Network Server Setup: Hardware Requirements

You not only have to have a server computer on which to install the network operating system (NOS), the server must have sufficient resources to execute the software. Each NOS lists minimum hardware requirements supported by the operating system. For example, the following table summarizes the minimum requirements for the Standard Edition of the Windows Server 2008 R2.

Always take these minimums with a grain of salt. Windows Server 2008 will crawl like a snail with 512MB of RAM; you shouldn't bother with less than 4GB, and 16GB is a more appropriate minimum for most purposes.

You should also check your server hardware against the list of compatible hardware published by the maker of your NOS. For example, Microsoft publishes a list of hardware that it has tested and certified as compatible with Windows servers.

This list is called the Hardware Compatibility List, or HCL for short. You can check the HCL for your specific server by going to Microsoft’s website at Microsoft HCL. You can also test your computer’s compatibility by running the Check System Compatibility option from the Windows distribution CD-ROM.