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| = New System Hardware = | This page collects information on the hardware we plan to install at a colocation provider as part of our new hosting infrastructure. Some older discussion and similar stuff is on NewSystemHardwareArchive. |
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| During the HCoop IRC meeting on June 24, 2006, the group decided that it would based it's new system architecture on the following pieces of hardware: | = System setup = |
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| * Two robust servers, one that doesn't allow normal user logins, and one that does. * One switch to form a LAN between these servers. * One serial port device, to facilitate remote access to our servers. |
Currently, what we know are the uses for the three machines we will base our infrastructure on. We also know our Abulafia machine configuration, and Justin Leitgeb's to-be-donated server configuration. What we need to come up with, is the ideal setup for the third machine that we will have to buy. So, the machine configurations and intended uses follow: |
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| Also, it was mentioned that we should research hardware support contracts from any vendor that will be selling us equipment. | == Justin Leitgeb's donation: Dell PowerEdge 2850 == |
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| Additionally, group decided that the server that HCoop currently owns, Abulafia, will be brought to he.net for shell service. This will follow a necessary re-load of the OS software at a time to be determined later. | * Processor: 2 x 2.8 GHz * RAM: 4 GB * Disks: * 4 x 10K Seagate Cheetah SCSI drives, 73GB '''and''' * 2 x 10K Seagate Cheetah SCSI drives, 36GB * Extra: RAID kit, with battery, etc., 256 MB RAID cache, 2 power supplies |
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| This page will serve as a forum for collaborative research on the pieces of hardware that we need. | '''Intended use: fileserver and host for all services that don't involve dynamic content provided by non-admins. No user logins.''' |
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| == Servers == | == HCoop's currently-underused machine Abulafia == |
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| We will be purchasing two servers, which will be configured and sent to he.net for colocation. | * Processor: 1 x 900 MHz * RAM: 512 MB * Disks: 40 GB RAID 1 (2 x 40 GB 7200 RPM ATA drives) * Extra: 3Ware 6400 PCI ATA RAID controller |
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| === Desired Features === | '''Intended use: refurbished slightly to serve as a generic shell server and the only machine where usage not strictly related to "Internet hosting" is permitted.''' |
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| These servers should be as redundant as possible. At this point, we cannot afford to have less than one point of failure in many areas, so we should look for the following features in our new servers: | == New server, for which we need to come up with hardware specifications == |
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| * Redundant power supplies. * Hardware RAID. * Dual CPU's, AMD seems to be a stronger option than Intel |
* Processor: Dual AMD 248 * RAM: 2 GB RAM * Disks: 2 x 73 RAID 1 SCSI * Extra: Should be 1U. Goal is to make it processor intensive, and only disk-heavy enough to ensure a high level of uptime. Other considerations such as a preference for AMD and the vendor Penguin Computing that have been expressed on the list and in meetings should be followed here. |
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| ==== Differences Between the Servers ==== | '''Intended use: dynamic web content and any other Internet services that involve running arbitrary code from members (including custom daemons, etc.)''' |
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| The admin-only server will hopefully be serving an AFS file system, which means that fancier kinds of RAID are justified there. The all-members server can get away with cheaper (and maybe even faster) solutions for local disk access. | JustinLeitgeb says: |
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| JustinLeitgeb thinks that perhaps RAID 1 would work on the all-members server, and either RAID 5 or RAID 10 on the admin server. It should be RAID 10 if we can afford it, or RAID 5 if we're shorter on cash. :) | The model that I like best for this machine of the previous configurations is the Penguin Altus 1400. It is a 1U machine with hardware SCSI RAID listing for $3463 [http://www.hcoop.net/~leitgebj/hcoop_servers/penguin_web_server.ps (postscript)] [http://www.hcoop.net/~leitgebj/hcoop_servers/penguin_web_server.pdf (PDF)][[BR]] |
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| There may be other factors influencing different configuration choices between the servers. | We could go with SATA, but I would only do this if we can do it with hot-swappable disks in a 1U case. I suppose that SATA could be a better choice even if it isn't hot-swappable once we get a cluster of web servers... maybe we can get SATA now and live with the consequences until we reach this point. Ideas?[[BR]] I think that we should also negotiate with Penguin on the phone over this configuration. |
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| === Proposed Models and Vendors === | == Switch == |
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| Vendors: | We are proceeding under the assumption that we'll use ShaunEmpie's donation (see HardwareDonations), a Nortel (Baystack) 380 switch. He says: |
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| * [http://www.penguincomputing.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=172&Itemid=230 Penguin Computing] * [http://www.dell.com/ Dell] * [http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=M&Category_Code=allracks Monarch Computer Systems] |
It is not brand new but is working. Here is [http://vpit.net/es380-guide.pdf a guide] that I was able to find to give anyone interested a more in depth view of it. |
