Azure - Which Server to pick?

freedomit

freedomit

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I'm doing an Azure quote for a customer, they currently have SBS2011 with 12 users running a few payroll software applications such as Sage Payroll and also SQL Express. There computer hardware is getting old and they are finding the continual updates to applications a pain to manage so im looking at an Azure solution with RDS.

The issue is i haven't done much with Azure other than playing around with a test enviroment so not really sure what server/instance to recommend? When i look at the options there are so many to choose from.

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/pricing/details/virtual-machines/windows/

Does the following sound ok?

Server 1 - DC, File Server and SQL Express
Azure A2m v2 - 2 Core, 16GB Ram, 20GB HDD

Sever 2 - RDS
Azure A4m v2 - 4 Core, 32GB Ram, 40GB HDD

Storage
500GB Block Blob ZRS with 1000 Transaction units

These options with standard support (£225 a month )added work out at £560 a month which seems quite alot.

Thoughts?
 
I would do a thorough study first. Not messed around with Azure AD in a while but I believe that pure Azure AD is still very limited compared to a local box. I'd also be concerned how the apps will work. You can also get a trial to play with.
 
Markverhyden said:
I would do a thorough study first. Not messed around with Azure AD in a while but I believe that pure Azure AD is still very limited compared to a local box. I'd also be concerned how the apps will work. You can also get a trial to play with.
Click to expand...

I'm just going to spin up two VM's, have one as a DC and file and the other as RDS, it wouldn't be any different to having the apps on a local server.

The problem I have is picking the right Azure package as there are soooooo many options
 
freedomit said:
I'm just going to spin up two VM's, have one as a DC and file and the other as RDS, it wouldn't be any different to having the apps on a local server.

The problem I have is picking the right Azure package as there are soooooo many options
Click to expand...

I know what you mean, this cloud VM stuff is literally mind boggling. And M$'s offerings are easier to understand than AWS. That's why I mentioned the trial. Like I said it's been a while since I looked at Azure servers. But when I spun up a Linux one the drive you select has the OS taking up space. In AWS that was the same thing with M$ Server OS's. Does that happen on Azure? I just logged into my MAP azure to check but something is not right so I'll have to sort that out.
 
freedomit said:
What do you mean? Buy and host the server ourselves?
Click to expand...
I meant have them get a new server and leave everything onsite at their office and have you manage it for a set monthly fee. Really local or cloud hosted (Azure) shouldn't make much different in managing the servers and updates, however you have some other issues to look into when going cloud hosted like their internet connection and performance of the apps since they won't be onsite. You might also see if the application vendors offer hosting of their own apps since that is quite popular. Then they host the app and handle all the updates and your client just pays a monthly fee and uses the apps.
 
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We've started dabbling with it in production, with Windows servers, and Azure....all I have to say is "be careful with pricing".
A while ago my colleague spun up a terminal server for a single user, that was fine. I've done *nix cloud servers at RackSpace for ourselves...like our Unifi controller, but several months ago one of our guys did an Azure setup for one of his clients that has multiple package store locations, he went to a cloud hosted point of sale system.
He setup a SQL server, and the VPN connections in Azure...so the store locations can hit it. Did the best at estimating the pricing....but after a couple of months rolled by and the bills came in, versus what he quoted the client and was charging...we're not really making a profit. Actually losing a little coin on it each month. Although this client has a big MSP plan with other stuff so overall they're still a very profitable client. Just making the point that...cloud servers and pricing...it's very fuzzy.....
 
Running any of these 24/7 is going to cost you some pretty good coin. I'm not sure how it would be economical (which you're finding out). Running SPLA on physical hardware would be a much better option IMHO. I'm not sure how "finding the continual updates to applications" is going to be any different in Azure. I do agree you should run everything virtual; that way upgrading hardware in the future is pretty straightforward. If you're going to go the Azure route, you're going to need to stop this thing after hours / weekends. It'll save on your costs considerably.Stay away from their newly released "basic" options. Disk throughput is throttled considerably.
 
The owner and management work all hours of the night at this package store...so even though the point of sales operate say...0800-2200.....7 days a week, accounting and the owner are doing back office work in it all throughout the midnight and wee hours of the morning. We get e-mails from him around midnight, or 0200, or 0400...the guy and his team don't sleep. It's a seriously huge package storage chain, big big stores. He move so much money his credit card clearing house rates are like 1.2something %
 
I'm a bit late to the discussion here, but check out Google Cloud. So much cheaper than Azure as long as you don't require SSD storage for your VM.
 
I agree with getting them a new server and run the OS as a VM. This eliminates the issues with hardware and will create predictable pricing. As was mentioned then you can handle it as an MSP.
 
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