>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Single or Dual CPU AFS Servers
>Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 15:48:22 -0800
>From: "Joe Ramus" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>I have a relatively small AFS cell which is used to support a
>7x24 operation. I have about 100 GB of data and about 40 users.
>AFS files are used by numerous cron jobs and server processes so
>activity is fairly constant.
>I have 3 Servers which function as both Database and File Servers.
>I plan to update my hardware using SUN 296 MHz UltraSPARC-II boxes
>with Raid Disk Arrays. I plan to Mirror some data in the Raid Arrays.
>The question is:
> Should I use "Dual CPU" 296 MHz UltraSPARC-II boxes?
> Or would the extra CPU be mostly wasted?
If the machines were strictly database machines or strictly fileservers,
the extra CPU probably would not matter, since the server processes aren't
multi-threaded. However, dual CPUs would allow the machine to (practically)
dedicate a CPU for file service and the second for database work.
That said, you might consider taking the money for 3 dual-CPU machines and
cost out 6 "smaller" boxes, three for database work strictly, and the other
three strictly for file service. This will help lessen memory and I/O
bottlenecks, which are more likely than CPU bottlenecks anyway.
Thanks,
David
--
David W. Rankin, Jr. External Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Internal Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or lexafs(drankin)
Phone: (IBM Internal) 8-545-1457 (External) 1-606-243-1457
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