If you read PC Perspective on a regular basis the chances are very good that you have purchased individual components and assembled yourself a PC from them.  There is a lesser chance that you have built a server, especially one using a rack mountable casing.  The terminology is different, less about ATX and more about rack unit or U.  U is a measurement of size, with a 1U case bearing a remarkable resemblance to a pizza box, with a height of 1.75 inches (44.45 mm) with a width depending on the style of racks you are installing into, with 19" and 23" being the standard.  OCC takes you through the assembly of both an ATX case as well as a 3U case and recommendations of OS and software based on the intended use of your new server in this article.

"Hardware is one of the most important items in building a server, regardless of its overall purpose. Without enough power or memory to run the necessary applications, the server would subsequently be useless. Depending on its intended usage, however, the hardware may vary slightly. It is often a good idea to sit down and create a plan beforehand. Personally, I live by a rule of thumb that purchasing more than needed is better than having the server become congested or even fail when it is needed the most. For this guide, I will be putting together two different types of servers. The first will be a gaming server, designed to host multiple instances of LAN-based games. The second will be a file/web server, intended to back up data and make items accessible from any computer in a network. As always, hardware can vary depending on your needs; this is just a general overview of a configuration that I would use, based on the available hardware that I have on hand. Keep in mind that any computer can function as a server as long as the necessary software is installed. Therefore, you may even have old parts that can be reused for your server."

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Systems