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In small to medium computer networks and even enterprise networks, various servers are deployed for various roles to support the availability and reliability of network resources to all of the users on the network. In large Windows environments for example, many machines are installed based on various functions and roles including domain name server or domain controllers for DNS and Active Directory management, database, file servers, Exchange for email messaging system, intranet and extranet, website, virus management , print server and more.
In some cases, some server roles are made dedicated in a single machine each, meaning one server role is hosted in a dedicated machine. For example Exchange server should use dedicated machine, and even you can build multiple exchange servers to work in a clustering technology for redundancy and reliability. While other non critical server roles (read: less critical roles) can be hosted together in a single server for example you can host virus management, print management and patch management system in a single machine together. You may use different machine for different server roles, but for heavy duty tasks such as large volume database with heavy query traffic or exchange system you should use a powerful machine for high performance computing processes.
For small to medium size computer networks, Dell Power-edge T710 is one of powerful server you may consider for heavy duty processing processes such as database server, finance application server or exchange server. New Apple Mac Pro is also a powerful machine for heavy duty computing processes, but is this machine suitable to meet your business server need? Deciding which server machine that is appropriate for certain role is sometimes crucial. New Apple Mac Pro is actually designed for scientific heavy duty applications and is not suitable for server function, even though you can function it as a server. The price of this machine is much more expensive than Dell Power-edge (PE) T710. Let's have a look some spec comparisons between the two machines.
Processors
You have some processor options to configure your Dell PE T710; you can use quad-core or six-core Intel Xeon processor 5500 and 5600 series. You have many options too for the operating system to use including Microsoft Windows small business server 2008 or 2011, Microsoft Windows server 2008, Linux Suse enterprise server or Red Hat enterprise server.
Apple Mac Pro is powered by either 8-core Intel Xeon E5620 westmere processor, or quad-core Intel Xeon W3530 Nehalem processor with hyper-threading technology to your virtual core servers. The operating system used is Mac OS X a powerful Unix-base operating system.
Both servers use the same Xeon processors but different variant, the processor that is used for multi-tasking computing processes ideal for server-based tasks.
Graphics Support
Unlike Dell PE T710 which the video card is Matrox G200, each of the new Apple Mac Pro features three display ports for maximum workspace flexibility including two Mini Display Port outputs that connect to a pair of Apple LED cinema displays and a dual link DVI port that connects to any types of DVI displays. Not just that, Mac Pro supports two ATI Radeon HD 5770 cards to allow you connect up to six displays. What does it mean? You will work closely with the Apple Mac Pro with one or more displays to suit your heavy duty applications or scientific graphical applications needs. On the other hand, your Dell PE 710 is embedded with a single standard video card and you will not work closely all the time with its monitor except some monitoring or management tasks. And even you will place the server in a very cool server room and you will work remotely to the server for some networking tasks.
As a summary, start your server with Dell power-edge to support the reliability and availability of your server-based network resources. But for graphic intensive applications or scientific applications, you may consider Apple Mac Pro.
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