[Ilugc] Re: linux server
- From: siva@xxxxxxxxxxx (Sivasankar Chander)
- Date: Thu Nov 4 09:51:56 2004
(Warning: long post)
I have to build a couple of linux boxes from
scratch(right from choosing computer components to
install the proper distro) in Chennai.
These are the system needs
a. should run mysql with 4.X or 5.X(this should be
accessed thru socket bind )
b. kernel 2.6.x is expected.
c. no need for hi end graphics cards.
d. the motherboard doesnt need to have any gaming pc
or personal pc features.
e. AMD socket A is good enough, or anyother processor
at a reasonable rate.
If you need to build a Linux server, stability and driver quality are
the main criteria, not speed. I'm proceeding with the assumption that
driver quality is very good and not an issue for the chipsets from Intel,
AMD, NVidia, Broadcom (Serverworks) and Via. These are the only chipsets
I'd consider - SiS and other Taiwanese vendors are out of
consideration.
The most important HW issues, IMHO, for a stable server meant for 24/7
use are:
1) The quality of the power supply (preferably an over-engineered one from
the likes of Delta or similar)
2) Heat (more about this below)
3) Motherboard stability (more below).
SMPS: Be very picky about the power supply, if necessary paying money to buy
a sample to dissect and examine. It must have MOVs to protect the inputs,
over-engineered line filtering, over-engineered heat sinks, everything
(You probably need to be an SMPS designer to be able to do this
effectively). In my experience, there are a few companies that are pretty
good for server SMPSes - Delta Electronics (OEM suppliers to IBM, HP),
and a few others. These aren't going to be cheap - a well-engineered
server SMPS rated at 450W or so costs anywhere from $100-$200 retail.
Heat: To most people, this means bigger heatsinks and more fans. I have a
very contrarian view - I try to pick a CPU that produces very little heat
in comparison its performance. Roughly, this list contains:
1) Via C3 or Eden 667/733 MHz (<10 W)
2) Transmeta Efficeon or Crusoe 600-1.6 GHz (~10 W)
3) Intel Banias Pentium M/ Celeron M 1.2- 2 GHz(~25 W)
4) Intel Mendocino Celeron 366-533 MHz (~20 W)
5) Intel Tualatin Celeron or PIII 1-1.5 GHz (~25 W)
6) Intel Coppermine-T PIII 1 GHz (~30 W)
(Choices below need further research)
7) AMD mobile Athlon 64 1.5-2 GHz (~35 W)
8) AMD Athlon 64/2800-4000 1.6-2.4 GHz (~50 W)
9) AMD Opteron 2xx 1.4-2.4 GHz (~80 W)
(This isn't even worth further research)
10) Intel Madison/Deerfield Itanium 2 800 MHz-1.7 GHz (up to 130 W)
(It doesn't include Athlon 32s and P4s either 32 or 64, which aren't suitable
for 24/7 use - more below).
Of this list, 2 & 3 are ruled out because you can't get motherboards for them
in India. 7-9 are possibilities that need researching (the best, but with
limited availability). 10 isn't even a possibility worth researching, it
isn't x86-compatible.
That leaves 1, 4, 5 & 6. I have machines with each of
these CPUs, and 6 (Coppermine-T) is good - but very hard to obtain. These
were the last generation Coppermines that Intel produced, and have many of
the Tualatin features, including the integrated heat-spreader. But they're
not available now.
That brings 5, the Tualatin. It's very good, still available, but good server
motherboards for them (with features like ECC, on-board SATA, etc.) are
limited - only the Serverworks HE comes to mind, and it's hard to find.
That leaves 1 & 4, which are relatively slow (the C3 tops out at about
1 GHz, and the Mendocino Celeron at 533 MHz), but both are excellent
choices for a server, especially the Mendocino Celeron. Here's why:
1) They're cheap and widely available - the Mendocino Celeron is available
in the grey market for ~Rs.600 or less.
2) Both have superb packages for heat conductivity, with integrated heat
spreaders.
3) Both have a wide choice of motherboards that support them, especially
the Mendocino Celeron. In particular, the most reliable chipsets ever
made (with ECC SDRAM suppport, etc.), the Intel 440BX or its predecessor
the 440LX, both support the Mendocino Celeron.
You'll notice that I haven't recommended either the P4 or the Athlon, and
there's a simple reason. Both dissipate tremendous heat, and most recent
motherboards for them are consumer-grade, with poor quality electrolytics.
Couple Indian summer temperatures, dust on the fans and heatsinks, and
the effect of heat on low-grade electrolytics, and you're guaranteed a
rapid failure (outside of the 1 year warranty period, but usually within
3 years). No Athlon or P4 (motherboard + CPU) combination is reliable
enough for 24/7 use. In particular, the P4, especially the higher FSB
versions (533 to 1066 MHz) does not meet timing margins for the entire
range of ambient temperatures commonly encountered during Indian summers.
Pay attention to the heatsinks/fans - if possible, use an oversized one
running at low RPMs in preference to the original small OEM one running
at high RPM.
Motherboard stability: Basically, a reliable well-known chipset platform,
with ECC support and high-quality engineering. The choices are 440LX/BX/GX,
Serverworks LE/HE, and AMD 81xx, all which are highly regarded. The AMD
is for the Opterons (choice 9), which needs further research. The 440GX
for the PIII Xeons was also pretty good, but those Xeons were expensive
and hard to obtain. 440LX/BX, supporting Mendocino Celeron/PII/PIII are
widely available at commodity prices (Rs.1k-3k) and would be my
recommendation.
Conclusions: If you want low cost, the Mendocino Celeron gives a
very good ratio of cost to reliability, running on
a 440LX or 440BX motherboard, with ECC SDRAM. This combination has
uptime potential (continuous running) of anywhere from 1 to 5 years
without rebooting. They're relatively slow, at 533 MHz, but that
doesn't matter for a server. Just stuff it with a Gigabyte of ECC RAM.
Cost: < Rs.2k for CPU + motherboard
(As an alternative, if you can get hold of a Serverworks motherboard
with Tualatin support, the Tualatin Celeron 1 to 1.4 GHz wins hands down.)
If price is not a criterion, the winner is an Opteron/AMD 81xx setup
with registered ECC DDR, and that's going to cost 10 times as much for
about 6 times the performance. Also needs further research on stability.
Cost: Rs.30k upwards for CPU(s) + motherboard.
A middle of the road alternative is an AMD Athlon 64/2800+, which has
excellent price/performance, but motherboard reliability needs further
research. Cost: Rs.12k upwards for CPU + motherboard.
-Siva
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