Refurbished servers save 40–70% upfront, but how do they compare over a 3–5 year lifecycle? This guide covers what “refurbished” actually means in an enterprise context, when new parts make more sense, how to evaluate a supplier, and a component-by-component breakdown — followed by the TCO analysis. What “Refurbished” Actually Means — And What It […]
Guides
Server upgrade guides, how-to articles, and buying guides
HPE Gen11 Server Lineup: DL360, DL380, DL560, ML350 Complete Guide
HPE ProLiant Gen11 servers launched with 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable and AMD EPYC 9004 processors. Here is the complete Gen11 lineup. Gen11 Models Model Form CPU Max Memory Drives DL320 Gen11 1U 1x Xeon 1TB DDR5 8 SFF DL360 Gen11 1U 2x Xeon 4TB DDR5 10 SFF DL380 Gen11 2U 2x Xeon 4TB DDR5 […]
Server Cooling Best Practices: Airflow, Temperature, and Fan Replacement
Proper cooling prevents thermal throttling, extends component life, and avoids unplanned downtime. This guide covers data center cooling fundamentals and server-level best practices. Temperature Guidelines Metric Recommended Maximum Intake Air 18-27C (64-80F) 35C (95F) Humidity 40-60% RH 80% RH CPU Under 75C 100C (throttles) When to Replace Fans Fans running at 100% constantly (worn bearings) […]
Dell PowerEdge iDRAC Enterprise vs Express: Feature Comparison
Dell iDRAC comes in Express (free) and Enterprise (licensed) versions. Enterprise unlocks remote console, virtual media, and advanced monitoring. Here is what you get with each. Feature Comparison Feature Express Enterprise Web Interface Yes Yes Remote Console (vConsole) No Yes Virtual Media (ISO mount) No Yes SNMP/IPMI Alerts Yes Yes Lifecycle Controller Basic Full (remote […]
Server Decommissioning Checklist: Secure ITAD for Enterprise IT
Decommissioning servers requires a structured process to protect data, recover value, and comply with regulations. This checklist covers every step. Decommissioning Steps Inventory — Document make, model, serial number, configuration Data backup — Verify all data is migrated or backed up Data destruction — NIST 800-88 compliant erasure or physical destruction Component recovery — Remove […]
Fibre Channel vs iSCSI for SAN Storage: Which Protocol in 2026?
Fibre Channel (FC) and iSCSI are the two dominant SAN protocols. This guide helps you choose based on performance, cost, and infrastructure requirements. Protocol Comparison Feature Fibre Channel iSCSI Speed 16/32/64 Gbps 1/10/25 Gbps (Ethernet) Latency Ultra-low Low (depends on network) Infrastructure Dedicated FC fabric Standard Ethernet HBA Required Yes (FC HBA) No (software initiator) […]
LTO Tape Guide: LTO-7 vs LTO-8 vs LTO-9 for Enterprise Backup
LTO (Linear Tape-Open) remains the most cost-effective medium for long-term data retention. Each generation doubles capacity and improves transfer speed. LTO Generation Comparison Gen Native Capacity Compressed Transfer Rate Encryption LTO-7 6TB 15TB 300 MB/s Yes LTO-8 12TB 30TB 360 MB/s Yes LTO-9 18TB 45TB 400 MB/s Yes Tape drive cross-reference | Find tape drives […]
Server Virtualization: Memory and CPU Requirements for VMware vSphere
VMware vSphere workloads are memory-hungry. Properly sizing your server memory and CPU is critical for VM density and performance. This guide covers hardware planning. Sizing Guidelines VMs per Host Min Memory Min CPU Cores Recommended Server 10-20 128GB 16 1U (R650, DL360) 20-50 256-512GB 32-48 2U (R750, DL380) 50-100 512GB-1TB 48-64 2U maxed (R760, DL380 […]
NetApp AFF End of Availability: A-Series Migration to A50/A70/A90/A1K
NetApp announced End of Availability for AFF A150, A250, A400, A800, and A900 on November 7, 2025. These models are replaced by the new A-series: A50, A70, A90, and A1K. Migration Map Old Model EOA Date Replacement AFF A150 Nov 7, 2025 AFF A50 AFF A250 Nov 7, 2025 AFF A50 AFF A400 Nov 7, […]
Server Power Efficiency: 80 Plus Bronze vs Gold vs Platinum vs Titanium
The 80 Plus certification measures power supply efficiency. Higher ratings mean less wasted electricity — critical at data center scale. Efficiency Levels Rating Efficiency at 50% Load Annual Waste (per 750W PSU) Bronze 85% ~986 kWh Silver 88% ~750 kWh Gold 90% ~584 kWh Platinum 92% ~457 kWh Titanium 94% ~332 kWh Enterprise servers typically […]