[DRBD-user] IBM Server Machines with DRBD-0.7.x

[Paul Bennett]

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 20:44:19 -0500, Linux GNUbie <gnubie at gmail.com> wrote:

> If you will be setting up a GNU/Linux system using Kernel-2.6.x with
> DRBD-0.7.x, which machine will you prefer to use assuming that the
> budget to purchase the server machines is not an issue to you, an IBM
> xSeries 345 or an IBM Blade HS20, and both of them have an identical
> Intel Xeon processors, RAM, SCSI HDD and Gigabit Ethernet?

Do you plan on massive future scalability? A full Bladecenter will give  
you marginally more CPUs per U of space than (I think) any ordinary  
xSeries. If you're buying lots of gigahertz, that will be a big factor.  
Using Bladecenter bays for SCSI storage is going to cut into that.  
Personally, if I were standing here with a blank check in my hand, I'd get  
Blades and EXT units rather than waste chassis space on SCSI Blades.

Bear in mind that a Blade is basically a laptop. Servicability isn't  
something you can expect. Generally, people who have one of their Blades  
go bad get a warranty replacement on the whole thing rather than on any  
FRU inside it.

OTOH, I've been inside the x345, and it's a pleasure to expand and to work  
on.

Is this for a Small/Home business or an Enterprise? Maintenance is less on  
Blades, since you're paying for a quick yank and replace, as opposed to a  
full service on a machine, but those savings only become apparent if  
you're buying a lot of them, and working them hard.





Paul