Hi Folks –
Today I’d like to highlight Lenovo’s line of ThinkServers running Windows Storage Server 2012. Lenovo offers both 1U and 2U models, as shown in the below table.
Recommended Configurations
Lenovo recommends three base configurations: small, medium and large. For each configuration, drive sizes, type, and quantity can be tailored to your specific storage needs. All configurations are pre-validated to help ensure fast, trouble-free deployment.
Small.This entry-level configuration is based on the ThinkServer RD330 chassis and uses SATA drives to provide a cost-effective solution with 8 TB of storage capacity.
Medium. This high capacity configuration is based on the RD430 chassis and uses SATA drives to provide 16 TB of storage capacity, delivering performance suitable for most file serving applications.
Large. This high-performance configuration uses SAS drives to provide 7.2 TB of capacity. Dual CPUs and expanded memory provide additional processing capability, enabling functions such as data deduplication and antivirus to execute in the background without affecting file server performance.
All three base configurations run Windows Storage Server 2012 Standard, providing access to its full range of features—including Data Deduplication, Server Manager, SMB 3.0, SMB Multichannel, NIC Teaming, built-in iSCSI Target, multiprotocol support (including NFSv3 and NFSv4.1), and more. This enables you to choose the configuration that’s best-suited to your particular deployment scenario, knowing that, regardless of specific sizing and performance requirements, you’ll have all the features you need out-of-the-box.
For example, here’s how the small configuration based on the RD330 might look in a typical remote office/branch office scenario:
And here’s how the large configuration based on the RD430 might look in a standalone file server scenario:
Lenovo’s ThinkServer RD330 and RD430 running Windows Storage Server 2012 are great choices for building IT infrastructures that are reliable, scalable, and easy to maintain. They’re ideal for retail, education, professional services, healthcare, and manufacturing customers who are looking for powerful, high-storage capacity servers at affordable prices. It’s no wonder that the ThinkServer family won a 2013 iF Design Award, one of the most coveted awards for innovative product design.
Cheers,
Scott M. Johnson
Senior Program Manager
Windows Storage Server