Re: Pentium Pro server

[Chris Schumann <whizkid@dwave.net>]

> Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 07:54:49 -0500 (CDT)
> From: Tim Wilson <wilson@chemsun.chem.umn.edu>
> To: tclug-list@mn-linux.org
> Subject: Pentium Pro server
> 
> Hey everyone,
> 
> Does anyone have a gut-level feel for how capable a dual Pentium Pro 200
> machine would be as a server compared to, say, a PIII 500? I'm thinking
> about slapping together a dual P-Pro system using a mix of spare and new
> parts, but I'm not sure it's worth it now that much newer systems have
> gotten quite cheap. BTW, let's assume SCSI in both systems. I'm
> considering this system for Web serving mostly. It would probably be
doing
> a lot of dynamic content so I suspect CPU horsepower is more of an issue
> than with more static Web serving. Any ideas?

My desktop machine is a dual 200MHz PPro, so I can answer some issues. I
run Windows NT and Linux on this box.

First, this machine has a bus speed of 66MHz, vs 100MHz for the PIII. This
limits your memory bandwidth. Even if you have two CPU's, you have only
one path to memory, so you really are limited to 66MHz.

The SCSI should be nearly a wash using the same controller, since the PCI
bus should be the same speed and can enable MTRR on PPro and PIII.

Another issue for future thought is that the PIII will likely have an AGP
slot, which is of almost no value for a server, but if this machine gets
retired to somebody's desk, then it's a definite asset. The same goes for
USB.

The PPro system will likely not hold as much RAM. Some boards will take
(only!) 512MB. Most PII boards will take 768MB and some up to 4GB.

In my experience, dynamic web serving is rarely CPU limited, but heavily
limited by bus and disk speed. You'll want tons of RAM and a really fast
database engine. Consider a separate disk (or even SCSI controller) for
your database.

If this is a critical application, I would strongly suggest you buy a
server that gives you redundant capabilities: Power supply, disk, NIC,
disabling single RAM modules, predictive failure analyses, on site
service, etc. (I am very pleased with the $2300 IBM Netfinity 5000 my
company bought.) 

On the plus side, if you are doing floating point stuff, this box will be
about as fast as a 366 Celeron, and the dual CPU's should make it "feel"
more responsive.

Let us know what you do.

Chris Schumann <whizkid@dwave.net>

"I am a cipher, wrapped in an enigma, smothered in secret sauce."
  - Jimmy James, News Radio