# Solved: Server 2003 vs Server 2008? Need your help



## aimlesspee (Nov 10, 2003)

A few years back, i purchased Server 2003.. at that time.. i had no need for it.. i bought it without researching that it did not serve my needs.. but now it has come to upgrade.. i am currently buying a new server from Dell.. they have the option to buy it WITHOUT an OS.. so since i have a copy already.. i am wondering if i should do that and buy it without the OS or if i should buy the 2008 version installed?

I tried to research the differences between the 2.. and from what i see its that 2008 looks simpler and has better power management

YOur help is appreciated


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## zx10guy (Mar 30, 2008)

The answer depends on what you are going to build the server for.

But some of the differences off the top of my head between 2003 and 2008 are:

Faster SMB signed CIFS sharing, better performance with DFS and DFS-R, and I think some AD updates along with NTFS but I'm not sure.


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## aimlesspee (Nov 10, 2003)

Ok..

Let me tell you what i do..

Essentially my computer is a file server.. nothing more.. it hosts files only.. so .. that's it

I run an insurance agency and we do vehicle registration as well.. so applications, registrations, licenses, things of that nature are copied onto the server.

Right now, i'm upgrading because what i currently have is a PC acting as server.. and that is scaring me now.. so i'm getting a computer with RAID/2 hard drives and a fast ethernet card..

Xp is doing what i need, but most of this server hardware (Dell in particular) comes with the OS installed already and i have seen some where there is no OS at all.. and sinc ei already have 2003 Server and i have never used it.. i can save money there.. 

Please help

Uni


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## zx10guy (Mar 30, 2008)

With your posted reply, I find it hard to justify spending money again to buy Server 2008. I would just get the Dell server without the OS installed. I've worked with tons of Dell servers and they're pretty easy to set up. Just make sure you use the Installation/Start Up DVD to load the OS. The DVD helps guide you through the setup of the RAID controller and preloads all necessary drivers for any OS listed in the installation menu.

As an FYI, if you don't know already, you should consider looking in the Dell Outlet for the server you are planning to get. I just purchased a Dell PowerEdge T410 server for my home network. I felt I got a pretty good deal on it. It was a scratch and dent. When I received the server, I found one of the power supplies to be dented in a little and a scratch on the side of the chassis. Not that big a deal to me for the savings I got. I'm currently running 4 VMs on ESXi on that server.


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## aimlesspee (Nov 10, 2003)

hey man.. i've need more advice from you..

I was reading about servers.. and it never occurred to me to shop around.. there's IBM and Lenovo and other systems like HP.. but they seem to be less user friendly.. they don't have pre-loaded OS but that's okay.. what seems to be odd is that none of them have RAID as an option like Dell does.. basically Dell seems to be easier..

But aside of price.. i am concerned with the quality of Dells servers.. they say that the quality of Dell VS IBM.. IBM wins..

And i consider this a long term investment.. what do you advise? should i stick with the easier/less complex Dell option?

Uni


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## zx10guy (Mar 30, 2008)

You know it really depends on your preference. I've worked with Compaq (now HP), Dell, and IBM servers. I was definitely biased towards Compaq servers where I preferred them over the competition. IBM servers (at the time the Netfinities) were alright but nothing that great. I found the driver support to be spotty at times. Dell...I thought they were the biggest pieces of .....well....you know. Over the years of working with Dell servers, I've grown to like them a lot. Dell has definitely addressed the various issues I had with them early on. I'm comfortable enough with Dell now that I even spent my own money recently on the purchase of a T410 I mentioned in my previous post.

Incidentally, make sure you go through all the options for said IBM server if you choose to go that route. They do offer RAID options. IBM calls their RAID controllers ServeRAID. Compaq is SmartArray. And Dell is PERC.


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