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[Platforms #QXN-439339]: New hardware suggestions?



Hi Pete,

> Thanks for the reply/info.

No worries.

re: description of our toplevel IDD relay cluster, idd.unidata.ucar.edu
> I'm not sure I exactly understand how this all fits together.  Let me
> see if i've got this straight:
> 
> The accumulators grab data from various sources, and only feed the
> data servers in the cluseter.

Correct.

> The data servers only grab data from the
> accumulators in the cluster and feed many downstreams outside of the
> cluster.

Correct again.

> The director handles which data servers handle which external
> feed requests from downstreams?
> Is that right?

Absolutely correct.
 
> It would be nice to set up something like this.. Maybe I'll work up
> a Unidata equipment grant proposal with that as part of it.

OK.  Penn State and U. Nebraska-Lincoln are in the process of putting
together clusters based on our work.  Their clusters will be much more
modest, but will still be able to relay LOTS of data.


re: I suggest moving the decoding off of the ingest/relay machine.
> That makes sense. I think right now, I am leaning towards a two machine
> solution.

Very good.

> One would be the ingest/relay, with reasonable CPU (dual opteron probably)
> and lots of memory (somewhere between 8 and 16 Gb), with less of an
> emphasis on disk.  What kind of disk do you use in the data servers?

Both the SunFire V20Zs (the dual Opteron boxes) and the Dell 2850s (the dual 
Xeon
EM64T boxes) have SCSI disks of modest size (disk is not needed as no data is
being stored).

> With such a large amount of memory available for the queue, does it
> really make much difference whether you go with SCSI or SATA for the
> disk on that box?

Probably not.

> The other would be our decoding/storage with a faster CPU and maybe not
> quite as much memory, with a fast SCSI card or Fibre Channel card, with
> an external probably SATAII raid hanging off of that, with 6-10 Tb of
> storage to hold a years worth of certain data, probably not everything
> that comes through..

Sounds great.

> These Fiber Channel raids - I assume they connect to the Suns via
> fiber channel, but what kind of disks are they using internally?
> SCSI drives or SATA or SATAII?  I'm leaning towards a SCSI or FC
> connected array of SATAII disks..

I am not exactly sure.  We have a couple of RAIDS with disks from
Sun (IBM SCSI); one that we built ourselves using alot
of Maxtor 250 GB ATA 133 drives; and an Apple that has "Apple"
SATA disks (relabled obviously).

re: cluster approach to IDD data relay 
> Sounds like that is the route to go.

We think so.  The performance is spectacular for the cost.  One
thing to remember is that the cluster's ability  to relay data
is a function of the underlying network.  UCAR has Gbps networking
throughout, so we can move lots of data.

> Ok, thanks again for the input.  I appreciate the advice, and I'll
> probably touch base with you again as I go through the process of
> fleshing out what we're planning to get.

Sounds good.  Talk to you later...

Cheers,

Tom
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Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: QXN-439339
Department: Support Platforms
Priority: Normal
Status: Closed