Thread: Looking for hw suggestions for high concurrency OLTP app

Looking for hw suggestions for high concurrency OLTP app

From
Cosimo Streppone
Date:
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.

--
Cosimo


Re: Looking for hw suggestions for high concurrency

From
"Luke Lonergan"
Date:
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.



Re: Looking for hw suggestions for high concurrency

From
"Merlin Moncure"
Date:
On 12/11/06, Luke Lonergan <llonergan@greenplum.com> wrote:
> The Sun X4600 is very good for this, the V40z is actually EOL so I'd stay
> away from it.

also, it has no pci express slots. make sure to get pci-e slots :)

> 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.

...and this 6 of them (wow!). the v40z was top of its class.  Will K8L
run on this server?

merlin

Re: Looking for hw suggestions for high concurrency

From
"Luke Lonergan"
Date:
Merlin,

On 12/11/06 12:19 PM, "Merlin Moncure" <mmoncure@gmail.com> wrote:

> ...and this 6 of them (wow!). the v40z was top of its class.  Will K8L
> run on this server?

No official word yet.

The X4600 slipped in there quietly under the X4500 (Thumper) announcement,
but it's a pretty awesome server.  It's been in production for
supercomputing in Japan for a long while now, so I'd trust it.

- Luke