User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/11.2.5.060620
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 10:37:51 -0800
Subject: Re: Looking for hw suggestions for high concurrency
From: "Luke Lonergan" <llonergan@greenplum.com>
To: "Cosimo Streppone" <cosimo@streppone.it>,
	"Postgresql Performance list" <pgsql-performance@postgresql.org>
Message-ID: <C1A2E57F.154B9%llonergan@greenplum.com>
Thread-Topic: [PERFORM] Looking for hw suggestions for high concurrency
	OLTP app
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In-Reply-To: <457D86C9.10103@streppone.it>
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The Sun X4600 is very good for this, the V40z is actually EOL so I'd stay
away from it.

You can currently do 8 dual core CPUs with the X4600 and 128GB of RAM and
soon you should be able to do 8 quad core CPUs and 256GB of RAM.

- Luke 


On 12/11/06 8:26 AM, "Cosimo Streppone" <cosimo@streppone.it> wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> I'd like to get suggestions from all you out there for
> a new Postgresql server that will replace an existing one.
> 
> My performance analysis shows very *low* iowaits,
> and very high loads at times of peak system activity.
> The average concurrent processes number is 3/4, with peaks of 10/15.
> *Sustained* system load varies from 1.5 to 4, while peak load
> reaches 20 and above, always with low iowait%.
> I see this as a clear sign of more processors power need.
> 
> I'm aware of the context-switching storm problem, but here
> the cs stays well under 50,000, so I think it's not the problem
> here.
> 
> Current machine is an Acer Altos R700 (2 Xeon 2.8 Ghz, 4 Gb RAM),
> similar to this one (R710):
> http://www.acer.co.uk/acereuro/page9.do?sp=page4&dau34.oid=7036&UserCtxParam=0
> &GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=17&CountryISOCtxParam=UK&LanguageISOCtxParam=en&ctx3=-1
> &ctx4=United+Kingdom&crc=334044639
> 
> So, I'm looking for advice on a mid-range OLTP server with
> the following (flexible) requirements:
> 
> - 4 physical processors expandable to 8 (dual core preferred),
>    either Intel or AMD
> - 8 Gb RAM exp. to at least 32 Gb
> - Compatibility with Acer S300 External storage enclosure.
>    The "old" server uses that, and it is boxed with 15krpm hdds
>    in RAID-10, which do perfectly well their job.
>    The enclosure is connected via 2 x LSI Logic PCI U320 controllers
> - On-site, same-day hardware support contract
> - Rack mount
> 
> Machines we're evaluating currently include:
> - Acer Altos R910
> - Sun Fire V40Z,
> - HP Integrity RX4640
> - IBM eServer 460
> 
> Experiences on these machines?
> Other suggestions?
> 
> Thanks.