X-Original-To: pgsql-performance-postgresql.org@localhost.postgresql.org Received: from localhost (av.hub.org [200.46.204.144]) by postgresql.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A27FF9DCC0B for ; Wed, 15 Feb 2006 15:11:23 -0400 (AST) Received: from postgresql.org ([200.46.204.71]) by localhost (av.hub.org [200.46.204.144]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id 96342-01 for ; Wed, 15 Feb 2006 15:11:23 -0400 (AST) X-Greylist: from auto-whitelisted by SQLgrey- Received: from exchange.g2switchworks.com (mail.g2switchworks.com [63.87.162.25]) by postgresql.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B4FE89DCBDF for ; Wed, 15 Feb 2006 15:11:19 -0400 (AST) Received: from 10.10.1.37 ([10.10.1.37]) by exchange.g2switchworks.com ([10.10.1.2]) with Microsoft Exchange Server HTTP-DAV ; Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:11:20 +0000 Received: from state.g2switchworks.com by mail.g2switchworks.com; 15 Feb 2006 13:11:20 -0600 Subject: Re: Reliability recommendations From: Scott Marlowe To: Christopher Browne Cc: pgsql-performance@postgresql.org In-Reply-To: <87r764wjg4.fsf@wolfe.cbbrowne.com> References: <20060215090446.2F3AC1B819F@mx1.hub.org> <1140018387.43f34cd36a076@imp2-g19.free.fr> <1140018967.43f34f1761803@imp2-g19.free.fr> <1140020490.9369.254450363@webmail.messagingengine.com> <43F36D51.5090502@commandprompt.com> <87r764wjg4.fsf@wolfe.cbbrowne.com> Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-Id: <1140030680.22740.235.camel@state.g2switchworks.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Ximian Evolution 1.4.6 (1.4.6-2) Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2006 13:11:20 -0600 X-Virus-Scanned: by amavisd-new at hub.org X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.161 required=5 tests=[AWL=0.160, UNPARSEABLE_RELAY=0.001] X-Spam-Score: 0.161 X-Spam-Level: X-Archive-Number: 200602/210 X-Sequence-Number: 17196 On Wed, 2006-02-15 at 12:44, Christopher Browne wrote: > After takin a swig o' Arrakan spice grog, jd@commandprompt.com ("Joshua D. Drake") belched out: > > You should probably review the archives for PostgreSQL user > > experience with Dell's before you purchase one. > > Hear, hear! We found Dell servers were big-time underperformers. > > Generic hardware put together with generally the same brand names of > components (e.g. - for SCSI controllers and such) would generally play > much better. My experience has been that: A: Their rebranded LSI and Adaptec RAID controllers underperform. B: Their BIOS updates for said cards and the mobos for the 26xx series comes in a format that requires you to have a friggin bootable DOS floppy. What is this, 1987??? C: They use poorly performing mobo chipsets. We had a dual P-III-750 with a REAL LSI RAID card and an intel mobo, and replaced it with a dual P-IV 2800 Dell 2600 with twice the RAM. As a database server the P-III-750 was easily a match for the new dell, and in some ways (i/o) outran it. We also had a dual 2400 PIV Intel generic box, and it spanked the Dell handily at everything, was easier to work on, the parts cost less, and it used bog standard RAID cards and such. I would highly recommend the Intel Generic hardware over Dell any day.