I am looking to build a Workgroup Server. (Should be compatible/certified with both XEN & VMware hypervisors, as I am not sure which one I will settle with...comments requested) To run baremetal on hypervisor, with each of the following services running virtualized with minimum OS install (CentOS 5.x, latest stable release). - Multi-homed router-cum-border firewall (Access to Network Card limited to this instance...will act as router for rest of virtual machines). - DNS Server (djbDNS). - Mail Server (Qmail). - News Server (INN). - Webserver (Apache). - RDBMS (postgreSQL...highest load). In addition to above the server to provide Windows RDP &/or Linux Desktop Thinclient to 5 users running diskless thin clients or old desktops (second highest load). Server to have adequate amount of memory for the above and 500 GB/1 TB RAID 5 or better using SATA disks. What Server Specs. I am looking at? I understand DB load is major in this but assuming moderate to medium db load, what do I need. Will seperate the server & Thinclient server six months/year down the road. What budget? Recommendations for a processor/motherboard/ram/disks/sata card? With best regards and thanks in advance. Sanjay Arora. _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Matej Zary
2010-Jul-05 10:43 UTC
Re: Re: [Xen-users] Please help me size my server requirements
On Sat, 2010-07-03 at 23:19 +0530, Sanjay Arora wrote:> I am looking to build a Workgroup Server. (Should be > compatible/certified with both XEN & VMware hypervisors, as I am not > sure which one I will settle with...comments requested) > > To run baremetal on hypervisor, with each of the following services > running virtualized with minimum OS install (CentOS 5.x, latest stable > release). > > - Multi-homed router-cum-border firewall (Access to Network Card > limited to this instance...will act as router for rest of virtual > machines). > - DNS Server (djbDNS). > - Mail Server (Qmail). > - News Server (INN). > - Webserver (Apache). > - RDBMS (postgreSQL...highest load). > > In addition to above the server to provide Windows RDP &/or Linux > Desktop Thinclient to 5 users running diskless thin clients or old > desktops (second highest load). > > Server to have adequate amount of memory for the above and 500 GB/1 TB > RAID 5 or better using SATA disks. > > What Server Specs. I am looking at? I understand DB load is major in > this but assuming moderate to medium db load, what do I need. Will > seperate the server & Thinclient server six months/year down the road. > > What budget? Recommendations for a processor/motherboard/ram/disks/sata card? > > With best regards and thanks in advance. > Sanjay Arora. > > _______________________________________________ > Xen-users mailing list > Xen-users@lists.xensource.com > http://lists.xensource.com/xen-usersI would start with the DB requirements - how many IOPS are needed and will be needed in future, how big is the DB - to scale the storage part of the server (raid type, disk types, amount of them, amount of RAM).\ Generally is better to have more of smaller disk for better IOPS than few large. New installation of migration of existing system to virtual computers? (in case of migration you can bench the existing DB to determine the actual needs) AMD or INTEL it depends on your preferences and needs. Both company offer products with good value. I guess you should be OK with two socket server (2x 4 cores or 2x 6 cores), but again, it depends on the actual loads...you might be fine with one socket 1x 4 or 6 core too (but generally is better to have some spare power for future needs too :). Regards Matej _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users