3D Server File Server

[RSR]

ok cheers guys.

Andy

 

[RSR]

If it helps, ML350 and ML370 G5s are reasonably office friendly. DL380 G5s aren't too bad - sounds like an F16 on afterburner on POST but once booted and the PSP drivers get loaded, the fans are pretty quiet.

Oh i know about the DL380s, even in the comms room on POST you can hear them above every thing else.

Looking at the Specs, it would be a ML370 thati would need.

What sort of through put can I expect on these? I recently benched marked one DL380 G5 with 3 drives (RAID5) SAS 15K drive and got around 150MB/s using a P400 RAID controller.

I think i can see some light at the end of the tunnel ha ha.


Thanks Chaps.

 

[RSR]

I very much doubt you'd need a ML370 over the ML350, we use ML350s for some really demanding applications without any problems and only generally resort to ML370s in extreme cases (like 8 cores and 32GB of RAM and lots of PCI expansion cards - which I'm fairly sure you don't need).

The limitation in your test will be RAID5 and the P400, the up-rated controllers (p600/p800) make a big difference in some scenarios. RAID5 will do nothing for performance though, particularly on a lower end card...

In fact, dug out from another thread...

[root@localhost ~]# hdparm -t /dev/cciss/c0d1

/dev/cciss/c0d1:
Timing buffered disk reads: 620 MB in 3.00 seconds = 206.38 MB/sec

Now if I can only remember which disks were in there...I'm fairly sure it was 2x 146GB SAS in RAID0 (thought it could have been 4x 146GB in RAID10)

ahh nice one

Thanks once again for your help.

Andy

EDIT:

my only logic behind the 370 over the 350 is the amount for extra HDDs it can take.

iirc its 16vs8

Andy

 

[RSR]

Ive finially got around to sorting this out today.

The Final Spec.

HP Proliant ML 370 G5 Xeon E5430
HP Smart Array P800 RAID Controller
2X HP 72.8GB SAS SFF 10,000 rpm HDD
14X HP 146GB SAS SFF 10,000 rpm HDD
Intel PT Quad Port NIC
4X Intel PT Dual Port NIC
Windows 2003 / 2008

Switching wise i am going to using our Cisco 3750E core switchs and VLAN off the ports for the file server and render nodes. So its going to use a 10Gb backbone link to the 2nd floor 3650E switch and again ill need to VLAN off the ports needed.

Thanks for all your help chaps.

Andy

 

[RSR]

Right i am back at work this week. Parts all arrived last week. However, i overlooked the 370 needs a SAS cage kit.

Does the cage kit come with all the cables etc..

Andy

 

[RSR]

Not sure on cables but HP have the 2nd SAS drive cage down as needing a 2nd RAID controller.

Ive noticed that as well.

However, i spoke to a HP supplier and have been told i should be ok.

I have a 2nd card on standby though.

Andy

 

[RSR]

Right first tests are in using a HP P800 RAID Card

RAID 0 - 6 X 146GB 10K - 226MB/Sec Avg
RAID 10 6 X 146GB 10K - 183MB/Sec Avg

Its not too impressive at the mo