Considering a Windows dedi

[ae6dx]

I am considering a Windows dedi and have a few questions.

1. Is the SmarterTools bundle included at no extra cost? I have heard it uses a lot of RAM. Would a standard dedi with 4GB be enough? Is it integrated thru Plesk or a seperate interface?

2. Is MSSQL included free? Is it integrated with Plesk for managing it?

3. Using Remote Desktop can I update windows using Windows Update as I would on a PC? I have heard this can break Plesk. Is this true?

4. I see Parallels Plesk is at v9.5. Is this what HG is running? Does Plesk auto update the way WHM/cpanel do?

Thank you in advance for any help on this.

Originally Posted by ae6dx

I am considering a Windows dedi and have a few questions.

1. Is the SmarterTools bundle included at no extra cost?

The SmarterTools bundle is included on all the Windows dedicated servers for no extra cost.

I have heard it uses a lot of RAM. Would a standard dedi with 4GB be enough?

I have not seen any issues with the SmarterMail server causing problems due to insufficient RAM. While running all three SmarterTools programs from the bundle will stress a basic server, the 4GB on a standard server should be plenty.

Is it integrated thru Plesk or a seperate interface?

The basic management of SmarterMail is integrated with Plesk but the full management of the three programs is available through their own interfaces.

2. Is MSSQL included free?

We include an installation of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express edition on the servers. You can also order a different edition of SQL Server. https://secure.hostgator.com/mssql-server-upgrade.php
http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2.../editions.aspx

Is it integrated with Plesk for managing it?

It can be managed through the Plesk interface. You can create, backup, restore, and delete databases with the Plesk Control Panel.

3. Using Remote Desktop can I update windows using Windows Update as I would on a PC?

You can use the Remote Desktop connection to fully manage your server, including installing updates. This is the method we use to provide support too.

I have heard this can break Plesk. Is this true?

While it is possible to break Plesk, I have not had problems with installing the Windows Updates. If in doubt, you can always email us at windows@hostgator.com

4. I see Parallels Plesk is at v9.5. Is this what HG is running?

The new server builds include Windows 2008R2 and Plesk 9.5.1. The current builds do not support some of the older technology. Please make sure that you do not require .Net 1.1 or FrontPage support. If you do require either of those, request a Windows 2003 or 2008R1 server when ordering.

Does Plesk auto update the way WHM/cpanel do?

The auto-update function of the past few incarnations of Plesk did not work. I have not been able to verify if it has been fixed in the current release.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to email us at windows@hostgator.com.

[ae6dx]

I see this server had 2 hard drives. Can the second drive be set as a backup of the first? I know Plesk does backups. Would this back everything up? Is there an additional charge for this?

Would I need a RAID card? I'm not exactly clar on what RAID does.

[GatorMichealG]

If you would like more information you can email us at Windows@hostgator.com
The forum here is mostly for Peer support so we may not always answer issues posted here.

To answer your questions. We can setup the second drive to store the Plesk backups if you wish. There is no charge for this and you don't need a raid card. If you want the second drive to be a mirror of the first drive exactly then you would need a raid card to have a raid 1 setup. This would not provide a point in time backup but instead it would be to protect against data loss if one of the drives where to crash.