At the company where I presently work, we are looking at getting new 1U (pizza-box) servers, which would be dual-processor affairs that we want to run Xen on (with one domU pinned to each CPU). They''d be of typical server stats... fairly high-end processors, a decent amount of RAM, and so forth. Up until a week ago, the fore-runner was Dell, with their PowerEdge line of Xeon-based servers. However, in the past week/two-weeks I have seen a fair number of complaints about Dell/making them work with Xen, and so forth. Now, I am sure there are workarounds, and ways to make things work, and so on... but we haven''t purchased (or committed to purchase) anything yet, and ideally I would like for what we do purchase to work as easily and stably as possible. So, I thought I would ask: what are people "out there" running Xen/Linux on? What is the easiest 1U server (dual-processor, 1-2GB of RAM, etc.) that you can think of to get Xen/Linux to run (and run _well_) on, with a minimum of playing with this module/upgrading that program or library, and so forth. If it matters, we run Debian in-house, so we''ll be setting these boxes up with Debian Sarge. Note that we aren''t necessarily looking for Intel processors... if there are some good AMD servers out there that work exceptionally well with Xen/Linux, then we''d be happy to consider them. Thanks for whatever insights and/or suggestions you can offer on this. -- Remi Broemeling _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
andrew mathes
2005-May-11 20:02 UTC
Re: [Xen-users] Xen/Pizzbox Server Testimonial Request
running two dual CPU (3.2) dell 1650''s with Xen, debian, running great for a week, just had to get networking up ;) (i had a few problems ... look back in posts) i didn''t do any "workarounds" for the dell side of things at all. On Wed, 11 May 2005, Remi Broemeling wrote:> At the company where I presently work, we are looking at getting new > 1U (pizza-box) servers, which would be dual-processor affairs that we > want to run Xen on (with one domU pinned to each CPU). They''d be of > typical server stats... fairly high-end processors, a decent amount of > RAM, and so forth. > > Up until a week ago, the fore-runner was Dell, with their PowerEdge > line of Xeon-based servers. However, in the past week/two-weeks I > have seen a fair number of complaints about Dell/making them work with > Xen, and so forth. Now, I am sure there are workarounds, and ways to > make things work, and so on... but we haven''t purchased (or committed > to purchase) anything yet, and ideally I would like for what we do > purchase to work as easily and stably as possible. > > So, I thought I would ask: what are people "out there" running > Xen/Linux on? What is the easiest 1U server (dual-processor, 1-2GB of > RAM, etc.) that you can think of to get Xen/Linux to run (and run > _well_) on, with a minimum of playing with this module/upgrading that > program or library, and so forth. > > If it matters, we run Debian in-house, so we''ll be setting these boxes > up with Debian Sarge. > > Note that we aren''t necessarily looking for Intel processors... if > there are some good AMD servers out there that work exceptionally well > with Xen/Linux, then we''d be happy to consider them. > > Thanks for whatever insights and/or suggestions you can offer on this. > > -- Remi Broemeling > > _______________________________________________ > Xen-users mailing list > Xen-users@lists.xensource.com > http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users >_______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Thomas Ronner
2005-May-11 21:12 UTC
Re: [Xen-users] Xen/Pizzbox Server Testimonial Request
On Wed, 2005-05-11 at 13:02 -0700, andrew mathes wrote:> running two dual CPU (3.2) dell 1650''s with Xen, debian, running great for > a week, just had to get networking up ;) (i had a few problems ... look > back in posts) > > i didn''t do any "workarounds" for the dell side of things at all.Same here. We use a dual-cpu (3.06) Dell PE 2650, CentOS 4.0 with no problems. It hasn''t gone in production yet, but I did a couple of heavy CPU and/or I/O tests on it and haven''t had any of the Dell-specific problems. By the way, has anyone seen/made suitable Xen RPMs for CentOS 4.0? Greetings, Thomas _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Remi Broemeling wrote:> So, I thought I would ask: what are people "out there" running > Xen/Linux on? What is the easiest 1U server (dual-processor, 1-2GB of > RAM, etc.) that you can think of to get Xen/Linux to run (and run > _well_) on, with a minimum of playing with this module/upgrading that > program or library, and so forth. >QA is currently playing with some Dell 1425''s. No issues to speak of. I am not a Dell fan, but I have never had issues getting their servers to work with Linux -- be it RH, Debian, what have you. _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Paul Petersen
2005-May-11 22:28 UTC
Re: [Xen-users] Xen/Pizzbox Server Testimonial Request
