Rugged Server

The Aertight Server Platform is a new type of Rugged Server.

In the past... only specialty industries benefited from the robust industrial grade components which were typically installed in ruggedized server systems. Armed Forces, Utilities, and some transportation industries were among the first to realize the benefits. They understood that installing a rugged server meant they could have a much longer mean time before failure (MTF) on the systems which they used to host their applications. Increasing the mean time before failure solved issues with project refresh cycles, deploying large fleets of on-site IT personnel, and keeping vast quantities of parts onhand. However, adoption of rugged servers has been slowed due to their typical departure from the "standard, modular" PC based design that has become the standard for computer systems.

Other elements that prevented the wide use of rugged servers include the complexity of internal components, specialty operating systems, and fears of being locked into a proprietary design. These types of problems meant that only larger entities could afford rugged servers, and staff their maintenance teams adequately.

So what was the solution? Recently, some rugged server manufacturers have moved to using the cloud as a way to take the burden of maintaining a rugged server. Their solution involves using an always-on internet connection to monitor hardware, software, application states, and user behavior. With the appropriate paid level of service plan (of course), they can take some of the headaches of maintaining these systems away from onsite operators.

At Aertight, we know our customers are looking for a rugged server that they can operate, maintain, and troubleshoot, on-site without opening up their network to remote connections outside of their organization.

When we began to design our rugged server, we sought the feedback from the engineers we had worked with on our projects.

Here's what they told us:

Operators want a display on their rugged server- Applications always need to be restarted, and operators need to be coached though troubleshooting steps for custom programs. Having a monitor to be able to see whats going on is key. The Aertight Server Platform has a built-in 10in touchscreen display right on the front.
Operators want a modular design- Parts may need to be swapped out on-site, visual inspections need to be done. Our engineers don't want parts to be easily accessible to anyone who's just walking by. The Aertight Server Platform is a rugged server with a completely modular, tool-less, and upgradeable design.
Operators want Microsoft Windows- Linux is an amazing operating system, but has an enormous learning curve and is often configured in very proprietary ways. Operators want the familiarity of windows. If they change the applications hosted on their rugged server, they have more options for applications that are compatible with their rugged server's operating system. If a customer prefers, the Aertight Server Platform "can" run Linux, but we include Microsoft Windows Server 2019 standard, with downgrade options available.

Interested in learning more about Aertight's rugged server? The Aertight Server Platform starts at $10K and is easy to deploy and manage.