Tech Guru's, jut about to order a new server for BRISKODA etc.

This will replace the current server, possibly with 8.04lts and directadmin or plesk.

Sun Fire X4150 x64 Rack-Mount Server

2 x Quad-Core Intel Xeon E5440 processor (2x6MB L2, 2.83 GHz,

1333 MHz FSB, 80W),

8GB of memory (4x2GB PC2-5300 667 MHz ECC fully buffered

DDR2 DIMMs),

4x 146GB 10K RPM 2.5 SAS drives,

internal SAS RAID PCI-Express HBA,

DVD+/-RW drive,

2x PSU, embedded LOM, 4x 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports, 5x USB

2.0 ports, 3x 8-lane PCI-Express slots, . Standard Configuration.

RoHS-5.

Just need to be sure the sas raid card will do more than raid 1. Reason I've gone for SAS is it's going to be 600 a year(+vat) to host a 1u box over a 2u one. So unless there is a 600+Vat PA reason not to use SAS, let me know

Any other thoughts or comments warmly welcomed of course.

Tech Guru's, jut about to order a new server for BRISKODA etc.

This will replace the current server, possibly with 8.04lts and directadmin or plesk.

Sun Fire X4150 x64 Rack-Mount Server

2 x Quad-Core Intel Xeon E5440 processor (2x6MB L2, 2.83 GHz,

1333 MHz FSB, 80W),

8GB of memory (4x2GB PC2-5300 667 MHz ECC fully buffered

DDR2 DIMMs),

4x 146GB 10K RPM 2.5 SAS drives,

internal SAS RAID PCI-Express HBA,

DVD+/-RW drive,

2x PSU, embedded LOM, 4x 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports, 5x USB

2.0 ports, 3x 8-lane PCI-Express slots, . Standard Configuration.

RoHS-5.

Just need to be sure the sas raid card will do more than raid 1. Reason I've gone for SAS is it's going to be 600 a year(+vat) to host a 1u box over a 2u one. So unless there is a 600+Vat PA reason not to use SAS, let me know

Any other thoughts or comments warmly welcomed of course.

What drives with what controller please Colin and I'll send you a PM when I know.

Nice to see it is RoHS 5 and not 6 too

If you're saving £600 by taking the 1u with 4*2.5" SAS it makes sense but what about 4* 3.5" SATA (Fit in a 1U no problem) and using a USB DVD drive to install?

Are you wanting to run Raid 0+1 or Raid 5 on the 4 discs or something else all together.

I have a 1u solution that has 2 full dual Xeon systems in it that I know of if you wanted info. Each can have 2*HDD's too.

It's a charge based on consumptin of energy, as much as space. So that supermicro 2 intel board solution, would I suspect cost as much as two 1u boxes.

As to what controller, not sure it's a std sun build at the moment.

Raid 5 would be preferred, don't think I'll get much else keeping to the 1u form on 4 discs.

It's a charge based on consumptin of energy, as much as space. So that supermicro 2 intel board solution, would I suspect cost as much as two 1u boxes.

As to what controller, not sure it's a std sun build at the moment.

Raid 5 would be preferred, don't think I'll get much else keeping to the 1u form on 4 discs.

If you can find the make and model of the HBA and the discs I can probably provide you with a lot of info. Does the HBA have any external SAS or mini-SAS ports on it or just internal as this would provide a future upgrade path if you ran out of disk.

Any particular reason your moving away from ISPConfig?

I don't get along with it one bit. Thought I might grow to like it but I have not, I feel like I have to go a long way around every time to do anything...I can pick plesk up for a very small fee, and the dollar exchange rate means almost anything else is well priced at the moment..

Although to be honest if I farm mail out to google I don't need a control panel, but it's easier for others to help out than keys bla bla...

I know what you mean, i find things are not named and labelled very well and there is very little explanation anywhere as to what certain things are and do. I dont have any experience of plesk or directadmin, only cpanel, ispconfig and helm.

Server sounds like a bit of a beast anyway, hope it all goes to plan!

Another question to pose, what is the cause of the current down time?

DB or Web Server?

It it a lack of threads or a lack of RAM. If the latter and you are thinking of a true 64bit OS (Solaris 10 x86 perhaps) then maybe get even more RAM 16GB so each has 8GB to use.

The 146GB disks supplied could be 1 of 3:

Seagate ST9146802SS (146.8GB - 10000 RPM SAS) Disk Drive, RoHS:Y

Fujitsu MBB2147RC (146.8GB - 10000 RPM SAS) disk Drive, RoHS:Y

Hitachi HUC101414CSS300 (146.8GB - 10000 RPM SAS) Disk Drive, RoHS:Y

There are no known issues.

