[9fans] higher-end compute server recommendations?

[John Floren]

We've got some budget left for hardware, so I'm looking for a server
suitable for running Plan 9, preferably as good as I can get for about
$3000-5000. Buying non-Thinkpad Plan 9 hardware is kind of a
crapshoot, and this isn't just some $100 Atom system, so if any of you
are running something along these lines, please let me know. I'd most
like to see lots of cores and lots of RAM, I don't even want storage
(we've got other methods for storage).

Thanks,


John

[erik quanstrom]

Post by John Floren
We've got some budget left for hardware, so I'm looking for a server
suitable for running Plan 9, preferably as good as I can get for about
$3000-5000. Buying non-Thinkpad Plan 9 hardware is kind of a
crapshoot, and this isn't just some $100 Atom system, so if any of you
are running something along these lines, please let me know. I'd most
like to see lots of cores and lots of RAM, I don't even want storage
(we've got other methods for storage).

hey, john, i've had incredible luck with intel servers from supermicro
for general beat-about servers.

just as a quick suggestion, i'd look at this server here.

http://www.supermicro.com/products/system/1U/6017/SYS-6017R-WRF.cfm

with 8-core socket-r cpus, you can have 32 cores and 128gb of memory
without stretching the budget too much. the intel i350 nics work fine,
but for something that hot, i'd get a myircom or intel 10gbe adapter.

this was just whatever came up in 5 minutes. you might want to look
at this page here for more options

http://www.supermicro.com/products/nfo/Xeon_X9_E5.cfm?pg=SS

acmemicro.com (fitting, no?) should have the full range of stuff.

- erik

[John Floren]

Post by erik quanstrom

Post by John Floren
We've got some budget left for hardware, so I'm looking for a server
suitable for running Plan 9, preferably as good as I can get for about
$3000-5000. Buying non-Thinkpad Plan 9 hardware is kind of a
crapshoot, and this isn't just some $100 Atom system, so if any of you
are running something along these lines, please let me know. I'd most
like to see lots of cores and lots of RAM, I don't even want storage
(we've got other methods for storage).

hey, john, i've had incredible luck with intel servers from supermicro
for general beat-about servers.
just as a quick suggestion, i'd look at this server here.
http://www.supermicro.com/products/system/1U/6017/SYS-6017R-WRF.cfm
with 8-core socket-r cpus, you can have 32 cores and 128gb of memory
without stretching the budget too much. the intel i350 nics work fine,
but for something that hot, i'd get a myircom or intel 10gbe adapter.
this was just whatever came up in 5 minutes. you might want to look
at this page here for more options
http://www.supermicro.com/products/nfo/Xeon_X9_E5.cfm?pg=SS
acmemicro.com (fitting, no?) should have the full range of stuff.
- erik

Thanks for the tip; I just looked at acmemicro and spec'd out a
decent-looking 16-core system with 64 GB of RAM for about $4800, so
I'll probably end up doing something like that.



john

[Bruce Ellis]

Watch out for the bunnies!

Post by John Floren

Post by erik quanstrom

Post by John Floren
We've got some budget left for hardware, so I'm looking for a server
suitable for running Plan 9, preferably as good as I can get for about
$3000-5000. Buying non-Thinkpad Plan 9 hardware is kind of a
crapshoot, and this isn't just some $100 Atom system, so if any of you
are running something along these lines, please let me know. I'd most
like to see lots of cores and lots of RAM, I don't even want storage
(we've got other methods for storage).

hey, john, i've had incredible luck with intel servers from supermicro
for general beat-about servers.
just as a quick suggestion, i'd look at this server here.
http://www.supermicro.com/products/system/1U/6017/SYS-6017R-WRF.cfm
with 8-core socket-r cpus, you can have 32 cores and 128gb of memory
without stretching the budget too much. the intel i350 nics work fine,
but for something that hot, i'd get a myircom or intel 10gbe adapter.
this was just whatever came up in 5 minutes. you might want to look
at this page here for more options
http://www.supermicro.com/products/nfo/Xeon_X9_E5.cfm?pg=SS
acmemicro.com (fitting, no?) should have the full range of stuff.
- erik

Thanks for the tip; I just looked at acmemicro and spec'd out a
decent-looking 16-core system with 64 GB of RAM for about $4800, so
I'll probably end up doing something like that.
john

[Kurt H Maier]

unlike newegg, acmemicro does not stock anything so delivery time is long.

