So I would like to build a router out of a Quad Core Xeon system. I've
selected the hardware for it already and the software barring the base OS.
You want the highest cache and highest frequency cpu you can find.
MP will not help you with routing performance at all.
Something like this:
http://ark.intel.com/products/53580/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E7-8870-%2830M-Cache-2_40-GHz-6_40-GTs-Intel-QPI%29
30MB cache @ 2.4GHz
However this does raise the question, 32bit or 64bit??? And what would
be the benefit for having multi CPU sockets or cores???
--I mean for an integrated Firewall/router yes one can offload processes
and threads per core or socket
With this though I'm betting that a Core2Quad Q8400s CPU (which I
currently run on a FreeBSD based Mini-NAS mainframe) will be more
powerful then any Cisco SMB based router? - I can see it being more
powerful then my 8xx or 18xx series in anycase!
Most DIY/Linux router boxes all seem to run Mini-ITX hardware on Intel
ATOMs or VIA processors or Vyatta running standard x86 Multi-core
architecture for their appliances; how does this relate to the equation?
--K