Choosing New or Existing Hardware

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

If you have older server hardware, it might not support some of the enhanced remote management capabilities provided by newer hardware. For many computers, however, you can purchase hardware components that provide enhanced out-of-band features. If you plan to purchase new servers, you can purchase ones that have been designed for compatibility with Emergency Management Services.

As you compare your existing server hardware with your remote management needs, choose one of the following approaches:

  • Use existing servers only

  • Use existing servers and purchase new peripherals

  • Purchase new servers

These three choices are not mutually exclusive; you can decide the most cost-effective solution for each situation on a case-by-case basis. If you want to eventually replace existing servers with new ones but do not want to incur the entire cost at once, you can also plan to prestage new servers, and gradually deploy them over time.