Server Configuration and Procurement
Challenges You Are Facing
- Insufficient VM capacity: VMware / Hyper-V resources are saturated, so new projects cannot be started.
- Insufficient storage IOPS: slow database queries directly affect business operations.
- Localisation compliance requirements: finance, healthcare and government sectors cannot migrate fully to the public cloud.
- Old servers out of warranty: hard drive failures are becoming frequent.
- Opaque TCO: the total cost of hardware, warranty, power and cooling lacks a clear calculation.
- Hard to choose between HCI and traditional architecture: wanting to modernise but unsure where to start.
C2 Solution
Full range of models covered:
- Tower: 1–2 CPUs, suited to branch offices and SMEs.
- Rack: 1U / 2U / 4U, mainstream data centre configuration.
- HCI (hyper-converged): Nutanix, HPE SimpliVity, Dell VxRail.
- GPU Server: dedicated to AI / ML workloads (see Service Four).
Value-added services:
- Sizing service: precise configurations calculated from VM count, storage IOPS and network throughput.
- PoC support: 30-day PoC test machines available for large projects.
- Factory pre-load: hypervisor (VMware ESXi / Proxmox / Hyper-V) and management agent pre-loaded before shipment.
- Rack integration: PDU, switch and cabling quoted together.
Who It Suits
| Business Type | Use Case |
|---|---|
| SME ERP | 50–200 staff, core business systems |
| Finance / securities firms | Localisation of compliance and trading systems |
| Schools / universities | SIS, email and research workloads |
| Healthcare | HIS, PACS (requiring local storage and encryption) |
| Cloud service providers / MSPs | Co-location and HCI clusters |
| Government / public bodies | Open tender + ESG |
Service Process
- Workload assessment (CPU / RAM / Storage / IOPS)
- Sizing document (including 5-year TCO calculation)
- Quotation + model comparison table
- PoC (if required, 30-day testing)
- Order confirmation + pre-load
- On-site data centre installation (rack + cabling + power check)
- Hypervisor + VM go-live testing
- Enter warranty + quarterly maintenance (PM)
Supported Brands
| Brand | Key Series | Positioning |
|---|---|---|
| HPE | ProLiant DL series (Gen11), Apollo, Synergy | Mainstream enterprise |
| Dell | PowerEdge R series, R760, R660 | Enterprise + HCI |
| Lenovo | ThinkSystem SR / SR650, ST series | Strong value for money, global SKU |
| Supermicro | SYS-1029 / 2029 series | ODM / customised |
| Cisco | UCS B / C series | Integrated with UCS Manager |
| Huawei | FusionServer series | Subject to export restrictions; available for individual projects |
Warranty and After-Sales
- Standard warranty: 3-year Next Business Day On-site (NBDoS).
- Upgradeable: 5-year 24x7x4, on-site within 4 hours (parts included).
- Proactive Care: automated HPE / Dell alerts, notified 30 days before a hard drive failure.
- Pre-stocked parts: HPE / Dell / Lenovo RMA parts stocked locally in Hong Kong.
- Quarterly maintenance: 4 preventive maintenance visits per year (dust cleaning, firmware update, log review).
FAQ
How is rack power demand calculated?
About 200W for 1 CPU, 400W for 2 and 800W for 4; a 30% headroom is recommended.
Should we choose cloud or on-premises?
For local compliance requirements, data retention beyond 3 years or more than 50 VMs, on-premises is recommended; for short-term or burst needs, use the cloud.
How is sizing carried out?
Provide the existing VM list and 3 months of resource usage; C2 submits a sizing report within 1 week.
How are old machines decommissioned?
On-site decommissioning, secure data wipe and an ESG certificate are provided.
How do we choose between HCI and traditional architecture?
Fewer than 10 nodes: HCI is recommended (simpler management); more than 20 nodes: traditional architecture + scale-out storage.
How is VMware licensing handled?
If the client supplies its own licence, C2 only handles pre-installation; new licences can be ordered on your behalf.
Success Stories
Case A — Compliance server upgrade for a local securities firm
A listed securities firm needed to localise its trading system and improve audit logs to meet HKMA regulatory requirements. C2 supplied 2 Dell PowerEdge R760 servers (active-active configuration) + VMware vSAN + syslog offloading, going live within 6 weeks and passing active-active failover testing. Result: 0 findings in the HKMA audit and 99.99% business continuity.
Case B — Central ERP server for a restaurant chain
A Hong Kong-style restaurant chain with 80 branches needed a central ERP and inventory system. C2 supplied 2 HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11 servers (cluster) + 10GbE + cloud replication backup, completing data centre installation, cabling and failover testing, and going live within 3 weeks. Result: ERP response time fell from 5 seconds to 1.2 seconds.
Get a Quote
Need server sizing? Provide your workload list and C2 will submit a Sizing Report, a 5-year TCO estimate and an HCI / traditional architecture comparison within 1 week. Large projects support 30-day PoC testing on real hardware, with zero-risk evaluation.
