Server components

Infrastructure

Server components are the hardware elements of a server: processors, memory, storage drives, power supplies and network controllers. Their choice determines the performance, reliability and scalability of the server infrastructure.

What are server components
Processors and memory
Storage drives and their types
Power supplies and redundancy
Network components and expansion

What are server components

Server components are the internal “hardware” of a server that ensures its operation. Unlike components of an ordinary PC, server parts are designed for round-the-clock load, increased reliability and a long service life. The main units are the processor (CPU), random access memory (RAM), storage drives (SSD/HDD), power supplies (PSU), network controllers and expansion boards. Server processors support more cores, memory and communication channels, and server memory uses error correction (ECC), which prevents failures in long computations.

Processors and memory

Server processors (for example, Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC series) have dozens of cores and support multiple threads per core, large amounts of RAM and extended encryption. The volume and configuration of random access memory depend on the tasks: from 32–64 GB for file servers to hundreds of gigabytes for databases and virtualization. ECC memory corrects single-bit errors and is critical for banking and financial systems, where a failure can distort data. Multi-channel mode is often used, increasing the speed of exchange with memory when installing modules in pairs or quadruples.

Storage drives and their types

For data storage, SSD drives on flash memory (fast, for operating systems and databases) and HDD (capacious, for archives and backup copies) are used. Server SSDs are distinguished by an increased write endurance and built-in protection against power loss. Modern servers use NVMe drives with the PCIe interface, which give the highest speed compared to SATA. For reliability, drives are combined into RAID arrays: mirroring (RAID 1), striping with parity (RAID 5/6) and other options that provide fault tolerance and data recovery when a disk fails.

Power supplies and redundancy

Server power supplies (PSU) are designed for high power and have efficiency certification (80 Plus). For continuity of operation, 1+1 redundancy is used: two identical power supplies, where if one fails, the second, working independently, takes over the load. Power supplies are connected to the UPS, which protects the server from voltage surges and short-term outages. Power management allows remotely powering on, powering off and monitoring the server status through management controllers (BMC, iLO, iDRAC).

Network components and expansion

Network controllers ensure the server's connection to the network: from built-in ports to high-speed adapters at 10/25/40/100 Gbps. In virtual environments, network cards support splitting into virtual interfaces. Expansion boards (RAID controllers, GPU accelerators) add functionality: machine learning, video transcoding, cryptographic computations. All components are installed in standard slots of the server platform, which simplifies modernization. The right balance of components matters more than individual “top-end” parts: a bottleneck sharply reduces overall server performance.

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Frequently asked questions

What are server components?

Server components are the hardware elements of a server: processors, RAM, storage drives, power supplies and network controllers. They are designed for round-the-clock load and high reliability.

How do server parts differ from consumer ones?

They are designed for constant load, support more cores, memory and communication channels. Server memory uses ECC error correction, and storage drives have an increased life and protection against power loss.

What is ECC memory?

ECC is memory error correction. ECC modules detect and correct single-bit errors, which is critical for databases and financial systems, where data correctness matters most.

What storage drives are placed in servers?

SSDs for operating systems and databases (fast, with a large write endurance) and HDDs for archives and backup copies (capacious). NVMe drives over PCIe give maximum speed.

What is RAID?

RAID is combining storage drives into an array for reliability and speed. Mirroring (RAID 1) duplicates data, striping with parity (RAID 5/6) stores recovery information, allowing a disk failure to be survived.

Why does a server need two power supplies?

1+1 redundancy: if one power supply fails, the second takes over the load. This ensures continuous operation and the ability to replace without stopping the server.

What is a management controller (BMC)?

A BMC (iLO, iDRAC) is a server service board that allows remotely powering on, powering off and monitoring the server even when the operating system is off. It is the basis of remote administration.

How to choose components for a server?

Start from the tasks: a file server requires capacious drives, databases need fast CPUs and a lot of ECC memory, virtualization needs a balance of cores and RAM. Balance is important: a bottleneck reduces all performance.