Virtualization 101: Understanding the Basics of Virtual Servers

Virtualization is a technology that allows one physical computer to run multiple “virtual” computers. It’s like having multiple computers inside one physical box! This is done using a special program called a hypervisor. Virtualization has become popular because it helps businesses save money and use their computer resources more efficiently. With virtualization, businesses can easily create, delete, and move around these virtual computers as needed, making it easier to adapt to changing needs. Virtualization can also help improve security ...

Continue Reading →

Windows Server 2019 Standard vs Datacenter: What’s the Difference?

If you are setting up a new server environment or upgrading your current server environment, you are probably tasked with choosing between Microsoft Server 2019 Standard and 2019 Data Center.

Which one is the right choice for you?

This post will take a look at the key differences in the 2 variations.

The two editions have identical features, but they differ in the number of virtual of the server software you are allowed to run.

Microsoft Server 2019 Standard Edition was engineered for small ...

Continue Reading →

Building a Small Business Server: How to Configure

Configuring a Small Business Server

So you’ve decided that you need a server for your small business.  Now you need to figure out how to configure the server. There are many important factors to consider when building your server, as there is not a 1 size fits all solution.  When our customers ask us what server configuration they need, our response is usually mixture of the questions below. IT distributors aren’t familiar with your environment, and it is difficult to recommend ...

Continue Reading →

Thinking of buying Used IT Equipment? It’s not what you think.

This post will focus on the used server market, its portrayal in the marketplace and what to look for in a used IT hardware reseller.

In the world of IT sales, the word “gray market” is thrown around with nonchalance by sales reps at large manufacturers and large reseller partners alike. The term is misapplied, and purposely used to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt. Some sales reps will even go as far as to refer to used IT hardware as stolen/counterfeit ...

Continue Reading →

Rack Server Vs Blade Server: Which should you get?

Organizations with intense compute needs are often faced with the decision: Rack server or blade server. This post will take a look at key differences between the 2 systems, and advantages of each. Of course, your mileage may vary depending on your application. This post is designed as a wide-angle view of each type of system.

Let’s kick it off with rack servers.

Often called chassis server,  here are examples of rack servers: ...

Continue Reading →

HPE 3PAR 7000 End of Service Announcement: EOSL 2022

 

HPE will officially retire the 3PAR 7200 and 3PAR 7400 systems October 31, 2022.

 

After this date, HPE will not renew any maintenance contracts, or answer service calls on any 7000 series system. Your options are:

  1. Retire the system, and migrate to a new system
  2. Obtain 3rd party maintenance for your 3PAR 7000 series storage system.
  3. Run the machine with no support.

3PAR 7000 series was first launched in 2014 as HP’s first product line  after the acquisition of 3PAR systems. HP named the equipment ...

Continue Reading →

Los Angeles Data Center IT Asset Disposal

 

Disposal of IT Assets


When it comes time to upgrade your hardware, you need a service that guarantees a secure data erasure, and safely destroys all existing data on the systems you are migrating from.

Spectra has provided these services, and more for data centers and private equipment sellers for over 40 years.

We regularly decommission, and properly dispose of all IT assets: servers, storage, and networking equipment.  We provide local asset disposition service in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange County, ...

Continue Reading →

HPE 3PAR – Common CLI (Command Line Interface) Commands

 

HPE 3 Par Storage can be a burden to administrate at times. If you don’t have the commands in a spot where you can easily access them, well, good luck. It can take a while to look up all these bad boys up.

To help our wonderful 3PAR support clients, we have compiled a short list of commonly used show commands for HPE 3PAR systems,  which will mostly display detailed information about your system and its status. If there are any ...

Continue Reading →

END OF LIFE Is NOT the End for your Storage System!

Though the major manufacturers (EMC, Hitachi, NetApp, IBM and HPE alike) will say otherwise, rest assured that EOL doesn’t = “dead.”  While it can vary from vendor to vendor, EOL is basically the point in the product’s life where the manufacturer has stopped selling it, and moves it to support-only. EOL just means you need to make an adjustment to the way your organization should approach hardware support and maintenance solutions when your renewal comes up.

If your objective is to ...

Continue Reading →

What happens when a Storage System goes EOL?

As a 3rd party support provider, we get asked this question a lot – “What can Iexpect when my system goes EOL? And how does it differ from EOSL? or EOSL?

These terms are all manufacturer-specifc, meaning what EMC and NetApp call EOL (End-of-life) IBM calls “Withdrawn from marketing”. First, Let’s take a look at what the terms mean, and the difference between them:

 

EOL – End of Life – In a nutshell, this only means that the manufacturer has discontinued the ...

Continue Reading →