Elis sI appreciate the advice very much -- really, I do -- but when I price out the components to build the server myself, the numbers just don't ever seem to come out saving me more than about $300. And for that, I'd rather have someone else build the thing.
Yes, if I skimp out and choose some of the slower processors, etc., I can save more a little more money, but not all that terribly much. At most I might save a third -- not build it for a third. I tried to price out a server based on what you recommended. Here is what I came up with: AMD Dual-Core Opteron 270 Italy 1000MHz HT 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket 940 Processor - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103552 -- $461.00 x 2 = $922.00 TYAN S2895UA2NRF Dual Socket 940 NVIDIA nForce4 Professional SSI EEB 3.5 Server Motherboard - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813151149 -- $539.99 Patriot Signature 2GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM ECC Registered DDR 400 (PC 3200) System Memory - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220098 -- $286.99 x 4 = $1147.96 HITACHI Ultrastar 10K300 HUS103014FL3600 (08K2479) 147GB 10,000 RPM 8MB Cache SCSI Ultra320 68pin Hard Drive - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822145078 -- $279.99 x 2 = 559.98 Just that comes to $3,169.93 -- and there is still more to buy. Or am I doing something completely stupidly wrong in the way I am pricing this out? That could be. And if so, feel free to tell me -- but more importantly, please tell me how to do it right, because I just don't get it. I mean, yes, it makes sense that building it yourself should save a person money, but the numbers are just not coming out that way for me. Again, I thank you; but what am I missing? fp ----- Original Message ----- From: Mgr. Peter Tuharsky To: Hieromonk Peter Cc: ltsp-discuss@lists.sourceforge.net Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 3:12 AM Subject: Re: [Ltsp-discuss] Raid 1 or Raid 5? New server advice. Hi, Peter You're asking for experience, so I'd just add my own. I prefer using dual Opteron systems for servers and by the mean of performance, they have never disappointed me. Opteron just has better architecture (NUMA; Non-Uniform Memory Access) compared to Intel's old SMP (Symetric MultiProcessing). With Opteron, every processor has it's own builtin memory controller and own memory slots on mainboard, although another processor can of course ask for data that are stored in peer processor's memory. Each processor is directly connected to another processor. With Intel, everything goes thru FSB (Front-Side-Bus), even CPU-to-memory and CPU-to-CPU communication, so that system easily gets flooded by intense I/O or memory access even if processors don't have much to do. This is also the reason, why it often dosen't make much sense to add more and more processors to Intel SMP box; The problem usually lays in FSB bottleneck, not in lack of processor power. With Opteron, I have never experienced a situation when system was unresponsive. You can really feel the difference against any PC; the FSB is no more the bottleneck. You may want to save some money and build a system at Your own, because branded servers are expensive and hardly You get exactly what You want. On the other way, if You do have enough money, find the configuration that best fits Your needs and buy the HP or such server. Youl'll pay 3-times more, but You have guarantees and warm feeling :o) This is my advice: We have a local supplyer that is able to build systems exactly by our specification. You can use these components: -Tyan barebone system such as http://www.tyan.com/products/html/gt24b2891.html This way You get solid rack case with good power supply and motherboard inside, that altogether perfectly fit each other. Thus You do avoid problems with milimeter-wide disorders and non-fitting components that You'd face if You've built from separate MB, case and PSU components. -2x dual-core Opteron processors (for example model 270) -8x 1GB ECC registered memory (manual should instruct You, how to use the memory slots to gain fast dual-channel memory access) -The Tyan barebones are in several variants, for example the GT24 has a variants for SATA or SCSI disks. I'll go with SCSI, buy some hw RAID controller (for example the ADAPTEC 2130SLP for 64-bit 133MHz PCI-X slot) -4x identical disks (I'd choose Seagate). Install 3 disks in RAID5 configuration and leave the 4th disk aside, unplugged, for the case of malfunction of one of the three. And that's it, server made of quality, professional components for 1/3rd of price of branded server. Please note, that I have never used EXACTLY this server configuration. I'm only giving my best advice. I work with similar, however less powerful (2x single core Opteron, 2GB memory) and tower-based servers (Thermaltake case), the newer of them based on Tyan motherboard. Currently our supplier is going to build two new systems from Tyan barebones (GT20 (B2865) and GT24 (B2881G24S4-LC)) for us. I hope these information are of any value for You. Peter ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security? 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