Cloud Service Level Agreements
```mediawiki DISPLAYTITLECloud Service Level Agreements: Server Configuration Documentation
Introduction
This document details the hardware configuration underpinning our "Cloud Service Level Agreements" (CSLA) offering. This configuration is designed to deliver consistent, high-performance computing resources to clients operating under stringent Service Level Agreements (SLAs). The focus is on redundancy, scalability, and predictable performance. This document is intended for internal use by Systems Administrators, Support Engineers, and other technical personnel. It covers hardware specifications, performance characteristics, recommended use cases, comparisons with similar configurations, and essential maintenance considerations. Understanding these details is crucial for effective deployment, maintenance, and troubleshooting of CSLA instances. See Server Infrastructure Overview for a broader context.
1. Hardware Specifications
The CSLA configuration employs a hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) approach, utilizing a standardized server build. Each server node within a CSLA cluster consists of the following components:
| Component | Specification | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2 x 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors (Ice Lake-SP) – Model 8380. 40 cores / 80 threads per processor. Base Frequency: 2.3 GHz, Max Turbo Frequency: 3.4 GHz. Total Cores: 80 | ||
| RAM | 512 GB DDR4 ECC Registered Memory. Speed: 3200 MHz. Configuration: 16 x 32GB DIMMs. See Memory Management Best Practices for details. | ||
| Storage (Boot) | 2 x 480GB NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD (RAID 1). For Operating System and System Files. | ||
| Storage (Data) | 8 x 4TB SAS 12Gbps 7.2K RPM Enterprise Class HDD (RAID 6). Total Raw Capacity: 32TB. Usable Capacity: Approximately 24TB. See Storage RAID Levels for explanation of RAID 6. | Storage (Cache) | 2 x 1.92TB NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD (RAID 1). Used as a read/write cache for the SAS HDD array. Utilizes a tiered storage approach. |
| Network Interface Card (NIC) | 2 x 100Gbps Mellanox ConnectX-6 Dx Network Adapters. Supports RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCEv2). See Network Performance Optimization. | Network Interface Card (Management) | 2 x 1Gbps Intel I350-T4 Network Adapters. Dedicated for management traffic. |
| Power Supply Unit (PSU) | 2 x 1600W 80+ Titanium Certified Redundant Power Supplies. N+1 redundancy. See Power Supply Redundancy. | ||
| Chassis | 2U Rackmount Server Chassis. Designed for high airflow. | ||
| Remote Management | Integrated IPMI 2.0 BMC with dedicated network port. Supports out-of-band management. See IPMI Configuration Guide. | ||
| Motherboard | Supermicro X12DPG-QT6. Supports dual 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors. |
Each CSLA cluster consists of a minimum of three server nodes, providing high availability and fault tolerance. The cluster utilizes a distributed storage system (described in Distributed Storage Systems) to pool the storage resources of all nodes.
2. Performance Characteristics
The CSLA configuration has undergone extensive benchmarking to validate its performance capabilities. Results are detailed below. All benchmarks were conducted in a controlled environment with consistent methodology.
- CPU Performance (SPEC CPU 2017):
* SPECrate2017_fp_base: 285 * SPECrate2017_int_base: 350 * SPECspeed2017_fp_base: 140 * SPECspeed2017_int_base: 175
- Storage Performance (IOmeter):
* Sequential Read: 3.5 GB/s * Sequential Write: 2.8 GB/s * Random Read (4KB): 80,000 IOPS * Random Write (4KB): 60,000 IOPS. These numbers represent the aggregate performance of the tiered storage solution.
- Network Performance (iperf3):
* 100Gbps to 100Gbps: 95 Gbps * 100Gbps to 10Gbps: 9.5 Gbps
- Virtual Machine Density (VMware vSphere):
* Estimated maximum VMs per node: 80-100 (depending on VM size and resource allocation). See Virtual Machine Optimization.
- Real-world Application Performance (Web Server – Apache/Nginx):
* Average response time: < 50ms under peak load (simulated 10,000 concurrent users). * Throughput: 2,000 requests per second. This is dependent on application code quality and database performance.
- Real-world Application Performance (Database – PostgreSQL):
* Transactions per second (TPS): 15,000 – 20,000 (depending on query complexity).
These benchmarks demonstrate the CSLA configuration’s ability to handle demanding workloads. Performance is consistently monitored using Performance Monitoring Tools and adjusted as needed.
3. Recommended Use Cases
The CSLA configuration is ideally suited for the following applications:
- **High-Performance Computing (HPC):** The high core count and fast interconnects make it suitable for scientific simulations, data analytics, and other computationally intensive tasks. See HPC Cluster Configuration.
- **Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI):** The high RAM capacity and storage performance allow for a smooth user experience with graphically demanding applications.
- **Large-Scale Databases:** Capable of handling large databases with high transaction rates (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle).
