How much easier will OS X Server make my working life?

Question

Hi folks, thanks for taking the time to read...
I'm involved in a business exporting kitchen appliances from the UK. We have a small number of staff operating in a number of locations - frequently travelling to our export location.
I have been considering setting up a server at home, but whilst I'm very competent in using OS X, Windows and general networking, I have never really tried to do anything more complicated. Firstly, am I going to be in for a nasty surprise?!
My main intention for the server is to host LightSpeed point of sale system - allowing me to monitor and administrate the stock and sales in our overseas warehouse. The client system would be in the warehouse many miles away, and staff there would log into my home server to register new goods arriving and process sales. Similarly, I could also process sales at my end.
I would also like to use the server as a backup solution for all the staff's computer data - including my large music collection. Can I assume that this will be an automatic benefit of the server, with the home directories automatically synced?
My main question is the cost-effectiveness of the whole thing... Do I go to a server hosting company (such as iweb-hosting.co.uk), do I use an existing Mac Mini with additional storage attached via firewire, do I go for a Mac Pro, or the Xserve!?
I get the impression that the Xserve has high additional costs, such as rack mounting etc... so I'd love to just use a Mac Pro which is of course very expandable. Are there any downsides to non-server hardware running the OS X Server operating system?
Input would be greatly appreciated! All comments/questions welcomed.
Thanks folks

Answer 1

I view LOM and remote console access as essential for any system less than immediately accessible. And for co-lo or computer (server) room environments, the Xserve design (and LOM) would be (is) my choice.
But beyond rack-space and mounting -- and the costs of same -- and the remote diagnostics and sensors and remote console -- yes, Mac Pro can be a very reasonable Mac-based server.
The calculation I'd use would involve the cost of the Mac Pro with the 10-client versus the cost of the Xserve, factoring in the co-lo rack-space prices for the 1U or 4U (including RAID) versus the Mac Pro (12U?) costs. Add in the costs of the network connection; part of the co-lo, or separately for non-col-lo.
756 Kb is a fairly common DSL up-link speed. 768 Kb up also is what your customers get in their downward direction. Peak.
Recognize that some ISPs will restrict servers and server functions within their network environment, either through contractual limits, or through technical limits and blocks, or (often) both. Inbound port 80/http might be blocked, and port 25/smtp can often be blocked out-bound. ISPs can provide business-class services that do offer unblocked port access, static IP and related services, and there's always T1/E1 (c. 1.54 Mb) or better. Local T1/E1 monthly prices tend to enforce the upper-bound on entry-level co-lo prices.
And if you're not accustomed to running a server, yes, a consultant might well help get this set up and running for you, and should also get the gear secured against attack. (My last set of freshly-connected boxes were probed and were then attacked within four hours of initial IP connection, sans any announcements anywhere.) Backups and other such also factor into the initial configuration.
If you're seeking a "target practice" box here, then yes, most certainly, a Mac Pro would make a fine local test platform for learning about servers and such.
Leopard discussions are premature, beyond what [Apple has posted|http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard>.
Regardless, the choices and trade-offs and the ultimate decision are going to be yours.