Supermicro resellers (like ixsystems) tend to be better about this.

[balaji.srinivasa+ (balaji)]

unlike newegg, acmemicro does not stock anything so delivery time is long.

Post by erik quanstrom

Post by John Floren
We've got some budget left for hardware, so I'm looking for a server
suitable for running Plan 9, preferably as good as I can get for about
$3000-5000. Buying non-Thinkpad Plan 9 hardware is kind of a
crapshoot, and this isn't just some $100 Atom system, so if any of you
are running something along these lines, please let me know. I'd most
like to see lots of cores and lots of RAM, I don't even want storage
(we've got other methods for storage).

hey, john, i've had incredible luck with intel servers from supermicro
for general beat-about servers.
just as a quick suggestion, i'd look at this server here.
http://www.supermicro.com/products/system/1U/6017/SYS-6017R-WRF.cfm
with 8-core socket-r cpus, you can have 32 cores and 128gb of memory
without stretching the budget too much. the intel i350 nics work fine,
but for something that hot, i'd get a myircom or intel 10gbe adapter.
this was just whatever came up in 5 minutes. you might want to look
at this page here for more options
http://www.supermicro.com/products/nfo/Xeon_X9_E5.cfm?pg=SS
acmemicro.com (fitting, no?) should have the full range of stuff.
- erik

[erik quanstrom]

unlike newegg, acmemicro does not stock anything so delivery time is long.

depends on what you order. you can call 'em up and get an account. they'll
let you know, and help you change your order slightly to meet whatever deadline
you've got.

i've done this a few times personally.

- erik

[balaji.srinivasa+ (balaji)]

true, but one order of mine took 2-3 times longer to fulfill than
newegg. not attempted returns with these guys either. prices were just
about competitive, however, if you're in the bay area you can pick it
up and save shipping. the order was just a bunch of 1U supermicros.

On Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 9:47 AM, erik quanstrom

Post by erik quanstrom

unlike newegg, acmemicro does not stock anything so delivery time is long.

depends on what you order. you can call 'em up and get an account. they'll
let you know, and help you change your order slightly to meet whatever deadline
you've got.
i've done this a few times personally.
- erik

[hiro]

what are you guys running? java? chrome?
I'm fine with 2 cores.

[erik quanstrom]

Post by hiro
what are you guys running? java? chrome?
I'm fine with 2 cores.

don't you have 75 users compiling all day?

- erik

[hiro]

I don't think that can be a problem if all they compile is plan9 software.

[c***@gmx.de]

the real question is:

how many catclocks can it run in parallel before the front falls off? ;)

--
cinap

[Richard Miller]

Post by John Floren
We've got some budget left for hardware, so I'm looking for a server
suitable for running Plan 9, preferably as good as I can get for about
$3000-5000.

You could build a 140-processor raspberry pi cluster for $4900, leaving
$100 in the budget for power supply (490 watts) and wiring.

Have to wait a few months for delivery though.

[Oleksandr Iakovliev]

Post by Richard Miller

Post by John Floren
We've got some budget left for hardware, so I'm looking for a server
suitable for running Plan 9, preferably as good as I can get for about
$3000-5000.

You could build a 140-processor raspberry pi cluster for $4900, leaving
$100 in the budget for power supply (490 watts) and wiring.
Have to wait a few months for delivery though.

And reserve same amount in $5K to have 140 ethernet ports switch ;)

[Richard Miller]

Post by Oleksandr Iakovliev
And reserve same amount in $5K to have 140 ethernet ports switch ;)

No need for ethernet - just link boards in a mesh using gpio pins.

And yes, I am joking.

[erik quanstrom]

Post by Richard Miller

Post by Oleksandr Iakovliev
And reserve same amount in $5K to have 140 ethernet ports switch ;)

No need for ethernet - just link boards in a mesh using gpio pins.
And yes, I am joking.

it's an intersting thought experiment.

here are other ways to get >= processors cheeper

1. sgi altex. 32 processors itanic goodness for $1500. you could get two
and double your processors.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SGI-Altix-3000-Rack-LOADED-with-C-Bricks-each-with-2-x-1-3GHz-16GB-/310415290426?pt=COMP_EN_Servers&hash=item484631703a#ht_784wt_979


2. sgi onyx2. 8 processors for $200. you could get 20 for <$4000, but
you may be calling an electrician