- **Mission-Critical Applications:** The redundancy and fault tolerance ensure high availability and minimal downtime.
- **Big Data Analytics:** The storage capacity and processing power are well-suited for analyzing large datasets. Integration with tools like Hadoop and Spark is supported (See Big Data Infrastructure.)
- **Containerized Applications:** Excellent performance for running Docker and Kubernetes workloads, supporting high density container deployments.
It is *not* recommended for extremely latency-sensitive applications requiring dedicated hardware (e.g., high-frequency trading) where the virtualization overhead might be unacceptable. Consider the Bare Metal Server Offering for such applications.
4. Comparison with Similar Configurations
The CSLA configuration is positioned as a premium offering. Here's a comparison with two alternative configurations:
| Feature | CSLA Configuration | Mid-Range Configuration | Entry-Level Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Dual Intel Xeon 8380 (80 Cores) | Dual Intel Xeon 6338 (32 Cores) | Single Intel Xeon 6330 (28 Cores) |
| RAM | 512 GB DDR4 3200 MHz | 256 GB DDR4 3200 MHz | 128 GB DDR4 2666 MHz |
| Storage (Data) | 32TB SAS RAID 6 with 1.92TB NVMe Cache | 16TB SAS RAID 6 with 960GB NVMe Cache | 8TB SAS RAID 5 |
| Network | 2 x 100Gbps | 2 x 25Gbps | 2 x 10Gbps |
| Power Supplies | 2 x 1600W Redundant | 2 x 1200W Redundant | Single 800W |
| Price (Estimated per Node) | $20,000 | $12,000 | $8,000 |
| Target SLA | 99.99% | 99.9% | 99.5% |
The Mid-Range configuration offers a good balance of performance and cost, suitable for less demanding workloads. The Entry-Level configuration is ideal for development/testing or small-scale deployments. The CSLA configuration provides the highest level of performance, redundancy, and availability, justifying its higher price point. See Cost Analysis of Server Configurations for detailed pricing models.
5. Maintenance Considerations
Maintaining the CSLA configuration requires careful planning and adherence to best practices.
- **Cooling:** The servers generate significant heat. Proper data center cooling is essential. A minimum of 4kW per rack is recommended. Regular monitoring of temperatures using Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) tools is crucial.
- **Power:** The dual redundant power supplies require a robust power infrastructure. Dedicated circuits and UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) protection are essential. Power consumption per node is approximately 800-1200W under full load.
- **Storage:** Regularly monitor the health of the SAS HDDs. Proactive disk replacement is recommended based on SMART data. Verify RAID integrity periodically. See Storage System Monitoring.
- **Networking:** Monitor network performance and identify potential bottlenecks. Regularly update network firmware.
- **Software Updates:** Keep the operating system, hypervisor, and other software components up to date with the latest security patches and bug fixes. Automated patch management systems are recommended (See Automated Patch Management).
- **Physical Security:** Ensure physical access to the servers is restricted to authorized personnel.
- **Regular Inspections:** Visually inspect servers for dust accumulation and component failures.
- **Remote Management:** Leverage the IPMI interface for remote troubleshooting and maintenance.
- **Predictive Failure Analysis:** Utilize machine learning algorithms to predict potential hardware failures based on telemetry data. (See Predictive Maintenance Strategies)
- **Environmental Monitoring:** Track temperature, humidity, and airflow in the data center to optimize cooling efficiency and prevent equipment damage.
- **Lifecycle Management:** Plan for hardware refresh cycles to ensure continued performance and reliability. A typical lifecycle is 5 years.
Following these maintenance guidelines will ensure the CSLA configuration continues to deliver reliable and high-performance computing resources, meeting our stringent SLA commitments. Refer to the Data Center Operations Manual for detailed procedures. ```
Intel-Based Server Configurations
| Configuration | Specifications | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Core i7-6700K/7700 Server | 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 512 GB | CPU Benchmark: 8046 |
| Core i7-8700 Server | 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2x1 TB | CPU Benchmark: 13124 |
| Core i9-9900K Server | 128 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 1 TB | CPU Benchmark: 49969 |
| Core i9-13900 Server (64GB) | 64 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i9-13900 Server (128GB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Server (64GB) | 64 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Server (128GB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Workstation | 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 NVMe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4000 |
AMD-Based Server Configurations
| Configuration | Specifications | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 3600 Server | 64 GB RAM, 2x480 GB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 17849 |
| Ryzen 7 7700 Server | 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2x1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 35224 |
| Ryzen 9 5950X Server | 128 GB RAM, 2x4 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 46045 |
| Ryzen 9 7950X Server | 128 GB DDR5 ECC, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 63561 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/1TB) | 128 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/2TB) | 128 GB RAM, 2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/4TB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/1TB) | 256 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/4TB) | 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 9454P Server | 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe |
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⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️