Subject: Sun Server Location

From: Josh Berkus <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 15:42:39 -0700

Folks,

Sun is donating a T2000 to the PostgreSQL project for performance/Solaris 
compatibility testing.   I can think of two reasonable places to host it 
right now: GigAve (Sean Chittenden) or OSL.  Gavin Roy is willing to host 
it (in principle) but is short rackspace at the moment.

Since OSL is already hosting Sun servers for Apache and Debian, I'm 
inclined to send it there.   Any objections?

Too bad I need this for testing ... it would make a kick-ass mail/web 
server.  16 cores, 32GB RAM.

-- 
--Josh

Josh Berkus
PostgreSQL @ Sun
San Francisco

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From: "Gavin M. Roy" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 15:46:09 -0700

Sorry, forgot to update you... I'm no longer short on rack space or  
power.

Gavin

On May 15, 2006, at 3:42 PM, Josh Berkus wrote:

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From: "Joshua D. Drake" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 16:18:43 -0700

> server.  16 cores, 32GB RAM.

CMD can host it.

Joshua D. Drake

-- 

            === The PostgreSQL Company: Command Prompt, Inc. ===
      Sales/Support: +1.503.667.4564 || 24x7/Emergency: +1.800.492.2240
      Providing the most comprehensive  PostgreSQL solutions since 1997
                     http://www.commandprompt.com/

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From: Simon Riggs <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 19:16:53 +0100

> inclined to send it there.   Any objections?

I'm not familiar with OSL. Do you mean OSDL?

I'd be interested in hosting it with full community access via a public
booking system, managed via policies agreed on this list. Subject to
more detailed info, it would be at a site with people to operate it on
behalf of users.

How much rackspace and how much power are we talking about? 
http://www.sun.com/servers/coolthreads/t2000/specifications.jsp#Environment
That the right link?

Does it come with a StorEdge array also? The specs say it only supports
4 drives internally. What disks are we talking?

-- 
  Simon Riggs             
  EnterpriseDB   http://www.enterprisedb.com

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From: Josh Berkus <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 14:19:09 -0700

Simon,

> I'm not familiar with OSL. Do you mean OSDL?

Open Source Lab, in Corvalis, Oregon.  They're funded by Oregon State 
University, and host quite a number of other open source projects, 
including Gentoo, some Apache projects, portions of Debian, etc.  
Unrelated to OSDL except through collaboration on specific projects.

> more detailed info, it would be at a site with people to operate it on

Yep.   Mind you, I don't think that software exists for such scheduling, 
but if you want to write it I won't object to using it.  Warning, though; 
I claim the first month after racking to work on some PostgreSQL/Solaris 
bugs, and the server should run a permanent BuildFarm client.

> http://www.sun.com/servers/coolthreads/t2000/specifications.jsp#Environm
>ent That the right link?

Yes.

> 4 drives internally. What disks are we talking?

Four.  There's some limit on the donation, and since Sun doesn't 
manufacture their own disks, the machines are disk-light.

-- 
--Josh

Josh Berkus
PostgreSQL @ Sun
San Francisco

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From: Tom Lane <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 22:38:28 -0400

> manufacture their own disks, the machines are disk-light.

That's too bad.  With such a serious server, it would be nice to have
some serious disk too, so that community members could experiment with
enterprise-level performance scenarios.

Is there any chance of scaring up some real disk storage from another
interested company?  I understand the point that Sun isn't in a position
to contribute major disk hardware, but maybe someone else is?

			regards, tom lane

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From: Josh Berkus <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 19:42:57 -0700

Tom,

> to contribute major disk hardware, but maybe someone else is?

I discussed it with some of the Sun folks.  It's possible down the line, just 
not right now.

Of course, if anyone knows people at HP or IBM or Rackable we could get a JBOD 
from, I wouldn't turn it down.

-- 
Josh Berkus
Aglio Database Solutions
San Francisco

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From: Simon Riggs <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 10:15:39 +0100

> from, I wouldn't turn it down.

It's possible we can utilise disks from other EDB equipment, so we're
able to have multi-path access. We were also looking at some other
options for disks.

I'll get some opinions and report back.

---

From: Simon Riggs <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 10:22:25 +0100

On Wed, 2006-05-17 at 14:19 -0700, Josh Berkus wrote:

> but if you want to write it I won't object to using it.  

We'll run it by hand to begin with while we judge how many people are
actually going to use a booking system. We'll need some form of
qualification process I think.

I was imagining that we'd all have individual userids and there's be a
way to lock everybody else off while you're doing testing, but then let
others back on when in Open Access mode for test prep.

> Warning, though; 
> bugs, 

That's a long time. Not like you can't come back for more. ;-)
But if that's the conditions of sale...

The main issue is probably the disk space for setup. We should be able
to have smaller databases setup alongside each other without too much
problem.

> and the server should run a permanent BuildFarm client.

Yup.

I'd like somebody at Sun to be responsible for the OS, so that we know
we've got the latest patch set, kernel tweaks etc. Maybe via a monthly
admin window?

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From: Simon Riggs <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 12:07:29 +0100

> manufacture their own disks, the machines are disk-light.

Is there a compatibility list? The Sun site only lists StorEdge, so do
we have to buy one of those? Can we arrange some steep discounts?

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From: Simon Riggs <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 16:36:40 +0100

> I'll get some opinions and report back.

OK, I can confirm EDB have space, power and willingness to manage and
I'll put time in to make sure this is managed as a community resource,
with equal access. Operator cover should be possible 24x7 to allow
global access, but with a proviso of reasonable efforts, rather than the
"best efforts" you'd expect on a pay-for support contract.

EDB should also be able to put money in to get some reasonable external
disks, but I won't put a figure on it here. Josh, I'd appreciate it if
you could pass the hat round a little bit?

The T2000 would be physically located in secured premises at EDB in New
Jersey, with appropriate firewalls etc..

How does all of that sound?

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From: Josh Berkus <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 08:41:48 -0700

Simon,

> "best efforts" you'd expect on a pay-for support contract.

It may have already shipped.  I'll check.

> you could pass the hat round a little bit?

Um, if EDB is not supplying a JBOD or similar extra disks, I don't really 
understand the point in having them host it?  If we're going to take up a 
collection, then I think it makes more sense to host it with an NPO, yes?

-- 
Josh Berkus
Aglio Database Solutions
San Francisco

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From: Simon Riggs <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 19 May 2006 18:53:56 +0100

> collection, then I think it makes more sense to host it with an NPO, yes?

OK