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xen-users
RE: [Xen-users] My future plan
Hi Rob,
I completly understand what you are saying. My future future plan
(yes, the future of the future!) is to get more storage servers, and do
replication. I would also like to think about HA for the nodes, as in my current
plan, I would have to manually bring up a new node and connect it to the dead
node's iSCSI target..
Jonathan
From: Robert Dunkley
[mailto:Robert@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wed 09/06/2010 09:52
To:
Jonathan Tripathy; Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE:
[Xen-users] My future plan
Hi
Jonathan,
One
other thing, check with the ISCSI guys as to if using 2 dual port Intel ET cards
might be better than a single quad port. Intel quad ports use a PCI-E bridge to
join 2 dual port chips so it might be faster and definitely cheaper to use two
dual port cards.
In
my experience storage speed is very much a try it and see how it goes type thing
for smaller setups. After 2 years using Xen we run a mix of 15K SAS and
consumer SATA. Generally small fast SAS drives are best for DB and Public/Pop
mail servers. Web, Exchange/IMAP and support servers (eg. Radius and DNS)
typically favour space over speed and hence better suit large SATA
drives.
I
would really consider a second storage server when you can, lots of eggs in one
basket although I know these storage baskets are quite pricey. Join them by
20Gbit direct connect infiniband and run DRBD with SDP, it make for very fast
replication and you can still balance the reads using ISCSI Active/Passive
multipath between the two. I was considering this a week ago, we currently run
sets of Quad socket server joined by infiniband for DRBD replication.
Rob
From: Jonathan
Tripathy [mailto:jonnyt@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 09 June 2010
09:39
To: Robert Dunkley;
Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Xen-users] My future
plan
Thanks Rob for the tip on the NICs! This will come in handy.
My main area of concern was using Ethernet/Software iSCSI for my setup, but all
seems ok!
I'll remember to ask Broadberry about the new backplace and
RAID card for the storage server.
Do you think I'll be alright using just SATA disks for my
setup? I guess I could always change the disks if it became a
problem...
From: Robert Dunkley
[mailto:Robert@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wed 09/06/2010 09:36
To:
Jonathan Tripathy
Subject: RE: [Xen-users] My future
plan
Hi
Jonathan,
There
is nothing wrong with your plan just make sure you get the SAS6G backplane and
card for the storage, cost difference should be little or nothing and you don’t
want to be bandwidth constrained later by the raid card if you choose to upgrade
to 10Gbit for storage.
I
could not see the dual port Pro 1000ET copper card on Dells options so was just
pricing those separately at about £100 each: http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=E1G42ET+Intel&cid=12126864948002960902&ei=b1EPTPKmFZ622ASGxYnUBA&sa=title&ved=0CAcQ8wIwADgA#p
The
ET ones are the latest with multi-queue support so are the ones to get
IMHO.
Rob
From: Jonathan
Tripathy [mailto:jonnyt@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 09 June 2010
09:20
To: Robert Dunkley;
Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Xen-users] My future
plan
Thanks for the link. I think very highly of supermicro gear
as well as their staff. However, since we wish to build up the solution slowly,
we can really only afford to start with the R210s. Once the initial 3 or 4 R210
general some revenue, then we could look into some beefier servers (As it would
be much cheeper in the long run as we could run more guests per node).
Please let me know if you think my plan is flawed from the
outset.
When you were spec'ing the R210, what NIC were you looking
at? Just the 2 on board ones?
From: Robert Dunkley
[mailto:Robert@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wed 09/06/2010 09:13
To:
Jonathan Tripathy; Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE:
[Xen-users] My future plan
Hi
Jonathan,
I
was going to say buy duals but then I saw the price of the R210s, tough
call.
Good
example:
http://www.supermicro.com/products/system/1U/6016/SYS-6016T-URF4_.cfm?UIO=N
18
Dimm slots and 4 of the latest Intel GBE Ports (Supports Multi-Queue used in Xen
4.0). Just add some Quad or Hex core Xeons and as much RAM as you need, no need
for additional NICs. Depending on a internal policy onsite rapid response
support maybe less of an issue when you have a redundant node type
architecture.
I
have to admit the R210s are a good price though and its a tough
choice:
R210
with 2.40Ghz QC and 8GB Ram and Pro1000 ET Dual port – About £600
Supermicro
Above with Dual 2.26Ghz QC and 24GB Ram – About £1700
The
dual options gives you full screen IKVM and redundant PSUs along with with 12
spare memory slots (6 used) as opposed to no spare slots on the R210. Alot of
this depends on your RAM requirements and spare rack space I suppose. Would be
interesting to hear the opinions of others.
Rob
From: Jonathan
Tripathy [mailto:jonnyt@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 08 June 2010
16:20
To: Robert Dunkley;
Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Xen-users] My future
plan
Since this is just an idea at this stage, and that we are
just starting out, we want to build up our rack over time. The Dell R210 is the
best we can afford at the minute. Maybe, after the first 4 or 5 R210, I could
look into getting servers with Dual CPUs in them so more guests can run.
Initally, each server will be handling its own storage using RAID1.
The Dell R210s do come with dual on-board NICs, however I
need one of them for the internet connection, unless of course I used VLANs and
just used the on-board NICs?
I'm very confused about the RAID cards. I've never really
worked with these before, so all advice is appreciated. With the number of total
VMs running around 100, do you think I'll notice much of a difference between
SATA and SAS?