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| Models: | ES380 AC Power Specs: * Input current: 1.5A to 100 AC * Input voltage (rms): 100 to 240 VAC at 47 to 63 Hz * Power consumption: 150 W * Thermal rating: 1000 BTU/hr maximum |
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| * Possible web server configuration from [http://www.penguincomputing.com Penguin] [http://www.hcoop.net/~leitgebj/hcoop_servers/penguin_web_server.ps (postscript)] [http://www.hcoop.net/~leitgebj/hcoop_servers/penguin_web_server.pdf (PDF)] * Possible admin server configuration from [http://www.penguincomputing.com Penguin] [http://www.hcoop.net/~leitgebj/hcoop_servers/penguin_admin_server.ps (postscript)] [http://www.hcoop.net/~leitgebj/hcoop_servers/penguin_admin_server.pdf (PDF)] * Possible web server from [http://www.dell.com/ Dell] [http://www.hcoop.net/~leitgebj/hcoop_servers/dell_web_server.ps (postscript)] [http://www.hcoop.net/~leitgebj/hcoop_servers/dell_web_server.pdf (PDF)], based on the Dell PowerEdge 1850. * Possible admin server from [http://www.dell.com/ Dell] [http://www.hcoop.net/~leitgebj/hcoop_servers/dell_admin_server.ps (postscript)] [http://www.hcoop.net/~leitgebj/hcoop_servers/dell_admin_server.pdf (PDF)], based on the Dell PowerEdge 2850 (offers more space for hard disks in our primary file server). |
== Serial console == |
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| Note that when I checked Dell dropped something like $1200 off of the price of each server over $4000, so we should expect some significant discounts. Whichever company we plan on going with, we may be able to negotiate lower prices by emphasizing that we may buy more in the future, etc. The Penguin option doesn't seem to have redundant power supplies, which is disappointing. Does anyone know of a non-Dell vendor that can provide redundant power supplies? == Ethernet Switch == === Desired Features === * Gigabit * 5 ports minimum === Proposed Models and Vendors === [http://newegg.com/ Newegg] has been recommended to several of us. * ($56.99) Highly-rated Netgear switch that is not rack-mountable [[http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833122111 link ]] * ($249.99) Level One 16-port rack-mountable switch [[http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833118021 link ]] MichaelOlson thinks that we should go with the Netgear switch. It has been rated as a very reliable product, and is very affordable. == Serial Port == Docelic, or other users -- please update this section since I am entirely ignorant about these devices! :) === Desired Features === === Proposed Models and Vendors === [http://www.cyclades.com/ Cyclades] was mentioned as one vendor of serial port devices which are linux-friendly. |
Some device to simulate local login over the Internet could be a life saver. JustinLeitgeb mentions a special card that Dell sells that would work with his donation. |
This page collects information on the hardware we plan to install at a colocation provider as part of our new hosting infrastructure. Some older discussion and similar stuff is on NewSystemHardwareArchive.
1. System setup
Currently, what we know are the uses for the three machines we will base our infrastructure on. We also know our Abulafia machine configuration, and Justin Leitgeb's to-be-donated server configuration. What we need to come up with, is the ideal setup for the third machine that we will have to buy. So, the machine configurations and intended uses follow:
1.1. Justin Leitgeb's donation: Dell PowerEdge 2850
- Processor: 2 x 2.8 GHz
- RAM: 4 GB
- Disks:
4 x 10K Seagate Cheetah SCSI drives, 73GB and
- 2 x 10K Seagate Cheetah SCSI drives, 36GB
- Extra: RAID kit, with battery, etc., 256 MB RAID cache, 2 power supplies
Intended use: fileserver and host for all services that don't involve dynamic content provided by non-admins. No user logins.
1.2. HCoop's currently-underused machine Abulafia
- Processor: 1 x 900 MHz
- RAM: 512 MB
- Disks: 40 GB RAID 1 (2 x 40 GB 7200 RPM ATA drives)
- Extra: 3Ware 6400 PCI ATA RAID controller
Intended use: refurbished slightly to serve as a generic shell server and the only machine where usage not strictly related to "Internet hosting" is permitted.
1.3. New server, for which we need to come up with hardware specifications
- Processor: Dual AMD 248
- RAM: 2 GB RAM
- Disks: 2 x 73 RAID 1 SCSI
- Extra: Should be 1U. Goal is to make it processor intensive, and only disk-heavy enough to ensure a high level of uptime. Other considerations such as a preference for AMD and the vendor Penguin Computing that have been expressed on the list and in meetings should be followed here.
Intended use: dynamic web content and any other Internet services that involve running arbitrary code from members (including custom daemons, etc.)
JustinLeitgeb says:
The model that I like best for this machine of the previous configurations is the Penguin Altus 1400. It is a 1U machine with hardware SCSI RAID listing for $3463 [http://www.hcoop.net/~leitgebj/hcoop_servers/penguin_web_server.ps (postscript)] [http://www.hcoop.net/~leitgebj/hcoop_servers/penguin_web_server.pdf (PDF)]BR
We could go with SATA, but I would only do this if we can do it with hot-swappable disks in a 1U case. I suppose that SATA could be a better choice even if it isn't hot-swappable once we get a cluster of web servers... maybe we can get SATA now and live with the consequences until we reach this point. Ideas?BR I think that we should also negotiate with Penguin on the phone over this configuration.
1.4. Switch
We are proceeding under the assumption that we'll use ShaunEmpie's donation (see HardwareDonations), a Nortel (Baystack) 380 switch. He says:
It is not brand new but is working. Here is [http://vpit.net/es380-guide.pdf a guide] that I was able to find to give anyone interested a more in depth view of it.
ES380 AC Power Specs:
- Input current: 1.5A to 100 AC
- Input voltage (rms): 100 to 240 VAC at 47 to 63 Hz
- Power consumption: 150 W
- Thermal rating: 1000 BTU/hr maximum
1.5. Serial console
Some device to simulate local login over the Internet could be a life saver. JustinLeitgeb mentions a special card that Dell sells that would work with his donation.