Replacing Workstations and Servers

Introduction

This is a detailed specification to replace the workstations and servers due to performance issues. The main assumption is that the equipment is outdated and is not able to catch up to the working standards of the employees. The report will include diagrams and designs and will focus on the efficiency and performance output of the network. Additionally, one other assumption made is that there should be room for future upgrades to reduce the effort of replacing the whole system again.

The main changes in the system are:

• Replace 50 workstations
• Replace 3 file servers
• Ensure performance and reliability

Assuming every employee knows how to work on newer hardware and up to date operating system, the system provided will be working fine. Another assumption made is that the company will provide enough resources for the setup to run efficiently.

With that in mind, the report will provide specific hardware for both workstations and servers and it will present a network layout and how it will be split logically.

System specification

Work stations

(SEE APPENDIX A FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE PARTS)

All 50 workstations will have the same specifications. Since their only purpose it to process small documents, emails and access online content. Hardware should be simple but efficient. All hardware parts have been picked carefully, with the consideration of future upgrades in mind.

Firstly, MSI TOMAHAWK was the most suitable after enough research. The Intel Z370 chip is not only compatible with today’s hardware, but it can also manage future hardware due to motherboards being able to “last about 3-4 years”, or longer (Joel Lee, 2016). The ATX type motherboard was a better choice over Micro-ATX and Mini-ATX due to the ability of expansion. The ATX has more PCIe lanes and can handle higher RAM capacity (according to https://techguided.com/micro-atx-vs-mini-itx-vs-atx/). The motherboard has multiple USB ports which are essential for the peripherals chosen for this setup. It includes a Gigabit network card which allows high speed ethernet connections at no extra cost.

Dual memory channel is supported with the Z370 TOMAHAWK, reason why, VENGEANCE (2X8GB) was selected. Dual channel provides a better performance and can handle a lot of multitasking, which is highly required for the company. For storage, SSDs were the most suitable choice since they provide higher speeds of file processing and can store larger amounts of work, occupying less physical space.

(https://hothardware.com/ContentImages/Article/2667/content/small_z370-chipset.png)

(SEE APPENDIX A.1 FOR MORE DETAIL)

The processor is a mid-spec, high-quality processor that can handle a lot of multitasking which makes it suitable for the purpose intended. It runs at a fairly high speed and on top of that, it includes and integrated graphics. The graphics card is specifically used in office work which makes it adequate for the law firm.

The monitor has been chosen carefully to comply with the health and safety regulations. It is large and adjustable, making it possible for people to set it up for their own preference and eyesight. It comes with 1920×1080 resolution which means that it will present high quality text and images and the refresh rate of 60hz will not allow any visual lag to occur.

Lastly, the power supply recommended was 255W (according to https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator) so a larger (300W) PSU was introduced for the purpose of future upgrades.

Servers

Server 1 – Network Services

(SEE APPENDIX B FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE PARTS)

Every server required a particular approach due to different outputs, implying that the servers will have to be slightly different. Parts will have to be replaced in order to handle tasks efficiently. Furthermore, the server will use the same monitor and peripherals as the workstations.

(https://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/6881/gigabyte-mw50-sv0-intel-c612-workstation-motherboard-review/index2.html)

(SEE APPENDIX B.1 FOR MORE DETAIL)

Firstly, the motherboard chosen is an ATX, which may seem small, but it provides space for future upgrades. It has an integrated network card, cutting down the cost of an extra one. The motherboard can only support one CPU, which is more than enough for the purpose intended. The E5-2620 (V4) allows the server to provide high performance output and handle potential upgrades. Furthermore, it supports 2-way GPU setup which boosts the overall performance of the server. The two 780 GPUs will be necessary because companies (such as Oracle) are working on getting performance from the graphics card and send it to the database server itself (according to  https://sqlmaria.com/2018/03/01/can-gpus-speed-up-database-workloads/). Combining GPUs with CPUs will significantly boost the database performance. Additionally, for redundancy purposes, in case of GPU failure, the second can run solo.

Secondly, the server is responsible for networking services hence why 8TB of SSD and 32GB of RAM are required. This will ensure high performance to handle all the file traffic. The 4x8GB RAM are placed in a quad channel setup to maximise the performance output. The SSDs will be mirroring each other in a RAID 10 hot swap configuration, which enables drive recovering in case of failure. They have a high reliability, therefore the risk of them failing is minimal. Moreover, from the 4TB of storage remaining after the configuration, 1TB will go towards the DHCP, DNS and print services and the rest 3TB will go towards the file services. Each customer will be allocated 50GB and the rest can be used for future employees and backups.

Lastly, the PSU selected is higher than what was recommended (according to https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator) for potential upgrades. To boost the overall redundancy, an additional PSU will be purchased.