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SGI-Silicon-Graphics-Onyx2-Server-CMN-A016-RM-10-256-/290748779993?pt=COMP_EN_Servers&hash=item43b1fa4dd9#ht_9902wt_818

- erik

[David Leimbach]

Post by erik quanstrom

Post by Richard Miller

Post by Oleksandr Iakovliev
And reserve same amount in $5K to have 140 ethernet ports switch ;)

No need for ethernet - just link boards in a mesh using gpio pins.
And yes, I am joking.

it's an intersting thought experiment.
here are other ways to get >= processors cheeper
1. sgi altex. 32 processors itanic goodness for $1500. you could get two
and double your processors.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SGI-Altix-3000-Rack-LOADED-with-C-Bricks-each-with-2-x-1-3GHz-16GB-/310415290426?pt=COMP_EN_Servers&hash=item484631703a#ht_784wt_979

Itanium was fun to play with years and years ago when I had access to them.
Just because it was different mostly. I liked it for the same reason I
liked those Cell processors - I'm weird.

Post by erik quanstrom
2. sgi onyx2. 8 processors for $200. you could get 20 for <$4000, but
you may be calling an electrician
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SGI-Silicon-Graphics-Onyx2-Server-CMN-A016-RM-10-256-/290748779993?pt=COMP_EN_Servers&hash=item43b1fa4dd9#ht_9902wt_818

Cool!

Post by erik quanstrom
- erik

[andrey mirtchovski]

Post by David Leimbach
I liked it for the same reason I
liked those Cell processors - I'm weird.

a lot of people really hated it because it killed alpha...

[David Leimbach]

On Thu, Jul 26, 2012 at 8:16 AM, andrey mirtchovski

Post by andrey mirtchovski

Post by David Leimbach
I liked it for the same reason I
liked those Cell processors - I'm weird.

a lot of people really hated it because it killed alpha...
Yes that was very sad. I liked Alpha too, but business reasons caused it

to die more than Itanium as a technology.

[erik quanstrom]

Post by andrey mirtchovski

Post by David Leimbach
I liked it for the same reason I
liked those Cell processors - I'm weird.

a lot of people really hated it because it killed alpha...

credit where due. itanic killed alpha.

or more accurately, the politics behind itanic.

- erik

[t***@polynum.com]

Post by erik quanstrom

Post by andrey mirtchovski

Post by David Leimbach
I liked it for the same reason I
liked those Cell processors - I'm weird.

a lot of people really hated it because it killed alpha...

credit where due. itanic killed alpha.
or more accurately, the politics behind itanic.

And perhaps the conception too? about what was needed from the
compiler and the programmer to really use the stuff. It seemed far
too complex to be of sufficiently easy of use and large benefits to
convince a lot of people to try. The doubtful description read in
Hennesy and Patterson' "Computer Architecture" was fair enough.

Not to speak about compatibility, the one feature that made Intel and
Microsoft prosper...

The Plan9 vs Unix is not in the very same pattern. If Itanium was
doomed, the Plan9 approach seems to me more and more valid
everyday---interconnections, ubiquity or lack of locality of
resources; terminals vs. CPU vs. fileservers etc.

And simplicity...

[David Leimbach]

Post by t***@polynum.com

Post by erik quanstrom

Post by andrey mirtchovski

Post by David Leimbach
I liked it for the same reason I
liked those Cell processors - I'm weird.

a lot of people really hated it because it killed alpha...

credit where due. itanic killed alpha.
or more accurately, the politics behind itanic.

And perhaps the conception too? about what was needed from the
compiler and the programmer to really use the stuff. It seemed far
too complex to be of sufficiently easy of use and large benefits to
convince a lot of people to try. The doubtful description read in
Hennesy and Patterson' "Computer Architecture" was fair enough.
Not to speak about compatibility, the one feature that made Intel and
Microsoft prosper...
The Plan9 vs Unix is not in the very same pattern. If Itanium was
doomed, the Plan9 approach seems to me more and more valid
everyday---interconnections, ubiquity or lack of locality of
resources; terminals vs. CPU vs. fileservers etc.
And simplicity...

We'll just keep the fire lit then I suppose until people come to their
senses :-)

Post by t***@polynum.com
--
Thierry Laronde <tlaronde +AT+ polynum +dot+ com>
http://www.kergis.com/
Key fingerprint = 0FF7 E906 FBAF FE95 FD89 250D 52B1 AE95 6006 F40C