...
- Windows Server or Linux server OS?
- Past testing by researchers have yielded faster processing on servers running Linux than Windows. Some researchers only comfortable working within Windows.
- If Windows Server used, buy ~$100 software on server (free clients) to enable moving large amounts of data to server more speedily.
- If Windows Server used, Chemistry IT must work out the "how", with group's input. Examples of unknowns:
- How will user accounts and their access work? How many simultaneously? Per user accounts or shared accounts? How manage contention, if desired by group?
- There will be monthly (or maybe every 3 months) shutdown periods to ensure baseline patching and OS, file-share and hardware checking.
- Chemistry IT will coordinate with group, as we do for many other servers we manage .
- Any value in Dual 10-Gigabit Ethernet?
- Warranty upgrades (all non-NBD):
- 3 => 4 years: +$169
3 => 5 years: +$434
- for other research groups.
Server spec suggestions and costs
| Criteria | Current deskop's specs | ~4 TIMES the desktop specs is minumum proposed server | Cost increase if go up about a level or so | Borrowed Dell's specs | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cores, hyper-threading (HT) | 4 cores (one processor) i5-6500, 3.20 GHz (Not HT capable) | Total 16 cores (Two, 8-cores each) Each: Xeon Silver 4110, 2.10GHz 11MB Cache (85W) HT-capable | 16 total cores => 20 total cores
16 total cores => 24 total cores
*Availability delay, as of 12/22/17. | 16 cores (Two, 8 cores each) HT-capable Each: The now-older processor, Xeon E5-2620 v4 2.10GHz 20MB Cache (85W) | Hyper-threading (HT) is useful to the group. Group tested performance between HT being turned on and off. With HT, test system showed 32 cores. 25 of these could be used without saturation, and thus without delaying processing time. Without HT, only 16 cores available so maximum much less than 25 effectively used under HT. Notes:
| |
Storage All SSD. | 500 GB SSD | 2TB is 4 times the space: 2.0TB Samsung 960 PRO M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe Solid State Drive (cost is $1,100499)
| Minimum option listed Above configuration is the fastest option since combines OS and data on fast bus.
| If need less space, easy. Save about $375 per 500GB. Replace 2.0TB at left with:
If more space is needed, more complicated and slower, but of course doable. Please ask. | SSD (size n/a, at 400GB) | If Windows Server used, buy ~$100 software on server (free clients) to enable moving large amounts of data to server more speedily. Large amounts of data not needed to be stored on server, nor moved from server. Instead, simply deleted from server after processing. |
| RAM | 32 GB | 128 GB | $xx+$1,440: 128 GB => 256 GB? | 32 GB | ||
| Warranty | 3 year, NBD Dell on-campus "parts locker" | 3 year Advanced Parts Replacement Warranty | Warranty upgrades (all non-NBD):
| n/a | ||
| Other | Required: UPS ($xxx$250-500) (What capacity?) Option: Redundant power supply unit +$224) Any value in Dual 10-Gigabit Ethernet? | n/a | n/a | |||
| Total cost, approx. | ~$1,000? (*4 => $4,000) | ~$5,500 | n/a | $xxx |
...