Server 2 – Database

(SEE APPENDIX B FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE PARTS)

The second server has a reduced storage space, since the law firm will most likely store small files such as word documents, PowerPoints and other text files and potentially images. The chosen 4TB will also be configured in a RAID 10 hot swap array for data redundancy and backup purposes.

Server 3 – Email, Internet and Website Hosting

(SEE APPENDIX B FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE PARTS)

The third server required increased specifications therefore two major upgrades were made. Firstly, it runs on an E5-2658 which has a large increase in cores, threads and clock speed, making the server run smoother and handle more requests. The doubled amount of RAM provides support to the CPU and will be able to handle potential DDoS attacks and web traffic.

The SSDs are placed in a raid 10 hot swap array therefore half the storage is lost.

Each employee will have 5GB of email space allocated, which should last at least five years. This is so they comply with GDPR. Internet and website hosting will take 1TB, and the remaining space is used for data redundancy and backups.

Network Architecture

For the beginning, the network will be a partial mesh topology. This is the most suitable option because the business is on a small scale and doesn’t require complexity. The process is simple; internet packages come from the router and they go through the firewall. The firewall is chosen to verify the packages and then send them towards the three VLANS, which are conducted by the switches. VLAN1 (Switch1) is made of 25 workstations, similar to VLAN3 (Switch3). VLAN2 (Switch2) only contains the three servers. This method has been introduced to “make expansion and relocation of a network or a network device easier” (Techopedia.com, 2019). The VLANS are interconnected with a fibre optic cable for fast data transfers between them.

Operating systems

Workstations

The 50 machines available on the server will require a good operating system that will enable them to process a lot of information, multitask well and also be user friendly. The ease of use is the most important aspect of the operating system for law firm since they don’t have time to deal complicated GUIs. There is a range of popular operating systems that can be suitable.

Windows 10 Pro is “built for professionals with limited or no tech support” (Mona Bushnell, 2019). It is mainly used to run basic businesses, which means that it won’t be suitable for security experts. On the other hand, I believe it can be suitable for the law firm since Windows is a very user-friendly operating systems and requires very little IT skills to be able to work with it. Besides the ease of use, Windows Pro can allow the business owner to customize and limit its wide range of available software. The firm can benefit from that by only displaying stuff such as Microsoft Office and a web browser. This option will allow the employees to focus on what is the most important. Furthermore, file migration from the old workstations will be easier to manage.

Windows 10 Enterprise can be used by any business but “it was built primarily for large and midsize companies” (Mona Bushnell, 2019). This version of Windows is very similar to Pro, but it provides comprehensive security which can be managed by the company and deployed however they want.

In conclusion, the most suitable operating systems for the workstations will be Windows 10 Pro. This is due to the features it provides and because the company is relatively small and doesn’t require such complexity Windows 10 Enterprise provides.

Servers

The servers require an efficient and stable operating system therefore, there will be two systems that will be looked at.

Windows Server 2016 and Window Server 2019 are both suitable operating systems for the law firm but there are a few differences. WS 2016 is the best because it has been out for longer therefore the patches and updates made make it very stable. Due to the proven reliability record it also makes it more secure. “Windows Server 2016 has been one of the fastest ever server version” (IG, 2018) but 2019 took over where it has left so there isn’t much of a difference in performance. Windows server 2019 will be supported until 2030 but it has not yet been proven to be more reliable therefore the most suitable for the servers will be 2016.

Applications

The email server will run Microsoft Exchange. This application was the best choice because it runs well with the operating system provided and additionally it is easy to use. It can provide extra features such as contact and tasks management as well as a calendar. Microsoft Exchange has a lot of uses which can be very useful for the law firm. It can back up emails due to centralisation and because the application receives the email first, it gets checked for viruses and threats before it is sent to the receiver which can boost the overall security of the company. Additionally, it enables you to create an automatic reply for when the employees are not on duty.

The database server will run Microsoft SQL Server over Microsoft Access because it can handle more data and it has been proven to be more secure. According to the US Government, Microsoft SQL Server has the best security. Microsoft Access is very limited because it can’t efficiently run “more than say 100,000 records without trouble and only half a dozen simultaneous users” (Francis Dickinson, 2017). Besides the fact that Access is easier to learn, SQL Server enables you to create “high end databases” (Francis Dickinson, 2017) which are always a requirement for any company.

Internet services such as DNS, DHCP and file server are already provided by the operating system therefore additional software will not be required. Windows Server is known for cutting down the cost of extra software. Windows provides a lot of DNS and DHCP features that can be chosen after the company’s preferences, one of them being “discover and administer DNS and DHCP servers and IP addressing across multiple federated Active Directory forests” (Shortpatti, 2019). Windows Server2016 supports storage migration which “makes it easier to migrate servers to a newer version” (JasonGerend, 2019) therefore easier for the company to upgrade.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the company will have to make some big changes to improve their reliability and performance. The workstations and servers have to be rebuilt fully and contain newer operating systems, and the network architecture will suffer some small changes which were necessary for increased reliability.

