On 17 Feb 2003 18:51:55 -0500 "Perry E. Metzger" <perry@piermont.com> wrote:

> 
> Janne Snabb <snabb@epipe.fi> writes:
> > At least where I live (in Finland), the above requirements do not
> > match well with the systems built by local shops. So I am stuck
> > with servers from big brands. Having a full set of spares on-site
> > is not economical.
> 
> Don't always be so sure. If you have enough machines, one spare can
> often be far less than the price differential of paying for the big
> guy's box -- provided you plan and use machines that are largely
> identical.
> 

Vendors prefer to change models sufficiently frequently that this method
requires either lumpy purchasing (to hold sufficient stock to meet this
identical-ness) or living with minor grey differences in BIOS and boardspec.

Buying identical boxes comes with risks. We bought identical NDC xterms and
they all failed in identical manner when their identical batch of Ethernet
driver chips lost the magic fairy smoke.

Buying from the so-called Tier-1s is not without downsides, but making the
spares wearhousing and replacement their problem in exchange for cash is a
legitemate technique.

YMMV

-George