Is it Time To Buy a Server? April 5, 2011
Posted by charitysolutions in charity computers, charity IT, General, Servers, Uncategorized.Tags: charity computers, charity IT, charity software
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We are often asked to help small UK charities who feel (or have been told) that it is time to invest in their first server.
Though there are huge advantages in having a server, there are significant time and cost implications, so it isn’t a decision to be taken lightly or rushed into – in some cases a server isn’t even really what is needed. So we thought is was high time we updated our (sadly recently neglected!) blog with a few posts to help you make the decision and, if you decide it is right for your charity, implement it.
Firstly, let’s start with the basics. What is a server?
A server is basically just another computer, designed to provide a number of centralised control and storage features – more details below.
You could use a “normal” workstation PC or laptop as a server, but it is better if at all possible to buy a machine designed for the task. Unlike “standard” PCs and laptops, server hardware is especially designed to be left on 24/7 and often includes extra options to help keep things running if a fault develops – spare power supplies, fans, network cards etc. The more expensive servers also often have better hard disks (faster and/or with a better warranty), though sadly this is no longer always the case … more on that in a later post.
Another significant difference between servers and PCs/laptops is that servers don’t normally by default come with any operating system software – so when budgeting you need to make sure you include this extra cost. (And when you do, make sure you get the software with the biggest charity discount possible!)
Servers can be used for a variety of tasks including (depending on their capabilities) any number of the following:
- Central control of users – login names and passwords, access rights etc
- Central storage of files
- Databases
- Remote access capabilities and control
- Website hosting
- Printer management
- Central management of antivirus and antispam programs
- … and lots more
But it’s unlikely (and not advised) that you get one server to do all of the above. You would need pretty a pretty “high-spec” server to do it all effectively – and by putting all your “computing eggs in one basket” you would be risking major issues for your charity if the server ever went down.
In our next post we will look at whether a server is the right option for you or whether there could be a better/easier/cheaper solution for your specific needs. And in later posts we will cover more about how to choose the right server for your particular needs and budget.
But if you can’t wait that long just contact us (details on the About Us page) and we will be more than happy to go through the options with you and help you find the best solution for your particular organisation.
2 Key Ways of Keeping Mailbox Sizes In Check August 25, 2009
Posted by charitysolutions in charity computers, charity IT, Email.Tags: charity computers, charity IT, Email
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In the last post we highlighted the problems you can face if your mailbox grows too big and how to check if it is about to explode.
This time we cover two key ways in which you can keep your mail files down to a manageable size – without resorting to mass deletion of emails you would really like to keep. Again these solutions are only applicable if your emails get delivered to personal mail files – if your mail stays on the server then other solutions will be required. If you are not sure, then ask your system administrator – or us!
Each of the methods we suggest has its own advantages and disadvantages. Opinion on which one is best is divided – even amongst the Charity Solutions team. You will need to pick the one that you think will work best for you and best matches any data handling procedures your organisation has in place. If you don’t like it, you can always change later – but the main thing is to do something now - before your mailbox explodes!
Archiving
The first method is archiving. This is automated process where Outlook automatically moves mails over a certain age into a separate folder. You need to set it up but after that it basically runs by itself without intervention.
The advantages of this method are that once it is set up you don’t need to worry about it (Outlook does it automatically) and that the process happens relatively seamlessly and you should not notice any appreciable loss in speed while it takes place.
The main disadvantage of archiving is that it your mails are split over two or more areas, so if you are hunting for a specific mail message you’ll need to look in more than one place.
If you use archiving it is still important that you check the archive size once in a while to make sure it hasn’t grown too big. Archive files are no different to any other type of mail file and they can explode just as easily if not monitored and kept in check. In order to avoid your archive file growing out control we suggest that you create and use a new one each year.
Multiple PST files
The other main way of dealing with mail is to work on a divide and conquer principle and split all your emails over several PST files. Outlook allows you to use and view multiple PST files at any time – you are not limited to just one.
This means that you can store all emails relative to a particular subject together – for example all mails to and from a particular supplier or about a particular project. You can even set up rules within Outlook to automatically file mails into the correct areas. This means that (providing you remember the theory you used to file it!) you can easily track down a specific mail regardless of when you received it.
This total control of where emails end up is probably the biggest advantage of the multiple PST file approach. The main disadvantage is probably that the process isn’t automatic – but whether that really is a disadvantage probably depends on how you like to work and organise your emails.
With this method you will still have to keep an eye on the size of your PST files, but by dividing your mail like this you got much better control and it’s far less likely that your email PST files will exceed the 2GB limit.
