[mapserver-users] Looking for advice for OGC Services Server hardware requirements

[Andy Colson]

On 3/9/2010 4:34 AM, David Alda Fernandez de Lezea wrote:
>
> Hello list,
>


>   So, our doubts have to do with the following subjects:
>   - Processor
>   - RAM Memory
>   - HDD (we know that has to be large, i.e. 1TB - 2TB)
>   - Number of network adapters (is advisable to have more than one?)
>   - Which OS is best for MapServer, Linux or Windows 2003 (in terms of performance)
>   - Other suggestions...

Disclamer: I am a linux guy.

Processor is a little hard, a faster processor will grind through the 
imagery faster.  Imagery is CPU intensive.  A fast processor is better 
than multi-core.  For one user.  There is probably a sweet spot for 
multi-user's between fast core and many core.  You'll have to test.

Memory is easy.  Buy as much as you can.

HDD is hard.  Everyone think's CPU, CPU, CPU, and they never pay 
attention to IO.  Lots of loads are IO bound and not CPU bound, so 
buying more and faster CPU's wont help at all.  Here is where OS choice 
will come into play.  Linux has fantastic software raid.  I can 
recommend Linux 100% for fast drive IO across multiple SATA drives.

NIC's: that's really dependent on your load.  If you have the imagery 
local and only get shapes from across the network, then it wouldn't 
require too much network bandwidth.  You didnt give us near enough info 
to help you decide.  You'll have to test.

OS:  That's not the right question.  You have a hammer and screw driver 
in your tool chest.  Use the right tool for the right job.  CGI, for 
example, is faster on Linux because of the way it spawns processes. 
FastCGI/mapscript/threads/etc will be similar on both OS's.  The biggest 
question is what your admins are better at.  Making a windows person 
admin a linux box is just asking for trouble.  A windows person will get 
10 times the performance from a windows box than a linux box.

Other:  You asked a huge question and gave very little usage info.  I'd 
suggest you test, and benchmark.  Set something cheap up and load test 
it.  If you find you are CPU bound, then you'll know where you need to 
invest money.  If you cant make it go any faster and the CPU's are not 
at 100%, then its either NIC or IO.  You'll have to understand your load 
before you buy hardware for it.

I run mapserver on a slackware linux box, with PostGIS db.
cpu: AMD 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+
hd: 3 1TB green Western Digital in raid 5.  I get 100+ Mbs write, and 
130 Mbs read.

The cpu's sit around 5% usage.  I get 70k hits a day.  I have 180 gig of 
imagery, and PostGis db is 2.6 gig.

The box was hand built for $350 bucks, with a few old parts and a few new.

PRODUCTION LEVEL:  this means different things.  To me it means having a 
second $350 box sitting at standby ready to take over if my first box 
dies.  To you it means, (based on your questions and a lot of guessing 
on my part) spending a lot of money on one box that'll be "really good".

I guess, in the end, my advice would be: if money is no object, get 
whatever.  Otherwise, start small and try to understand your load 
requirements.  A $350 linux box will go really far (but then my load is 
neither CPU or IO bound... I just dont have that much traffic).

Don't you hate it when you ask a question, only to be asked more questions?

-Andy