AI in Northern Ireland
AI in Northern Ireland: A Server Configuration Overview
This article details the server infrastructure supporting the "AI in Northern Ireland" project. It is geared towards new contributors to this wiki and outlines the key hardware and software components. Understanding these configurations is crucial for maintenance, troubleshooting, and future expansion of the project. This project focuses on providing resources for AI researchers, developers, and businesses within Northern Ireland, and a robust server infrastructure is paramount. This server suite is managed by the Northern Ireland Centre for Data Analytics.
Overview
The "AI in Northern Ireland" project utilizes a hybrid server architecture, combining on-premise hardware with cloud-based services. The on-premise infrastructure handles sensitive data and computationally intensive tasks, while cloud services provide scalability and redundancy. The core services include a data repository, a model training platform, and a web portal for access and collaboration. We leverage Semantic MediaWiki extensively for data organization and querying.
On-Premise Server Infrastructure
The on-premise servers are located in a secure data center in Belfast. These servers are dedicated to processing and storing sensitive data related to local AI initiatives. The primary function is to support the Machine Learning model training pipeline and provide a secure data hub.
Hardware Specifications
The on-premise infrastructure consists of three primary server types: Database Servers, Compute Nodes, and Storage Servers.
| Server Type | Model | CPU | RAM | Storage | Network Interface |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Database Server | Dell PowerEdge R750 | 2x Intel Xeon Gold 6338 | 256GB DDR4 ECC | 24x 4TB SAS 12Gbps 7.2K RPM | 10GbE |
| Compute Node | HP ProLiant DL380 Gen10 | 2x AMD EPYC 7763 | 512GB DDR4 ECC | 4x 1TB NVMe PCIe Gen4 | 100GbE |
| Storage Server | NetApp FAS2750 | 2x Intel Xeon Silver 4310 | 128GB DDR4 ECC | 128x 16TB SAS 7.2K RPM | 40GbE |
These servers are interconnected via a dedicated Gigabit Ethernet network. Redundancy is achieved through RAID configurations and server clustering. We utilize Proxmox VE for virtualization to maximize resource utilization and provide flexibility.
Software Stack
The on-premise servers run the following software:
- Operating System: Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS
- Database: PostgreSQL 14
- Programming Languages: Python 3.9, R 4.2
- Machine Learning Frameworks: TensorFlow 2.9, PyTorch 1.12
- Containerization: Docker 20.10, Kubernetes 1.24
- Monitoring: Prometheus and Grafana
Cloud Infrastructure
The cloud infrastructure, hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), provides scalability and redundancy. It is primarily used for the web portal, model deployment, and data backup.
AWS Services
| Service | Instance Type | Region | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| EC2 | t3.medium | eu-west-1 (London) | Web Portal Hosting |
| S3 | Standard | eu-west-1 (London) | Data Backup & Archiving |
| Lambda | N/A | eu-west-1 (London) | Serverless Functions for API endpoints |
| RDS (PostgreSQL) | db.t3.small | eu-west-1 (London) | Web Portal Database |
The cloud infrastructure integrates seamlessly with the on-premise servers via a secure VPN connection. We employ Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform to automate the deployment and management of cloud resources.
Security Considerations
Security is a paramount concern. All data transmission is encrypted using TLS 1.3. Access control is enforced using Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). Regular security audits and penetration testing are conducted to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities. We adhere to the guidelines outlined by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Network Topology
The network is segmented into three zones: Public (Web Portal), DMZ (API Gateway), and Private (On-Premise and Cloud Resources). This segmentation enhances security by isolating critical systems from direct internet access. A Firewall is used to control traffic between zones. The BGP protocol is used for routing.
Network Diagram
| Zone | Components | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Public | Web Portal (AWS EC2) | Internet |
| DMZ | API Gateway (AWS Lambda) | Public, Private |
| Private | On-Premise Servers, Cloud Resources (AWS S3, RDS) | DMZ |
Future Expansion
Future expansion plans include incorporating GPU servers for accelerated machine learning training and deploying a Kafka message queue for real-time data processing. We are also exploring the use of Edge Computing to bring AI processing closer to the data source. We will be documenting all changes to the Change Management system.
Main Page Data Storage Network Security Server Administration Virtualization Cloud Computing Database Management Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Data Analytics Ubuntu Server PostgreSQL Python TensorFlow AWS Kubernetes Semantic MediaWiki Northern Ireland Centre for Data Analytics
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.* ⚠️