Tower Servers
What are tower servers?
Tower servers are computers that are arranged in a rack or a cabinet, providing a foundation of communication between all devices within your data environment.
How do tower servers work?
Tower servers function as computers that run 24/7 in order to provide dedicated support for your business’s workloads. Acting as a secure hub for all communication to pass through, a tower server is run collaboratively with your network of devices, supporting your apps and providing storage for all data and analytics.
Because of the independent design that keeps data stored in a singular tower, tower servers can easily be added to existing networks. When tower servers are run together over an existing network, they can work together to perform compound tasks.
Tower servers work well for small and midsize businesses because of their efficiency, flexibility, and lower price point, and are often set up inside of a locked cabinet or “tower” on premises. Authorized users are able to remotely access files on the tower server via the Internet, providing a secure pathway to access and utilize data that lives on your network.
The only potential setbacks are the various cabling that is required for tower servers and their bulky size, which means more space for accommodation and setup.
What is the difference between a tower server and a rack server?
The primary differentiation between tower servers and rack servers is their setup environments.
Tower Servers
Tower servers stand upright within a cabinet or tower that is often locked to provide further security measures. This tower structure has the potential of inhibiting air flow and reducing the cooling capacity of the servers’ fan systems if not stored in an appropriate environment. Tower servers are recommended to be kept in a room or closet with a consistent temperature in order to provide the systems with air circulation to keep them from overheating.
Rack Servers
Rack servers, otherwise called blade servers, can be set up at any location and are often confused with desktop computers. Rack servers cannot be mounted together in a tower, but rather are attached to a stationary piece of office furniture, an office desk being the most popular solution for physically hosting the server hardware. Whether positioned underneath, on, or near a desk, rack servers have a smaller footprint, less cabling, and can be more flexibly and strategically placed throughout a given workspace. However, they also have more fans than tower servers, often making them a much noisier option.
What are the benefits of tower servers?
The small and midsize business sector can greatly benefit from the use of tower servers as an IT solution. A few key benefits include:
Noise and overheating reduction: Tower servers have incredibly compact design and fewer fans than rack servers but are stacked together into a cabinet. For small and midsize businesses that are located in a more compact office space, this can have a sizeable impact on the ambiance of their work environment. The low component density also contributes to less chance of overheating.
Expandability and customization: As your business grows, tower servers are built to expand with you. They are designed for easy and straightforward upgrades in order to support your workloads during both unforeseen and coordinated times of growth. Tower servers have no limitations on expandability, with the option for countless additional servers to supplement your IT environment as needed. They are also fully customizable, with considerable configurability capabilities.
Business continuity and uninterrupted workflows: Most small and midsize businesses opt for at least two tower servers to run collaboratively, which provides sufficient storage for backups and duplication. Proper planning and use of tower servers can promote business continuity and reduced downtime, both of which are vastly important to the healthy function of your business and play a vital role in your disaster recovery plan.
HPE tower servers
Your small or midsize business can benefit from HPE’s industry-leading server technology. HPE tower servers are the ideal choice for expanding businesses with remote offices, as they deliver control and agility across your entire data infrastructure and lay the foundation for your hybrid cloud reality. We offer affordable, efficient, and secure tower server solutions to simplify the data infrastructure of your small or midsize business.
With a range of options to choose from, our HPE ProLiant Tower Server series delivers innovation and efficient business value, with proven configurations that provide remote access while promoting improved energy efficiencies to reduce your TCO.