Depending on what kind of risk you want to run, you might consider a split
approach to centralizing the system. Pick two sites to run "central"
servers and split the work between them.  Add redundent (or use Internet
access as a backup) communications lines betweeen the other sites and both
of these, then keep the two servers in sync with a replication product,
and you have a high availability type solution that may still having
significat cost savings over distributed systems (considering all costs -
including the cost of downtime).

Richard G.


"James Clark,Florida" wrote:
>
> First picture different scenarios and calculate the cost of each. 1) Machine
> in every plant. 6 plants - 6 HP's @ $100,000. Minimum 6 people (1 for each
> site) $40/hr (Hey HP doesn't need watching full time) est. # of hours. Cost
> / plant of machine not functioning / hr. (Not knowing what the plants do -
> wild guess $10,000/hr) I do not include the staff from central office, they
> have to be there no matter which scenario you choose. 2) Big machine at
> central office. $250,000. Cost of machine being down 6 * 10,000/hr =
> $60,000/hr.
> So you see how it is done. Other costs to include is communication. Added
> software or hardware to interconnect. Staff numbers. Complexity of modifying
> code for each scenario. Also include a mix of options. Instead of all sites
> being independant just have some. As the other poster mentioned the ease of
> adding a site. Do that until a HP can be brought on site.
> All numbers are fictitious and in no wise represent any future or past
> measures of system price or performance or validity. Just given as examples.
>
> James
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HP-3000 Systems Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of Bonnie Roman
> Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 10:53 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: need help with cost analysis
>
> Hi Gang,
>
> My boss asked me to do a cost analysis but I'm not sure how to start, what
> are
> the things should be considered and what not.
>
> The question is:
> Would it be cost effective to have one huge 3k that would be located in our
> MIS
> corporate headquarters supporting 6-8 plants remotely or instead purchase
> 6-8
> smaller boxes for each of our plants?
>
> Private replies are encourage:-)
>
> Bonnie Roman
> HP3000 System Admin.
> Quebecor World
> 630-285-6581


--
Richard L Gambrell
Database Administrator and
Consultant to Computing Services at UTC

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