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I recently got hold of an R710 (DELL PowerEdge) & want to use it to host multiple sites.

I did not come with any HDD’s but I was told I need one with Windows Server.

I currently host my sites on a Linux VPS due to SSH ease, is it possible to just store a standard Linux OS (like Ubuntu 18.04) on a USB drive & plug it in internally to boot an OS? Or will I need a HDD?

If so, could anyone point me in the direction of one compatible and how I’d virtually mount them in the BIOS?

I appreciate it

Jaquarh
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  • You will have much more reliable and cost-efficient system by using VPS services. That way you don't need to care about maintaining the hardware setup, which requires many skills. Concentrate on your core business, not server maintenance. – Tero Kilkanen Dec 25 '20 at 13:27

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There is no reason at all why you would "need with Windows Server"; if you want to run Linux on your system, just install Linux.

However, you will still need a hard disk, and possibly more than one, depending on your requirements; I'd recommend at least two disks in a RAID setup, to be safe against a single-disk failure.

Running your server from a USB drive is technically possible, but it's definitely something to avoid if you want to host any data on it This kind of setup only makes sense when the USB drive contains a bare miminal and easily replaceable OS (such a hypervisor) and the real storage lies elsewhere (such as in a SAN).

Massimo
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  • So in the case of installation, I could hold the OS on a USB drive, install 2 HDD’s, 1 that the OS will install to and then one for data/storage? Would I need to configure this in the BIOS or would the Ubunutu Server do this on the partition installation? Thanks so much for this answer! – Jaquarh Dec 24 '20 at 15:46
  • I was actually talking about a completely different thing, using RAID to mirror your disks in order to not lose everything if a single drive dies. THIS should be set up in the server's controller's BIOS. – Massimo Dec 24 '20 at 20:03
  • Where to put the OS and where to put data depends instead on the OS configuration, partitioning disks and using them is completely managed by the OS, not by the server itself. – Massimo Dec 24 '20 at 20:04
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    I feel also the need to add that you really don't seem to know much about what you are doing; it would probably be best to consult or hire someone with real expertise. There is just *too much* to be said about configuring storage on servers for anyone to be able to explain it all on a single Q&A; this is just not the right place for a course on servers and storage for beginners. – Massimo Dec 24 '20 at 20:06
  • All my sites are just for fun, mainly how I learn, so nothing here is production - I just thought it would be a good opportunity to learn but like you said, there really isn’t much out there on this sort of thing.. maybe it is a limitation because its a lot to explain and there is nowhere to divulge that information, ill give it my best either way. I just did some substantial reading on RAID setups and the things I’d require and it’ll just be trial and error until its working I guess - thanks for the information again though – Jaquarh Dec 25 '20 at 23:20
  • @Jaquarh, no offense intended, really. But this site assumes you already know the basics, and in truth there's really a lot to be said on the topic of storage for servers (and even lots of diverging opinons on the subject). This is a place for asking details about something you know but you want to know better, not for tutorials. – Massimo Dec 25 '20 at 23:52
  • Need someone on a Skype call who knows what they’re looking at lmao. No I get it, I use Stackoverflow a lot - its the same principle and no one likes noob questions. Just really struggling to find any public information on turning a server to a webserver - they all intend on using an “old pc” which is not the same – Jaquarh Dec 26 '20 at 11:01