When do i need server

Managing e-mail for an increasing number of people. Many small businesses start out using free cloud-hosted e-mail services.

For example, Microsoft Office Business Premium works great for keeping a small workforce connected and in sync with their messaging. You can scale up the ranks in Office to Enterprise licensing and always have adequate user inboxes. It works, but as your business grows you will want a dedicated Exchange server because it adds very useful manageability features.

Tasks like enabling a remote archive require an on-premises Exchange server is one example. After a business grows past a handful of seats, Microsoft recommends a hybrid set up where businesses use Office in tandem with their own server. Should you migrate e-mail entirely in-house, an Exchange server eliminates your reliance on Web-based e-mail clients, and allows you to easily add in-boxes as your office expands. You can say goodbye to imposed e-mail file size and capacity limits and set your own.

Multiple users need to access the same data. Even small businesses need a centralized data storage location. Cloud storage comes with its risks , and if Internet goes down locally it disrupts your access to cloud data. When a business is very small, network attached storage devices suffice for file sharing. After growing past a dozen seats, a business is ready for a real domain controller —hardware that runs Windows Server software, Active Directory, and file and print services.

Things that make managing user permissions a whole lot easier for your business. A database stores information that can be accessed and updated by programs. For instance, if you have multiple POS stations or employee time clocks, the database houses the files containing information about inventory, order history, and punch-in times.

Planning on implementing QuickBooks? A database stores your essential information securely, limiting access. Storing important data on an unsecure storage solution like a USB drive introduces risk into your systems. Managing shared resources across the workspace. Some examples of shared resources include printers, optical disc drives, and applications.

Servers can take over the print sharing duties of a router and also allow for the use of older unsupported printers. In a peer-to-peer network, one common problem with sharing a connected resource is drive mapping. Albeit, if you purchase a server on the used market, it will probably be a rack mountable server. Depending on how many people are in your business, you might need a server rack anyways to store switches, routers or uninterruptible power supplies.

If you need help finding an ideal rack for your small business, make sure to check out our article on small racks. The learning curve is likely what drives people to use cloud services, but if you still want to have a server, there is always a way. To save even more money, you can simply build a server like you would a PC.

There are plenty of resources online to help you in your journey. And finally, if you ever need help finding a rack to fit your IT needs, feel free to look through our website or contact us directly.

We have been serving the industry for over 20 years and love to assist new users build their ideal setup. Do you really need a server for your small business? June 12, blog. How do servers help small business owners? NAS storage device Both of these businesses have a common incentive to operate a server though, which is to securely store data.

The last incentive to own a server is to be able to access your data quickly. How much does a server cost for small business? A server is engineered to manage, store, send and process data, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, days a year.

For these reasons, servers need to be far more reliable then their desktop counterparts. In order to accomplish this, servers offer a variety of features not typically found in a desktop PC.

Some servers will include:. So now that you know what makes up a server, what can a server do for you? There are multiple reasons to have a fileserver. Some of the more important ones are the following:. File and Network security — The most important role of a file server is the network security it provides. That information is reserved for HR or the company owners. The server allows you to manage file access on one system rather than on each workstation individually; which saves time and effort.

Also, all users can store their documents within their own personal folder on the server. The benefit to this is two-fold. Increased reliability — Servers are designed to run at all times, even in the event of a hardware failure. Normally, if one of the power supplies dies, the server would automatically shutdown.

Resulting in lose data and unproductive employees. Unlike an average desktop PC that uses a single hard drive. A server will typically use multiple hard drives working in a RAID configuration to prevent data lose or an interruption in workflow due to the failure of a solitary hard disk.

On a desktop, when any hardware fails you need to shut the system down in order to repair it. Like with the redundant systems, these hot swappable components allow you to replace faulty hardware without interrupting the entire office. Centralized data storage and shared resources — With a network server, all of the users on the network can make use of various network resources right from their desks, increasing efficiently.

Some of these resources include the following:. Virus Management — One of the greatest threats to your network is the possibility of infection from viruses, spyware and spam. So having good, updated, anti-virus software installed on your systems is a necessity.