The Total Cost of Ownership

The total cost of ownership
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Introduction
Running applications in an offline mode should pose a significant challenge in the
modern technological world. Murdoch University cannot be an exception because it has both
regular and distance students who require to use Cisco packet tracer and open-source EVE_NG
for practical sessions. Similarly, running Ubuntu Linux and acquiring a computer that can
support its operations remains a challenge for students because they cannot afford computers. In
this regard, changing to a centralized approach is a suitable proposal that should be adopted. To
change from desktop-based applications to a centralized system, Murdoch University should
consider creating a data center with a dedicated server (Chen, Irving & Peng, 2016). Considering
the number of students who would be accessing these applications, the server should be able to
accommodate operational stress and be available at any time. To make the implementation of the
server a success, hardware and software should be highly considered (Uzaman, Shuja, Maqsood,
Rehman & Mustafa, 2019). The primary focus would be on both hardware and software
specifications, purchase costs and maintenance costs within a specified project lifetime of 5
years. Similarly, hardware models, software version and system performance features would be
addressed. This helps university management to determine all requirements as it plans to set up a
reliable server for its internal use.
Hardware requirements
To have a successful implementation of the proposed infrastructure, Lenovo
ThinkSystem SR860 server would be considered suitable (List, 2019). It has four sockets, and it
features 25 U modern standard rack and the can support GPUs. The server would run on
hardware specifications such as 100 CPU cores, and its model would be Intel Xeon Processor.
The processor is incorporated with Intel Turbo 2.0 which is a boost technology to enable

processor cores to run to its maximum speed (Bhardwaj, Jain & Jain, 2010). Though it is rear to
have CPU server utilization at 100%, during such instances Intel Xeon Processor makes it
possible. The SR860 server model makes it possible to upgrade on memory and processor
requirements. Due to its large storage capacity, it makes it possible to keep up with the pace of
the growing data needs. Considering the nature of the server required by Murdoch University,
SR860 can be deemed to be the best match because its data would be growing over time. To
make the server resilient, 1.5 TB RAM model 77801PU with the capability to support RDIMMs
would be preferred. Lenovo has developed two models; one designed for China and the other
designed for EMEA countries. Important to note is that these models are designed to allow users
to choose which model best suites operational standards. With such a RAM capacity, the
performance of the server should be very high to fulfill functional requirements. The SR860
models support CPU upgrade and can be expanded to meet the university's demand of 40 TB
redundant storage space. Such a space would offer the ability to run on more than one storage
which makes it possible to run Cisco packet tracer and open-source EVE_NG in parallel mode
(Sharma et al., 2017). Finally, the UPS should be considered to avoid downtime due to a power
supply issue. When the primary source of power goes down, the Uninterruptable Power Supply
(UPS) model RT11kVA Tower UPS (230V) should be able to support the server for 30 minutes.
The UPS would be stored on a different rack due to its size (Kliazovich, Arzo, Granelli, Bouvry
& Khan, 2013). The SR860 server has either 1or three year warranty depending on the type of
the system. Model 7X70 has a 1-year warranty, and 7X69 has a 3-year warranty. In this case, a
three-year warranty would be suitable because it would reduce the maintenance costs of the
server.
Hardware and software purchase price