[plug] decent INTEL SMP boxes in Perth?

[David Griffiths]

Thanks for the feedback so far guys.

My research to date ...

The SGI 1400L is rumoured to be around $14k (informal verbal "guestimate"
from SGI engineer - please do not quote) for a single 500MHz cpu quad
capable system, no monitor. On the other hand, single 550 MHz cpu dual
capable system from Dell for example comes in at around $6.6k with a 21 in
monitor (or cheaper even depending on options - don't want NT for example).

So at the moment the SGI system doesn't look all that attractive on a
price/performance basis - we don't need the hot swappable redundant
{powersupplies, disks, cpu's}, 11 fans or massive IO bandwidth - just lots
of cpu grunt. (SGI does have good software and hardware support options
though)

At the moment I'm looking at creating a cluster of around 4 dual cpu
systems (8 cpus, >= 4,000 MHz total) running linux and farming our multiple
model runs out across the 4 boxes using shared disk space for the data and
binaries. (Does anyone know how efficiently a dual cpu SMP linux system
load balances two cpu intensive tasks?).

Since we can run the modelling jobs at night, we should have the added
benefit of using some of the boxes as "desktop" boxes during the day
(yummy!).

Will have to look at alpha price/performance figures too. But the appeal of
running on commodity hardware is big.

cheers,

Dave.







>id still say go with the SGI over the DEC you will find that an
>identical speced machine is far cheaper from SGI than its DEC
>counterpart, of course these are Intel based not Alpha
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:	Kenworthy Family [SMTP:billk at opera.iinet.net.au]
>> Sent:	Wednesday, 13 October 1999 2:35 PM
>> To:	plug at linux.org.au
>> Subject:	Re: [plug] decent INTEL SMP boxes in Perth?
>>
>> Try DEC (Compaq?) - they used to have multiple alpha box's to drool
>> over (if
>> you have not fainted from the price!!)  Not sure how they run linux
>> but they
>> had digital unix on the ones I saw.  At the price range multiple intel
>> cpu
>> systems would be in, it may be worth investigating some real hardware
>> with less
>> processors but more grunt.  All speculation of course!!
>>
>> BillK
>>
>>
>> David Griffiths wrote:
>>
>> > Does anyone have a good knowledge Perth suppliers of reliable dual
>> (or
>> > better yet, quad!) cpu systems that run linux happily? (Or better
>> yet,
>> > actually support linux on the systems provided).
>> >
>> > So far I've looked at the Dell and HP (XL550 looks promising
>> shipping with
>> > Red Hat) offerings, have yet to check out IBM, Acer, Gateway and
>> Compaq.
>> >
>> > The only quad capable system I've seen so far is SGI's 1400L server
>> - but a
>> > system with 11 fans is probably a bit of overkill for what we want
>> to do
>> > (photochemical smog modelling).
>> >
>> > Thanks in advance,
>> >
>> > Dave.
>> >
>> >
>> ======================================================================
>> ====
>> >
>> >   David Griffiths
>> griffith at environ.wa.gov.au
>> >
>> >   Systems Manager
>> >   Air Quality Management Branch
>> >   Department of Environmental Protection            Phone:   61 8
>> 9222 7151
>> >
>> >   Westralia Square                                  Fax  :   61 8
>> 9222 7099
>> >   141 St Georges Tce
>> >   Perth 6000
>> >   Western Australia
>> >
>> ======================================================================
>> ====




 ==========================================================================

  David Griffiths                               griffith at environ.wa.gov.au

  Systems Manager
  Air Quality Management Branch
  Department of Environmental Protection            Phone:   61 8 9222 7151

  Westralia Square                                  Fax  :   61 8 9222 7099
  141 St Georges Tce
  Perth 6000
  Western Australia
 ==========================================================================