Pre-installation and configuration
Each server is rigorously tested to ensure that all components are functioning correctly, and set up as per the live configuration to ensure the system works as planned. Multiple software configurations are tried and tested to ensure that we find the very best and most secure solution. We also upgrade some of the hardware elements inside the server to tailor them exactly for our needs.
This pre-installation work takes place at our Ilminster office before the servers are transported to the data centre. Once they are in-situ, we won't touch the core configuration again, which is why it's so important to get it right.
About the servers
The servers we use are 1U Dell PowerEdge machines with AMD® Opteron® dual-core processors. As you can see from the pictures on these pages, these machines look somewhat different to conventional tower servers. In a data centre, space is often at a premium, hence these servers are designed to be installed into rack cabinets, one on top of the other.
You wouldn't want one of these things at home - the cooling fans are very powerful, and very noisy!
