PGSQL PERFORMANCE 12 RE ALTERNATIVES TO DELL
From: khera@no-spam (Vivek Khera)
Subject: Re: Alternatives to Dell?
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 11:47:34 -0500


>>>>> "FW" == Frank Wiles <frank@no-spam> writes:

FW> I believe I had expressed some problems with Dell in the past, but FW> it really isn't a quality control issue that I have seen. It is more FW> of a Linux support issue. Lately I've been running into problems with
Ditto that experience, but with FreeBSD.

FW> getting particular parts of system working under Linux (raid cards, FW> SATA drives, Ethernet cards) or I can get it working, but it FW> performs badly ( PERC cards vs say a Mylex card ).
Drivers for their devices are not problems, but performance is.

Their RAID cards are either Adaptec or LSI, but people who use the "real" branded versions of those cards always seem to get better performance. Way better.

I'm considering FreeBSD systems and a custom built configuration right now. Very hard decision to make.

For desktops and web/office servers, I still like the Dells. Just not for the DB servers anymore.

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Vivek Khera, Ph.D. Khera Communications, Inc.
Internet: khera@no-spam Rockville, MD +1-301-869-4449 x806
AIM: vivekkhera Y!: vivek_khera http://www.khera.org/~vivek/

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From: khera@no-spam (Vivek Khera)
Subject: Re: Off-list Re: Alternatives to Dell?
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 12:19:24 -0500

>>>>> "JB" == Josh Berkus <josh@no-spam> writes:

>> FYI ... the 750s, 1850s and 2850s use Intel chipsets (E7520 on 1850s >> and 2850s, 7210 on 750s), Intel NICs, and come only with LSI Logic >> RAID controllers. It looks like Dell has dropped the >> Broadcom/ServerWorks and Adaptec junk.

JB> I don't know if Vivek is on this list; I think he just had a JB> critical failure with one of the new Dells with LSI.

I'm here, but time delayed :-)

No critical failures on the Dell, just performance failure. It can't keep up. You'd think with a box like this:

4GB RAM Dual Xeon (32 bit)
PERC3 (LSI based controller) dual channel chan0: RAID1 two disks for OS + pg_xlog chan1: RAID5 14 disks U320 18Gb FreeBSD 4.10
PG 7.4.6

I should get better than a sustained 6MB/s I/O throughput with peaks to 30MB/s and about 30% the tracks/sec others report with name-brand LSI controllers with Opteron systems.

The computer is wicked fast, but the I/O can't hold up, and I can't get a straight answer as to why.

I'm no closer to solving the vendor problem than anyone else here.

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Vivek Khera, Ph.D. Khera Communications, Inc.
Internet: khera@no-spam Rockville, MD +1-301-869-4449 x806
AIM: vivekkhera Y!: vivek_khera http://www.khera.org/~vivek/

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