The main upgrades that have increased the reliability of the network are new hardware parts. CPUs, RAM and the SSDs took a big role in this because they are more up to date now and can handle a lot of work efficiently. The SSD configuration and the network architecture have added to performance as well as reliability. With all these in mind, the network should now last a long time until changes will be required, and even then, there is a lot of room for upgrades with this setup therefore a big investment wouldn’t be necessary.

Lastly, performance has been increased by the hardware as well as the operating systems and applications used. The network now uses new versions of OS with proven stability as well as widely used applications.

Appendices

Appendix A

Appendix A.1

(https://hothardware.com/reviews/intel-core-i7-8700k-and-core-i5-8400-coffee-lake-processor-review?page=2)

This block diagram shows the connection between the Intel Core i5 8400 chosen for the build, and the Intel Z370 Chipset that the motherboard has. The processor is connected through the DMI 3.0 and from there, with the help of the other hardware selected, it can power the workstation. The diagram also shows the external ports and information about the chipset, such as the technology it uses and information about memory.

A more simplified image would be:

(https://www.anandtech.com/show/11860/z370-motherboards-asus-asrock-ecs-evga-biostar-msi-gigabyte)

Here it presents all the connections created between the processor, the chipset and the external parts in a more visual diagram with real life images of technology.

Appendix B

Appendix B.1

(https://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/6881/gigabyte-mw50-sv0-intel-c612-workstation-motherboard-review/index2.html)

This diagram presents the components of the server motherboard and also displays how many ports there are available.  The diagram also mentions which chipset is used.

Appendix C

CPU Architectures

Von Neumann and Harvard architectures are both CPU architectures but they both work differently. Von Neumann only contains one data bus that transfers data and fetches instructions while Harvard has separate busses to do specific actions. Harvard is mostly used for high performance systems while Von Neumann is mainly used for normal, home computers.

Appendix D

File Systems

FAT32 This is the older file system. It was widely used back in the day and it is still used now on, mainly on MicroSD cards. It is very limited compared to NTFS but still provides features such as 4GB max file size and a maximum partition size of up to 8TB.

ExFAT is similar to FAT32 but it allows you to store significantly larger files. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One support exFAT.

NTFS is a modern file system that is widely used. It is also the default file system Windows uses. NTFS contains more security and easier error recovery compared to FAT32 and exFAT. It is also a standard across Windows Server 2016.

References

• “last about 3-4 years”, Joel Lee, 2016. MakeUseOf. [Online]. [Visited: 16 January 2019]. Available from: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-pc-parts-tend-die-extend-lifespans/
• “make expansion and relocation of a network or a network device easier” Techopedia.com, c2019. Techopedia. [Online]. [Visited: 16 January 2019]. Available from: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4804/virtual-local-area-network-vlan
• “built for professionals with limited or no tech support”
• “it was built primarily for large and midsize companies” Mona Bushnell, 2018. Business News Daily. [Online]. [Visited: 17 January 2019]. Available from: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10709-windows-10-professional-vs-enterprise-for-business.html
• “Windows Server 2016 has been one of the fastest ever server version” IG, 2018. Gig XP. [Online]. [Visited: 17 January 2019]. Available from: https://www.gigxp.com/comparison-of-windows-server-2016-vs-2019-whats-the-difference/
• “more than say 100,000 records without trouble and only half a dozen simultaneous users”
• “high end databases” Francis Dickinson, 2017. Quora. [Online]. [Visited: 17 January 2019]. Available from: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-SQL-and-Microsoft-Access
• “discover and administer DNS and DHCP servers and IP addressing across multiple federated Active Directory forests” Shortpatti, c2019. Microsoft. [Online]. [Visited: 17 January 2019]. Available from: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/networking/windows-server-supported-networking-scenarios
• “makes it easier to migrate servers to a newer version” Jasongerend, c2019. Microsoft. [Online]. [Visited: 17 January 2019]. Available from: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/whats-new-in-storage

Background reading

• https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10709-windows-10-professional-vs-enterprise-for-business.html
• https://www.gigxp.com/comparison-of-windows-server-2016-vs-2019-whats-the-difference
• https://searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/definition/SQL-Server
• https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-SQL-and-Microsoft-Access
• https://www.techopedia.com/definition/19228/microsoft-exchange
• https://rgtechnologies.com.au/resources/microsoft-exchange/
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/networking/windows-server-supported-networking-scenarios
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/whats-new-in-storage
• https://techguided.com/micro-atx-vs-mini-itx-vs-atx/
• https://sqlmaria.com/2018/03/01/can-gpus-speed-up-database-workloads/