|> The same comments regarding CPU on the C20
|> should apply to the ultrasparc. It's likely to make
|> the most difference for backups & the database
|> servers, & the least for a fileserver.
|>
|> In all cases, 32M ram.
|>
There is one advantage to an UltraSparc that you don't mention -
the backplane speed. Having a 1.3Gb/s bus on a fileserver would be
a major performance boost.
What fileserving turns out to be very reliant on is memory. The
smallest of the AFS fileservers that we have here has 64M ram, and
it will soon be getting another 64M. We have noticed that, over time,
the slowest of our servers is always the one with the least memory.
Especially if it gets hit a lot, such as a server with mostly replication
sites. We've significantly extended the useful life of servers like
RS/6000 model 520s by bumping them to 128M ram, pushing new hardware
purchases back, and therefore getting more back for the buck when
we do have to buy new.
--
Joel Lord '94
Systems Programmer
Computing Information Services
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