From: Robert Dunkley
[mailto:Robert@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tue 08/06/2010 15:56
To:
Jonathan Tripathy; Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE:
[Xen-users] My future plan
Hi
Jonathan,
The
NAS is using good components, make sure you get IPMI option if this is going in
a rack more than 5 minutes away from where you work. Ask Broadberry if they can
supply the newer SAS 6G expander version of that chassis and the newer 9260-4I
6G raid card (I’m pretty sure it a Supermicro approved card for that chassis),
with 16 drives 6G SAS may remove a potential bottleneck to the expander.
Also, consider 15K SAS for your high IO database and mailservers, a mix of
15K SAS and 7K SATA arrays might be appropriate.
Anything
but LSI cards often have issues with the LSI based expanders in those Supermicro
chassis, Areca do work with the SAS1 expander as long as SAFTE is disabled but
considering the expander I think LSI is the only advisable card
brand.
Any
reason you aren’t considering 1U servers with integrated Intel NIcs for nodes?
Often the best band per buck for nodes is with 1U Dual Xeon E55XX quadcore or
the new Opteron Octal/Dodeca core systems.
Rob
From: Jonathan
Tripathy [mailto:jonnyt@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 08 June 2010
15:38
To: Robert Dunkley;
Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Xen-users] My future
plan
Do you have any links or anything for cards that you suggest?
I'm just a start-up to low cost is very much a good thing here :) But then
again, so is having my cake and eating it as well!!
That's a fantastic idea about the PXE booting! The only thing
though, is that Dell supply their server with a minimum of a single HDD as
standard, so there would be no cost saving there. And also, all the servers
would have to be the same.
My idea is that if this was to work out properly, I would get
servers better than R210, as these are limited to 16GB of RAM max..
From: Robert Dunkley
[mailto:Robert@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tue 08/06/2010 15:36
To:
Jonathan Tripathy; Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE:
[Xen-users] My future plan
Hi
Jonathan,
Might
be worth considering a different raid card, even with simple raid 1 I did not
get proper raid 1 random read interleaving performance with an LSI 1068 based
controller (Assuming the 1078 is very similar), an IOP based Areca card behaved
properly (Only 30% improvement over single drive with LSI but 80% better with
Areca, simple Bonnie testing). I was using Centos 5.2 at the time (Integrated
drivers).
If
you are feeling brave maybe a PXE boot could work to save the need for any
system drives on the nodes.
Rob
From:
xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jonathan
Tripathy
Sent: 08 June 2010 13:56
To:
Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Xen-users] My future
plan
My future plan currently looks like this for my VPS hosting
solution, so any feedback would be appreciated:
Dell R210 Intel X3430 Quad Core 8GB RAM
Intel PT 1Gbps Server Dual Port NIC using linux
"bonding"
Small pair of HDDs for OS (Probably in RAID1)
Each node will run about 10 - 15 customer guests
Some Intel Quad Core Chip
LSI 8704EM2 RAID Controller (Think this controller does 3
Gbps)
Battery backup for the above RAID controller
4 X RAID10 Arrays (4 X 1.5TB disks per array, 16 disks in
total)
Each RAID10 array will connect to 2 nodes (8 nodes per
storage server)
Intel PT 1Gbps Quad port NIC using Linux bonding
Exposes 8 X 1.5GB iSCSI targets (each node will use one of
these)
HP Procurve 1800-24G switch to create 1 X 4 port trunk (for
storage server), and 8 X 2 port trunk (for the nodes)
What you think? Any tips?
The
SAQ Group
Registered
Office: 18 Chapel Street, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 3DZ
SAQ
is the trading name of SEMTEC Limited. Registered in England &
Wales
Company Number: 06481952
http://www.saqnet.co.uk AS29219
SAQ
Group Delivers high quality, honestly priced communication and I.T. services to
UK Business.
Broadband :
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Member
The
SAQ Group
Registered
Office: 18 Chapel Street, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 3DZ
SAQ
is the trading name of SEMTEC Limited. Registered in England &
Wales
Company Number: 06481952
http://www.saqnet.co.uk AS29219
SAQ
Group Delivers high quality, honestly priced communication and I.T. services to
UK Business.
Broadband :
Domains : Email : Hosting : CoLo : Servers : Racks : Transit : Backups : Managed
Networks : Remote Support.
![SAQ Group]()
ISPA Member
The
SAQ Group
Registered
Office: 18 Chapel Street, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 3DZ
SAQ
is the trading name of SEMTEC Limited. Registered in England &
Wales
Company Number: 06481952
http://www.saqnet.co.uk AS29219
SAQ
Group Delivers high quality, honestly priced communication and I.T. services to
UK Business.
Broadband :
Domains : Email : Hosting : CoLo : Servers : Racks : Transit : Backups : Managed
Networks : Remote Support.
![SAQ Group]()
ISPA Member
The
SAQ Group
Registered
Office: 18 Chapel Street, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 3DZ
SAQ
is the trading name of SEMTEC Limited. Registered in England &
Wales
Company Number: 06481952
http://www.saqnet.co.uk AS29219
SAQ
Group Delivers high quality, honestly priced communication and I.T. services to
UK Business.
Broadband :
Domains : Email : Hosting : CoLo : Servers : Racks : Transit : Backups : Managed
Networks : Remote Support.
![SAQ Group]()
ISPA Member
The
SAQ Group
Registered
Office: 18 Chapel Street, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 3DZ
SAQ is the
trading name of SEMTEC Limited. Registered in England & Wales
Company
Number: 06481952
http://www.saqnet.co.uk AS29219
SAQ
Group Delivers high quality, honestly priced communication and I.T. services to
UK Business.
Broadband :
Domains : Email : Hosting : CoLo : Servers : Racks : Transit : Backups : Managed
Networks : Remote Support.
![SAQ Group]()
ISPA
Member
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