What socket is the processor slot in the VMServer? I see it has a Core 2 Q8200 in it. I have a Core 2 Q9550 laying around I would trade 1:1 for.
The 9550 is slightly faster, way more L2 cache, and has the VT extensions. On Sun, Aug 26, 2012 at 9:32 AM, Stefan Penner <stefan.pen...@gmail.com>wrote: > +1 Improve a VM server, over a farm of machines that will be totally under > utilized. > > On 2012-08-26, at 10:27 AM, Mark Jenkins <m...@parit.ca> wrote: > > > I watched the blade discussion with interest. > > > > The amount of compute capacity being contemplated is massive -- it's > well beyond the peak resources needs of everything in the server room at > present. > > (that is, if we ignore anyone doing optimal Golomb rulers, prime > hunting, RSA numbers, etc, as these are infinite needs of indefinite scope > that suck up whatever you throw up at them) > > > > If your goal is to just consolidate the current workloads in the most > energy efficient way it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money on an > action that puts even more capacity online. Whatever you make available to > people will in the end get used. [that is, we will often have a higher > percentage of the blades blazing] > > (even if you ban or put a limit on the infinite-indefinite stuff) > > > > You don't need to spend $2,500 when $400 to $900 in upgrades to our VM > server would be enough to consolidate everything running right now and with > capacity to spare. As such, I am launching a capital capital campaign for > that: > > http://skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Vmsrv#Capital_Campaign > > > > Also seeking project funding: > > > http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Proposed_projects#VM_server_hardware_upgrades > > """ > > Current upgrade project is to switch to a CPU with VT extensions, which > will improve VM performance, allow for 64bit guest OS, and also make more > guest operating systems available that are currently a no-go with > Virtualbox and no hardware extensions such as OpenBSD and FreeBSD. > > """ > > > > There's a stronger case for power use ROI here -- not only because less > money is being spent but total compute capacity is actually going down. > That is, except for those doing infinite-indefinites, we'll be taking heavy > servers offline that are mostly running idle. > > > > ------------------------ > > > > And now, to the subject line, as there's no interesting debate in the > above. > > > > Someday we will grow and not be saying "shit, we need to consolidate and > reduce energy use". We'll be saying, "more power!" and want to add a lot > more capacity. > > > > It is conceivable that we'll be able to have a successful, special > fund-raising drive just for that, and reach a nice target like $2,500. > > > > But, if you're going to spend $2,500, I say spend it on one, super kick > ass server vs the blade approach of scaling out RAM and CPU in parallel. > > > > I have nothing against blades in general -- for many scientific, > engineering, artistic, and business use cases it makes sense to scale out > in the blade way. > > > > Nor am I against mixing blades with virtualization. (such as here: > > > http://web.archive.org/web/20090204223932/http://get-admin.com/blog/?p=392) > > > > > > What I want to argue is that the workloads of hackers in a hackerspace > are better suited to scaling in a vertical direction over a horizontal one. > Call it, /The one grand machine to rule them all/. > > > > Seeing how donors are already in contemplation mode, I feel the need to > challenge the blade advocates to a debate. > > > > I'm not going to have that debate here on the mailing list (which is why > I haven't said *why* it's better for a hackerspace to spend $2500 to scale > vertically) -- I'm going to give a formal presentation on the subject. > > > > To the blade advocates -- do you wish to accept my challenge to a dual > by scheduling presentations back to back (with random order?)? > Alternatively, I could go first (perhaps late September..) and you could > opt for rebuttal on a separate day once you've seen it? > > > > > > Mark > > _______________________________________________ > > SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List > > Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss > > Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/ > > _______________________________________________ > SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List > Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss > Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/ >
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