🧰 🛠️ Overview of Server Infrastructure
Are you currently learning how modern IT infrastructures are built? Then this overview is exactly what you need.
Here you’ll find an example of a well-thought-out server landscape as it might be used in companies – with clearly defined roles, recommended hardware, and suitable software. Each server type fulfills a specific purpose: from user management and virtualization to backup, storage, or monitoring.
The software components are also listed – including brief explanations of what they are used for and how they interact.
Whether you're just starting out or want to deepen your knowledge: this overview helps you better understand the relationships and theoretically plan your own infrastructures.
🖥️ Server | 💽 Storage | 🌐 Network | 📼 Backup | 🔋 Power Supply
🖥️ Main Virtualization Server 1
🧰 Recommended Devices:
→ 🖥️ Dell PowerEdge R760 (high density, current Xeon, ideal for virtualization)
→ 🖥️ Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650 V3
→ 🖥️ HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen11
🧠 Software & Services:
→ 🧩 VMware ESXi 8: Virtualization host for running multiple VMs on one hardware platform
→ 🧩 Windows Server 2025 with AD DS: Centralized user and rights management within a domain
→ 🧩 DNS Server: Name resolution within the internal network (e.g., server01.domain.local → IP address)
🖥️ Main Virtualization Server 2
🧰 Recommended Devices:
→ 🖥️ Dell PowerEdge R760
→ 🖥️ Fujitsu PRIMERGY RX2540 M6
→ 🖥️ Cisco UCS C240 M6
🧠 Software & Services:
→ 🧩 VMware ESXi 8: Virtualization of multiple server services
→ 🧩 Microsoft SQL Server: Database platform for applications, reports, and company data
→ 🧩 SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS): Management interface for SQL databases and queries
🖥️ Main Virtualization Server 3
🧰 Recommended Devices:
→ 🖥️ Dell PowerEdge R750
→ 🖥️ Supermicro SYS-620U
→ 🖥️ HPE ProLiant DL385 Gen11
🧠 Software & Services:
→ 🧩 VMware ESXi 8: Host for Exchange and file services
→ 🧩 Microsoft Exchange Server: Corporate email and calendar solution
→ 🧩 Outlook Web Access (OWA): Web-based access to emails
→ 🧩 File and Print Server: Shared access to files and network printers
🗄️ Backup / Database Server
🧰 Recommended Devices:
→ 🖥️ Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650 V3
→ 🖥️ Dell PowerEdge R760xd (large storage expansion possible)
→ 🖥️ HPE ProLiant DL385 Gen10 Plus
🧠 Software & Services:
→ 🧩 VMware ESXi 8 or Windows Server: Virtualization platform or native backup OS
→ 🧩 Veeam Backup & Replication: Backup and recovery of VMs and physical systems
→ 🧩 Microsoft SQL Server (optional): Central data storage for applications or logs
→ 🧩 PRTG or Zabbix: Network and infrastructure monitoring
🧪 Test & Monitoring Server
🧰 Recommended Devices:
→ 🖥️ Dell PowerEdge R540
→ 🖥️ HPE ProLiant DL20 Gen10 Plus
→ 🖥️ Fujitsu PRIMERGY TX1320 M5
🧠 Software & Services:
→ 🧩 VMware ESXi 6.7 or Linux (Debian, Ubuntu): Cost-effective test environment for new services
→ 🧩 Zabbix or PRTG: Network and system monitoring
→ 🧩 Snipe-IT: IT asset management for hardware and license management
→ 🧩 Test Environments: Isolated development or upgrade tests
🚀 SAN – High-Speed Storage
🧰 Recommended Devices:
→ 🖥️ IBM FlashSystem 5200
→ 🖥️ NetApp AFF A250
→ 🖥️ Dell EMC PowerMax 2500
🧠 Software & Services:
→ 🧩 Management System: Manufacturer-specific web/CLI management (e.g., ONTAP, Unisphere)
→ 🧩 iSCSI or Fibre Channel: High-performance block access for VMs
→ 🧩 Multipathing / MPIO: Redundancy and load balancing for storage access
→ 🧩 Datastore for Production VMs: Main storage location for VM disks
💽 NAS – Mass Storage
🧰 Recommended Devices:
→ 🖥️ HPE Apollo 4200 Gen10 Plus
→ 🖥️ Dell PowerVault NX3240
→ 🖥️ Synology SA3600
🧠 Software & Services:
→ 🧩 ZFS, TrueNAS or HPE Storage Software: Secure, flexible storage management
→ 🧩 SMB Shares: File shares for Windows environments
→ 🧩 NFS or iSCSI: Storage provisioning for ESXi hosts
→ 🧩 Snapshots / Replication: Protection and duplication of data states
📼 Long-Term Backup
🧰 Recommended Devices:
→ 🖥️ HPE StoreEver MSL3040
→ 🖥️ IBM TS4300 Tape Library
→ 🖥️ Quantum Scalar i6
🧠 Software & Services:
→ 🧩 Veeam Backup & Replication: Tape backup support and archiving
→ 🧩 Archiving to Tape: Long-term retention on LTO media
→ 🧩 Long-Term Data Retention: Compliance with legal retention periods
🌐 Network – Switching & Routing
🧰 Recommended Devices:
→ 🖥️ Cisco Catalyst 9300X
→ 🖥️ Aruba 6300F Series
→ 🖥️ Juniper EX4400
🧠 Software & Services:
→ 🧩 Cisco IOS / ArubaOS / JunOS: Switch operating systems for enterprise networks
→ 🧩 CLI or Web Interface: Administration and configuration
→ 🧩 VLANs / QoS: Segmentation and prioritization in the network
→ 🧩 Network Management Systems: Centralized monitoring and automation
🔥 Firewall – Network Security
🧰 Recommended Devices:
→ 🖥️ Fortinet FortiGate 100F
→ 🖥️ Netgate 6100 (pfSense Plus)
→ 🖥️ Cisco Firepower 1120
🧠 Software & Services:
→ 🧩 FortiOS / pfSense / Firepower: Security operating systems with Layer 7 functionality
→ 🧩 Stateful Firewall: Packet inspection with connection tracking
→ 🧩 VPN (IPsec, OpenVPN): Secure remote access
→ 🧩 IDS/IPS, Web Filtering: Threat detection and content control
→ 🧩 Centralized Management: E.g., with FortiManager or pfSense HA
🔋 UPS – Power Supply
🧰 Recommended Devices:
→ 🖥️ APC Smart-UPS SRT Series
→ 🖥️ Eaton 9PX G2
→ 🖥️ Vertiv Liebert GXT5
🧠 Software & Services:
→ 🧩 PowerChute Business Edition: Monitoring & automated shutdown
→ 🧩 Power Outage Protection: Safeguarding against interruptions and power surges
→ 🧩 Battery Monitoring via SNMP: Central status reporting and monitoring system integration