> At the company where I presently work, we are looking at getting new > 1U (pizza-box) servers, which would be dual-processor affairs that we > want to run Xen on (with one domU pinned to each CPU). They''d be of > typical server stats... fairly high-end processors, a decent amount of > RAM, and so forth. > > Up until a week ago, the fore-runner was Dell, with their PowerEdge > line of Xeon-based servers. However, in the past week/two-weeks I > have seen a fair number of complaints about Dell/making them work with > Xen, and so forth. Now, I am sure there are workarounds, and ways to > make things work, and so on... but we haven''t purchased (or committed > to purchase) anything yet, and ideally I would like for what we do > purchase to work as easily and stably as possible. > > So, I thought I would ask: what are people "out there" running > Xen/Linux on? What is the easiest 1U server (dual-processor, 1-2GB of > RAM, etc.) that you can think of to get Xen/Linux to run (and run > _well_) on, with a minimum of playing with this module/upgrading that > program or library, and so forth. > > If it matters, we run Debian in-house, so we''ll be setting these boxes > up with Debian Sarge. > > Note that we aren''t necessarily looking for Intel processors... if > there are some good AMD servers out there that work exceptionally well > with Xen/Linux, then we''d be happy to consider them. > > Thanks for whatever insights and/or suggestions you can offer on this. > > -- Remi Broemeling >We run a mix of dell 1750''s and ASA Computers Supermicro boxes for our QA lab, we like the ASA systems because the stock xen kernel works with them and they have 6 memory slots and 4 SCA drive bays, my definite preference over the Dells- here''s the barebones system link on their site- http://asacomputers.com/product.asp?pf_id=ASA%5F6013P%2DT _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Mark Williamson
2005-May-11 22:42 UTC
Re: [Xen-users] Xen/Pizzbox Server Testimonial Request
> On Wed, 2005-05-11 at 13:02 -0700, andrew mathes wrote: > > running two dual CPU (3.2) dell 1650''s with Xen, debian, running great > > for a week, just had to get networking up ;) (i had a few problems ... > > look back in posts) > > > > i didn''t do any "workarounds" for the dell side of things at all. > > Same here. We use a dual-cpu (3.06) Dell PE 2650, CentOS 4.0 with no > problems. It hasn''t gone in production yet, but I did a couple of heavy > CPU and/or I/O tests on it and haven''t had any of the Dell-specific > problems.PE 2650s work good for some of the test machines in Cambridge. Plus some Precision workstation / server machines I forget the model numbers of. None of these are 1U boxes tho... Cheers, Mark _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Robert Becker Cope
2005-May-11 22:49 UTC
RE: [Xen-users] Xen/Pizzbox Server Testimonial Request
Paul Petersen <paul@marchex.com> wrote:> We run a mix of dell 1750''s and ASA Computers Supermicro boxes for our> QA lab, we like the ASA systems because the stock xen kernel worksI''ll second the recommendation for Dell, Supermicro, and ASA Computers. In production, I run Dells for the "core" servers and Supermicros from ASA for the front-end servers. The lab is mostly Supermicros, some bought as barebones and some bought from ASA, though there are a few old Dells in there, too. Supermicro makes a wonderful variety of high quality motherboards, chassis, and (combined together) barebones machines. You can buy them from many vendors, should any particular vendor become an issue. From what I''ve heard, they respond excellently to RMA requests and such from vendors, too. Word on the street is that Supermicro will have Opteron solutions out at some point; if I remember right, I heard January, so not "that" soon, unfortunately, but it is better than nothing. robert _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Might as well add my 2 cents - I''ve been happy with my dual opteron boxes from penguin computing that I got a year ago. -Kip On 5/11/05, Mark Williamson <mark.williamson@cl.cam.ac.uk> wrote:> > On Wed, 2005-05-11 at 13:02 -0700, andrew mathes wrote: > > > running two dual CPU (3.2) dell 1650''s with Xen, debian, running great > > > for a week, just had to get networking up ;) (i had a few problems ... > > > look back in posts) > > > > > > i didn''t do any "workarounds" for the dell side of things at all. > > > > Same here. We use a dual-cpu (3.06) Dell PE 2650, CentOS 4.0 with no > > problems. It hasn''t gone in production yet, but I did a couple of heavy > > CPU and/or I/O tests on it and haven''t had any of the Dell-specific > > problems. > > PE 2650s work good for some of the test machines in Cambridge. Plus some > Precision workstation / server machines I forget the model numbers of. None > of these are 1U boxes tho... > > Cheers, > Mark > > _______________________________________________ > Xen-users mailing list > Xen-users@lists.xensource.com > http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users >_______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
Lars E. D. Jensen | DCmedia
2005-May-12 07:25 UTC
Re: [Xen-users] Xen/Pizzbox Server Testimonial Request
> So, I thought I would ask: what are people "out there" running > Xen/Linux on? What is the easiest 1U server (dual-processor, 1-2GB of > RAM, etc.) that you can think of to get Xen/Linux to run (and run > _well_) on, with a minimum of playing with this module/upgrading that > program or library, and so forth. > > If it matters, we run Debian in-house, so we''ll be setting these boxesWe run Xen on Debian Sarge on a Supermicro Dual 3.06 64 bit and 4 GB RAM, though not using 64 bit yet which is mainly because of Xen but also because of the scsi-driver that isn''t 64 bit clean for the scsi-onboard-controller which is bad luck! I don''t understand why the reseller sell a combination of 64 bit hardware which isn''t working with the scsi-controller on linux. Anyway the Supermicro with Xen runs a fairly big website with about 30-60K unique visitors each month on a filebacked domU with 1 GB RAM. Surveilance checks every 5 minutes for a responsetime from three different physical locations and triggers an alarm if it goes above 5000 ms. It has run almost for a month and no alarms :) And a weekly newsletter to about 20K subscribers is also sent from this domU. -- Med venlig hilsen / Best regards Lars E. D. Jensen - DCmedia ledj@dcmedia.biz - http://dcmedia.biz PGP PUBLIC KEY: http://dcmedia.biz/fileadmin/pub/ledj.asc _______________________________________________ Xen-users mailing list Xen-users@lists.xensource.com http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users