Network Server and scsi drives

[mcveigh]

I am building a new server for my small business. I was looking for some input.
should I go SMP? and if not is there any disadvantages to using AMD cpu's? I have 20 workstations connected and all the server would be doing is file and print sharing. Would SMP make big improvement?

Also I want to have the OS, probably Linux on an IDE drive, and data on a SCSI raid 1 setup.
can anyone reccomend a Linux compatible controller card that's affordable. and how much ram should I put on the controller?

 

[huggis]

Hi there!
I´m just going to answer the two first questions:
AMD vs Intel; as far i know there wouldn´t be any disadvantages what so ever to go with AMD. This should be valid as long as you compare equal processors from them, ie athlon vs pIII, celeron vs duron etc.(ok, just a slight overhead to duron since the fsb is higher). Secondly, i don´t think you would benefit that much to go the multiprocessor way on a file and printer server. That specific tasks doesn´t stress the cpu so much, put your money in fast disks instead because it´s there you can expect some heavy load on an file server.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

With only 20 computers you don't need the fastest computer on the face of the earth, especially if it's a dedicated machine. I see no reason to go SMP with that machine, and no reason to go Intel instead of AMD. This server will not likely ever have a high load.

 

[mcveigh]

thanks everyone. we might in the next year start serving our own webpage, so i'd like to have the ability to goto SMP
we only get about 1000 hits a day right now can anyone reccomend a SMP board that takes registered ecc ram?

thanks

 

[nuttervm]

for smp boards on an intel platform, tyan and intel are great brands to buy. very stable. if you want smp for the athlon you'll have to wait a while longer

 

[Sunner]

If this is a "serious" server, go with a Compaq or Dell(I prefer Compaq myself, but both are good).
They come with good warranties, and are extremely reliable.

If you really wanna build it yourself, get a RAID-5 setup for the disks holding the data, if possible.
And dont bother with SMP, if you get any kind of decent CPU(which basically means anything thats out today) it will last you just fine, fileserving hardly causes any load at all, especially with a SCSI setup.

As for the webserver, I really wouldnt use the fileserver for a webserver as well, since this poses some serious security issues, assuming whatever will be kept on the fileserver is even remotely sensitive(or anything thats accessible from the fileserver for that matter).

You're much better of getting a comp of its own for the webserving.