Then enterprises want servers, they buy them. But when hobbyists or small businesses like travel agencies and franchises want servers, they can't All the
servers available commercially are blades, razors, racks, cupboards, etc. The fact is: servers don't have to be in huge air-conditioned rooms. They can run on commodity hardware also. We are going to prove that building a commodity server from scratch (you can make and sell these, if you like) using off-the shelf hardware can be done for less.


Yes We Can! With 45 grand, we are going to build a server that supports Web, e-mail, virtualisation, media streaming, DNS, PXE, fax, a file server and VNC server roles. Because of the budget we have, we are going to assemble our own machine (or at least buy the parts ourselves, and get it put together by the local techie). I will recommend specific hardware, including their model numbers.

So let's start buying:

• Processor: Intel Core2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz

• Motherboard: Gigabyte EG45M-DS2H

• RAM: Transcend JetRam DDR2-800 800MHz-2x 2GB modules each)

• Hard Disk: 4x Seagate Barracuda nOORPM 500GB

• Cabinet: iBall i701 Server Cabinet @ ] 4,000 (Pricey!)

• Keyboard and mouse: Microsoft wireless desktop combo 1000

• Monitor: You can get a 17-inch CRT from Samsung

• Optical: LG GH22NP20 DVD-RAM Drive

Total cost: Rs 43,600 (tentatively). Prices vary, but there are chances you can get a better deal from the vendors in your city if you have time to find out the prices yourself after visiting a few shops.

But let me tell you, you are not bound to this configuration. At a bare minimum, a 500MHz PIlI with 256 MB RAM and 80 GB of hard drive space will do, but you will not be able to run many applications. And if you are a hobbyist, you can get away with VMWare server (not VirtualBox or QEMU because of the performance-hit involved).
So what do we have? 2 TB of HDD space, 4 GB RAM, a gaming motherboard (I chose that one because it can be overclocked ifneed be), a 2.4 GHz QC processor that processes four threads per clock cycle, and a cabinet with a very robust SMPS and plenty of drive bays.

You have a very sleek wireless mouse and keyboard combo, but that's something you can cut down on. Because, at the end of the day, the server will have
no monitor and input devices -- everything will be managed via remote X.
Oh, and of course, the UPS system is extra!