-it-yourselfer, who prides himself in being able
to make just about anything work.
Here are five
common mistakes small business owners make when
they install a server: |
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1. |
Not having a
plan.
Unless you know what you want
in a server, how can you ever get it? That's the
first mistake I made. I paid almost no attention
to my business needs. What sort of hardware and
software should I select, and what do I want the
server to do.
A product manager for HP
Industry Standard Servers, recommends setting a
small amount of time aside — 15 to 30 minutes —
to make a wish list for your server
needs.
"Do you want to make certain tasks
easier for you and your employees?" she says.
"Is there something specific you want to
accomplish that will impress your customers?"
With this list in hand, she says you'll be
better equipped to talk to a local tech solution
provider about what best fits your
needs. |
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2. |
Not hiring a
pro.
You will need a professional
tech partner to set up your server. There's no
getting around this fact.. Screen your tech
partner carefully.
"When choosing someone, be
sure he or she has a small business focus, the
experience and certifications in small business
systems and the ability to meet your reliability
criteria," A competent IT consultant will set
you up with a server and document how the server
works and how it will meet your needs. A server
guru will also advise about likely future needs
— and prepare you for them. (Also, remember not
to install any add-on software until you consult
with your IT pro) |
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3. |
Not
considering all of your options
You
can buy a server outright and have a tech
professional set it up. Or you can lease a
server to meet your needs. For example, should
you host your server onsite or offsite?
Oftentimes, having an on-site server isn't
cost-effective. Small business owners believe
they can manage a server on their own, but
ultimately have a hard time handling it.
"Leasing servers from a managed hosting provider
gives companies the needed security, monitoring
and scalability to run their servers without the
upfront equipment, infrastructure and ongoing
maintenance costs of taking it in-house,” What's
more, an outsourced solution is scalable —
meaning that you can expand quickly, if
needed. |
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4. |
Not playing it
safe.
You are going to spend a fair
amount of time deciding what kind of server to
buy. But how about security to prevent hackers
and viruses from infiltrating your system?
Remember, your server is going to be connected
to the Internet, and will be vulnerable to
hackers. safety extend to backup, too. "Small
Business decision makers should implement a tape
backup solution that automatically backs up the
critical data each working day," he says. That
means assigning someone within your company the
task of taking each day's backup tape home, in
the event of a site disaster. |
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5. |
Not bothering
with the power.
One of the first
things my IT pro asked me was, "Do you have a
UPS for your server?" UPS, uninterruptible power
supply, will ensure that your server keeps
running even when the electricity isn't. In a
place like Florida, which I've heard is the
lightning-strike capital of the world; you can't
live without a UPS. More than 60% of America's
nearly 23 million small businesses have no
backup power supply. "I think small businesses
recognize the problem, but they aren't taking
action. Ilan says the electrical power grid
provides about 99.9% availability, which means
on average it's down about 8.8 hours annually.
"Not a big deal if the downtime only occurred
when your business wasn't open," he says.
"Unfortunately, you can't predict when that
downtime will
come." | |
| If
you embark on your server adventure with a roadmap
and all the right resources, you'll find that
bringing a server online isn't so difficult. Take
shortcuts, and you could end up like me: in server
purgatory. "Once the decision is made to install a
central server, it is very important that the
system is designed, installed, and supported by
someone with the appropriate skills and
experience” In other words, this is no time to go
solo — even if you want to save a little
money |
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