[K12OSN] SATA vs. SCSI....buying a new server

[David Trask]

Scenario:

I'm going to buy a new server (another one...I collect them :-)  Not
entirely sure what it'll be used for yet, but I'd like it to be either a
Samba/LDAP server OR a Windows Terminal Server (which we'll access via
rdesktop in Linux....we've been doing that for a few years now).  My
current Windows Term server is getting old....it's a dual PIII...with 3 gb
RAM...and it made some serious smoke at NELS last year when one of the
power supplies started to bake  ;-)  Anyway....I have my quotes for the
following:

dual Xeon 2.8 ghz
2 gb RAM
2 SCSI 36 gb 15,000 rpm drives
dual gigabit....etc

The other one is

dual Xeon 2. 8 ghz
4 gb RAM
2 SATA 120gb 7200 rpm drives
dual gigabit...etc.

Same chassis...etc.  Only diff is SATA vs. SCSI and price (which allows
more RAM on the SATA machine).  I've had SCSI drives all along....with the
exception of some Macs....I have little experience with SATA.  The price
difference is about $250-$300 between the SCSI system (more) and the SATA
system (less)....the chassis, power supplies....etc. are all the same
between the two.  Disk space is not that big of an issue....I've been
using 36 gb SCSI drives all along.  My staff and students primarily store
test files, bookmarks, images, and presentations.  Very little multimedia
like music...etc.  The older kids all have laptops so they use those for
the multi-media stuff (This is Maine...all the older kids have iBooks).  

Please weigh in with your opinions on SATA vs.
SCSI....performance....trade-offs...etc.

David N. Trask
Technology Teacher/Director
Vassalboro Community School
dtrask at vcsvikings.org
(207)923-3100