Offers for a new architecture

[starnetwork]

Hi,
I want to build new Full redundancy linux hosting servers
and I want to plan the Type of hardware and hard drives, RAID configuration, and how to install for subject
I thought about 2x Dell R610 / HP 360G7 / IBM X3550 M3
in each server:
4 or 6 600GB SAS Hard drives
2x XEON X5650 CPU
4x 8GB RAM 1333 ECC
2x PS
RAID Controller with 512MB

few questions:
1. any suggestions about the hardware?
2. the RAID Configuration can be 1 RAID5 Array or I will create 2 Arrays (one for DRBD)
3. shuld I work with DRBD or wait to the Proxmox v2 with pmcfs - Database-driven file system for storing configuration files, replicated in realtime on all nodes using corosync
4. can I start with the first server and add the second server with the redundancy latter? (after v2 is out)
5. any other suggestions?

Best Regards,
Star Network.

 

[Alexqw]

Hey,
The hardware you need depends a lot on how many VMs you intend to host and what their load is. That being said, what you have listed seems to be a good system and will likely serve you well. I see you have 32 GB of RAM, and while that is plenty, keep in mind you never can have enough RAM - especially on a VM server. Your goal should be to have as much as possible cached in RAM, since every time the hard drive is accessed it impacts all other guests.
I use Proxmox in a small lab scenario, so our needs are simple. We have an HP DL165 G7 (not as good as your DL360 G7) and it has worked great for us, though I did have to replace the fake RAID card it had with a 3ware card I think the DL360 comes with a decent RAID card.
I'd be careful about using RAID 5. The performance impact can become a problem and it's usually not worth the tradeoff in additional storage. If you need the storage that should be on an external NAS or SAN anyway. RAID 10 would be best.
I believe that you can setup one server and then add the second, redundant server later - though I have not done so myself.
I know nothing about DRBD, so I can't help you there.
Best of luck with your setup.

---Alex

 

[udo]

Hi,
I want to build new Full redundancy linux hosting servers
and I want to plan the Type of hardware and hard drives, RAID configuration, and how to install for subject
I thought about 2x Dell R610 / HP 360G7 / IBM X3550 M3
in each server:
4 or 6 600GB SAS Hard drives

Hi,
with an areca raidcontroller ther is an huge performance boost between 4 and 6 disk in raid10 (the difference between 6 to 8 disks is much smaller) - if you have a chance go for 6 disks in raid 10.

2x XEON X5650 CPU
4x 8GB RAM 1333 ECC
2x PS
RAID Controller with 512MB

Some raid-controller need an bbu for full speed

few questions:
1. any suggestions about the hardware?
2. the RAID Configuration can be 1 RAID5 Array or I will create 2 Arrays (one for DRBD)

like wrote before - use raid10. If you use DRBD, go for two drbd-partitions - one for each server to avoid split-brain conditions (or better say easy handle split-brain conditions).

3. shuld I work with DRBD or wait to the Proxmox v2 with pmcfs - Database-driven file system for storing configuration files, replicated in realtime on all nodes using corosync

pmcfs is only for the config - DRDB is for the VM-Disks (lvm-storage). This will be the same in 2.x (AFAIK).

4. can I start with the first server and add the second server with the redundancy latter? (after v2 is out)

Yes - for DRDB look at the DRBD-Howtos on the DRBD-site
Try the speed of your DRBD-devices. I was not happy with an 1GB-Connection... with 10GB it's ok ;-)

Udo

 

[starnetwork]

Thank you very much Udo!
other Questions,
1. can I work well with DRBD on remote location?
(one server in the east coast and the second server in the west coast)

2. how it go's with the IP's, if I have secured domain I need 2 IP's for the ssl, one for each server?

3. if I run the VM for directadmin hosting, DRBD it better then other "In OS" solution?
(http://help.directadmin.com/item.php?id=266)

Best Regards,
Star Network.

 

[udo]

Thank you very much Udo!
other Questions,
1. can I work well with DRBD on remote location?
(one server in the east coast and the second server in the west coast)

2. how it go's with the IP's, if I have secured domain I need 2 IP's for the ssl, one for each server?

3. if I run the VM for directadmin hosting, DRBD it better then other "In OS" solution?
(http://help.directadmin.com/item.php?id=266)

Best Regards,
Star Network.

Hi,
i think DRBD on remote location is not the best idea - in any case with active/active like used with proxmox. Due the latency i assume poor performance.
DRBD offers an (paid product) DRBD-gateway to buffer DRBD-request to sync over long distances. But this is AFAIK for active/passive setups.
DRDB makes only sense if your nodes in the same area (to use GB/10GB/Infiniband/Dolphin Nics).

For 2.: For the pve-cluster-communication you need to be in one network (with pve 2.x).

I don't know Directadmin - but nightly backups are not very syncron?! If you can live with an gap, perhaps a solution with rsync is fine enough.

Udo

 

[starnetwork]

just Thanks!
there is any other Idea Besides DRBD-gateway to run website with dynamic content and users from 2 remote data centers?
one that can be based on Proxmox, Vmware, or any simple solution.
(To improve performance in every area, for example, server in use, and server in Europe)

BTW, about #3 I have nightly backups, but I want to move to High Availability, so the second server will work in case of fail in the first one with no loosing of data at all

Best Regards,
Star Network.