---

HBA is

LSI SAS3081E-S

x8 PCI Express

L3-01139-03C

.. which is internal port only.

As to current problem, it was a table that crashed. The pages are quite cpu / query intensive, mysql gets it's biggest kick from disk, then ram then cpu. This is as about as large as I would go, next step would be a dedicated memcache box, but I'm working on that.

I knew briskoda was a heavy going site, but i had no idea it needed so much power to keep it running. I suppose every forum page load is a fairly large db query when you think of the amount of stuff displayed on the page. :eek:

I knew briskoda was a heavy going site, but i had no idea it needed so much power to keep it running. I suppose every forum page load is a fairly large db query when you think of the amount of stuff displayed on the page. :eek:

It's not that, the software is quite heavy, on top of that are a selection of alterations.

So for each page there are a whole array of queries, avatar loads, smileys and so on. Couple that to updating views, who's viewing what, banner ads, then re-write it all, scan each post for bad words....fair bit going on in every few inches of rendered space.

So it's not heavy at it's heart, but all the nice full fat pies that we have turned on to make it easier, more friendly eat into things.

Plus I like having a lot of spare overhead, buying this box is eventually more cost effective than renting a lesser spec for the same duration. It's a much more logical choice.

You have created a monster colin!

Interesting for us mere mortals.

I don't understand any of it but still interesting none the less.

Keep up the good work Boss :thumbup:

The 146GB disks supplied could be 1 of 3:

Seagate ST9146802SS (146.8GB - 10000 RPM SAS) Disk Drive, RoHS:Y

Fujitsu MBB2147RC (146.8GB - 10000 RPM SAS) disk Drive, RoHS:Y

Hitachi HUC101414CSS300 (146.8GB - 10000 RPM SAS) Disk Drive, RoHS:Y

There are no known issues.

---

HBA is

LSI SAS3081E-S

x8 PCI Express

L3-01139-03C

.. which is internal port only.

SNIP...

There are no known issues.

SNIP...

:rofl:

You may have PM in the next few days.

I will check that card, but usually if you want full RAID (eg 5) you would want a megaraid series card.

Been assured it's a raid 5 and others model card. Ordered anyway.

Got a 60day trial, if it's no good

Been assured it's a raid 5 and others model card. Ordered anyway.

Got a 60day trial, if it's no good

I have a pile of cards on my desk and they have no raid built onto the cards.

They can have limited RAID with the correct firmware, but allegedly not RAID 5 I am told from a very reliable source.

You have PM for the rest

isnt that a controller for driving external SAS boxes rather than internal drives?

isnt that a controller for driving external SAS boxes rather than internal drives?

3801 is 8 external ports 3081 is 8 internal ports and the E is for PCIe version.

Same essential processor under it, but IIRC the internal ones come with the "RAID" firmware and the externals don't. However FWIAT the internal RAID firmware isn't a RAID 5 hardware solution.

3081E-R:

Basic Connectivity Line : SAS/SATA HBAs : Host Bus Adapters : Products : Storage : LSI

Compared to a megaraid:

MegaRAID SAS 8208ELP : MegaRAID SAS/SATA Entry Line : MegaRAID SAS/SATA : Internal RAID : Products : Storage : LSI

or this:

MegaRAID SAS 8204ELP : MegaRAID SAS/SATA Entry Line : MegaRAID SAS/SATA : Internal RAID : Products : Storage : LSI

or this:

MegaRAID SAS 8704ELP : MegaRAID SAS/SATA Value Line : MegaRAID SAS/SATA : Internal RAID : Products : Storage : LSI

i tend to use the intel badged version rather than the lsi ones...

hence not knowing the model numbers.

i tend to use the intel badged version rather than the lsi ones...

hence not knowing the model numbers.

All the fun isn't it

To be fair I just think a hardware RAID 5 card with some RAM makes most sense in a high CPU load situation.

Well I think from the card spec for a different card Colin showed me it should be under control

Nice shiny quite fast machine.

When you get a chance Colin, are you setting up 2* RAID 1 or 1 * RAID5 and is most of the disc access from the DB or is it similar amounts of DB and other stuff.

This will affect the stripe size you want to use along with other items for your RAID partition and you really have to choose high IOPs, High throughput or a compromise that will be ok for both but ideal for neither.

Has this turned up yet as I am wondering if the new look is connected to a hardware upgrade?