[BlueOnyx:06543] Re: OT: server recomandations

[Michael Stauber]

Hi Søren,

> Jeff:
> If the servers are being used as database servers - doesn't it depend on
> the size of the databases you are hosting?
> 
> If you had a customer with a database of size 8GB -  then a database server
> with 8 GB of RAM will perform better than the one with 6GB because more of
> the actual database can be held in RAM and thus less requirement to go
> back to disk - yes?

Yes, that's true. With virtualization RAM is a lot more important than raw CPU 
power. Disk I/O can also be another bottleneck. 

So my suggestion would be:

Get a CPU with several cores, doesn't have to be top of the line, but should 
be somewhere above average. Plug in plenty of fast RAM and disk wise choose 
something that's not only able to run 24/7 for years and has enough space, but 
also look at how much cache the disks have and what their speed is. The faster 
the disks are, the better overall performance will be.

The detailed specs of course depend on the expected usage. If it's "just" for 
hosting a couple of lightly to moderately used BlueOnyx VPS's with typical 
usage for web, scripting, email and a bit of FTP, calculate 1-2 gig of RAM per 
VPS. 

If you run anything special in a certain VPS that typically needs more RAM, or 
would benefit greatly by having more RAM (like that 8GB MySQL database table), 
then adjust the total amount of RAM accordingly and assign as much as needed 
to the VPS's in question.

Recently I had to replace a failed box in my datacenter quickly and cheaply. 
As I don't need to limit myself to 19" and was a bit in a pincher (couldn't 
wait 4-5 days for a "real" server as replacement from my usual supplier), I 
simply picked up a pre-built gaming PC from a local dealer instead and 
installed Aventurin{e} on it:

Asus motherboard, Intel i5-760 CPU, 8 GB of RAM, two 1.5GB SATA disks. Did 
cost a bit under 800,- EUR. Couldn't have gotten a similarly specced 1U or 2U 
box for that price - by a long shot. OTOH: This "gaming" PC probably won't 
last as long under 24/7 operations as a "real" server would.

Still:That box now runs like 13 VPS's just fine, although some of them have 
just a really low load as they're only used for development purposes.

I've seen Aventurin{e} boxes with 16 CPU cores and 64 Gigs of RAM, with 
external storage attached through fibrechannel, running like 50 VPS's. 

So hardware wise you have plenty of options. So for what you have in mind, 
Søren, pretty much anything will do and the box doesn't have to be high end. 
Even if you don't load it with plenty of memory right from the start, make 
sure the motherboard has some room so that you can add more RAM later if need 
be, as that might be the first (and most important) bottleneck that you 
eventually might run into.

-- 
With best regards

Michael Stauber