Server Anatomy
CPU, RAM, NICs, PSU redundancy, form factors.
Learning objectives
- Name major server components and their roles
- Compare rack vs tower form factors
- Understand redundant PSU and NIC teaming basics
Inside the chassis
A 1U rack server in Swift Host’s Edmonton facility might host Workshop Co.’s production stack. Key components:
| Component | Role | Workshop Co. consideration |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Compute — cores and clock speed | 8–16 cores for PHP + image batch jobs |
| RAM | Fast workspace for apps and cache | 32–64 GB for MySQL + PHP-FPM pools |
| Storage | OS, database, uploads | NVMe SSD primary; see RAID chapter |
| NIC | Network connectivity | Dual 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps to top-of-rack switch |
| PSU | Power supply | Dual redundant in data centre builds |
| BMC/IPMI | Out-of-band management | Separate management port on dedicated VLAN |
Form factors
1U / 2U rack
Standard data centre — dense, rail-mounted
Tower
Office or edge — quieter, less dense
Blade
Enterprise chassis — shared power/network midplane
Workshop Co.’s dedicated host is almost certainly 1U rack in colocation — not a tower under the shop desk.
Worked example — read a spec sheet
Swift Host offers “EDM-BM-01”:
- AMD EPYC 7313P — 16c/32t
- 64 GB DDR4 ECC
- 2× 960 GB NVMe + hardware RAID controller
- 2× 1 Gbps public, 1× IPMI port
ECC RAM detects and corrects single-bit memory errors — recommended for 24/7 production. NVMe beats SATA SSD for database random I/O — relevant when class photo uploads spike.
Data centres quote power by rack unit and circuit (e.g. 0.5 kW sustained). Oversizing CPU without cooling headroom gains nothing — follow provider guidance.
Try it yourself — bottleneck guess
Workshop Co. complains thumbnail generation is slow during uploads. CPU averages 20%, disk queue high, RAM 40%. What is the likely bottleneck?
Answer
Disk I/O — high queue depth with low CPU suggests storage saturation. Upgrade to faster NVMe, tune batch jobs, or add RAM for cache — verify with iostat before buying hardware.
Quick quiz
- What does 1U mean?
- Why ECC RAM for servers?
- What is the BMC used for?
Answers
- One rack unit — ~44 mm height in a 19-inch rack.
- Error correction reduces crashes from cosmic rays / bit flips on always-on hardware.
- Baseboard Management Controller — IPMI interface for remote management.