Dual Xeon OS choice

[heffe2001]

I'm getting a new dual 2.8 xeon server this week, and I'm going to be setting it up for my Sage main server (no viewing, only as a server). I wondered if I should use XP Pro, or server 2003? Right now I have 2x Connexant 2388x cards in it, and a Adaptec VideOh PCI card, as well as a firewire/gig e-net combo card (for my HD cable box), anybody know if those are all compatible with 2003? (I know the firewire card is, but not 100% sure on the others, although I'd bet the Connexant cards will work, not so sure about the Adaptec). I'm also using cable boxes connected to the Connexant cards via serial ports, so hopefully that woudln't have any problems with 2003 either.

Basically I'm wondering if 2003 would handle dual xeons better than standard XP Pro, and if I'd see any real benefit from going that route. I have a spare 2k3 license from a microsoft show I went to last year, so I wouldn't have to order a new license .

PC should be here the 22nd, but I won't really get to mess with it until this weekend, so I have a few days to mull it over .

[waltraud]

Originally Posted by heffe2001

I'm getting a new dual 2.8 xeon server this week, and I'm going to be setting it up for my Sage main server (no viewing, only as a server). I wondered if I should use XP Pro, or server 2003? Right now I have 2x Connexant 2388x cards in it, and a Adaptec VideOh PCI card, as well as a firewire/gig e-net combo card (for my HD cable box), anybody know if those are all compatible with 2003? (I know the firewire card is, but not 100% sure on the others, although I'd bet the Connexant cards will work, not so sure about the Adaptec). I'm also using cable boxes connected to the Connexant cards via serial ports, so hopefully that woudln't have any problems with 2003 either.

Basically I'm wondering if 2003 would handle dual xeons better than standard XP Pro, and if I'd see any real benefit from going that route. I have a spare 2k3 license from a microsoft show I went to last year, so I wouldn't have to order a new license .

PC should be here the 22nd, but I won't really get to mess with it until this weekend, so I have a few days to mull it over .

I guess it depends on what you want to use the box for apart from sagetv

If you need DNS Server, DHCP Server, provide file shares for lots of users, better user and security managment etc. or use an application which requires it I would install 2003 server.

Most drivers for multimedia hardware and most apps like are probably not supported or even tested on W2003 so if you do not need any of the features that W2003 provides I would install XP .

Edit: XP should handle the dual XEON just as well as Windows 2003.

[insomniac]

Its been my experience that 2003 is much more stable than XP. I run quite a few different cards w/o issue, although I do nto run anything adaptec....

I.

[heffe2001]

Well, I've got an old Dell Poweredge here running 2k3 w/Exchange 2003, doing DNS, DHCP, WINS and a couple other things (file shares for some backups & stuff). Don't need this machine to really do anything else other than Sage. I've just got a spare license laying around for a 5 user 2k3, and may just go ahead and use it (beats having to call India and getting someone there to move my license from my old Sage box to the new one anyway). Now I just need to figure out how to move 900mb or so of data onto the new box without loosing anything .

If I can get my tuners working under 2k3 I'll probably go ahead and do it. Just wish the Xeons were 64-bit .

[insomniac]

Im running 2 XEON's dual core (EMT64) in 64 bit. Sure is nice to see 8 processors

Originally Posted by heffe2001

Well, I've got an old Dell Poweredge here running 2k3 w/Exchange 2003, doing DNS, DHCP, WINS and a couple other things (file shares for some backups & stuff). Don't need this machine to really do anything else other than Sage. I've just got a spare license laying around for a 5 user 2k3, and may just go ahead and use it (beats having to call India and getting someone there to move my license from my old Sage box to the new one anyway). Now I just need to figure out how to move 900mb or so of data onto the new box without loosing anything .

If I can get my tuners working under 2k3 I'll probably go ahead and do it. Just wish the Xeons were 64-bit .