On Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:46:18 +0000, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:

>>>> Most server-class hardware also comes with a support contract with
>>>> fast turnaround.
>>>
>>> Yes, but you can perfectly well get tower servers with that too. So
>>> comparing that to a rack-mount server would seem to nullify this
>>> point.
>>
>> I've never seen a tower server with hot-pluggable power supplies or
>> hot- pluggable PCI.  (Doesn't mean they don't exist, but I've yet to
>> see one).
> 
> Our old server towers had hot-swap PSUs. In fact, one of the tests in
> the disaster recovery plan verification procedure that I wrote was to
> physically unplug one and make sure the server doesn't die. ;-)

I'd buy that.

> No hot-swap PCI though; IIRC, it had ISA, not PCI.

I had some of the first Proliant 6500 servers to come off the assembly 
line - the hot plug PCI was a nice feature, but we never actually needed 
to use it.

>>>> Service is like insurance - expensive, and you hope you never need to
>>>> use it.
>>>
>>> Yep - usually because when you /do/ need it, you find out it isn't
>>> very good. ;-)
>>
>> That's also usually true. :)
> 
> Ah, you too have bitter experience, I see. :-)

Well, right now I don't have health coverage at all because I'm just 
doing contract work.

But yeah, I've had situations where insurance coverage really didn't help 
much.

I've also had experiences where support was less than stellar on hardware 
and/or software. :)

Hard to work in this industry and not have that happen, sadly.

Jim

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