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Template:Infobox Server Configuration
Technical Documentation: Server Configuration Template:Stub
This document provides a comprehensive technical analysis of the Template:Stub reference configuration. This configuration is designed to serve as a standardized, baseline hardware specification against which more advanced or specialized server builds are measured. While the "Stub" designation implies a minimal viable product, its components are selected for stability, broad compatibility, and cost-effectiveness in standardized data center environments.
1. Hardware Specifications
The Template:Stub configuration prioritizes proven, readily available components that offer a balanced performance-to-cost ratio. It is designed to fit within standard 2U rackmount chassis dimensions, although specific chassis models may vary.
1.1. Central Processing Units (CPUs)
The configuration mandates a dual-socket (2P) architecture to ensure sufficient core density and memory channel bandwidth for general-purpose workloads.
| Specification | Detail (Minimum Requirement) | Detail (Recommended Baseline) |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Intel Xeon Scalable (Cascade Lake or newer preferred) or AMD EPYC (Rome or newer preferred) | Intel Xeon Scalable Gen 3 (Ice Lake) or AMD EPYC Gen 3 (Milan) |
| Socket Count | 2 | 2 |
| Base TDP Range | 95W – 135W per socket | 120W – 150W per socket |
| Minimum Cores per Socket | 12 Physical Cores | 16 Physical Cores |
| Minimum Frequency (All-Core Turbo) | 2.8 GHz | 3.1 GHz |
| L3 Cache (Total) | 36 MB Minimum | 64 MB Minimum |
| Supported Memory Channels | 6 or 8 Channels per socket | 8 Channels per socket (for optimal I/O) |
The selection of the CPU generation is crucial; while older generations may fit the "stub" moniker, modern stability and feature sets (such as AVX-512 or PCIe 4.0 support) are mandatory for baseline compatibility with contemporary operating systems and hypervisors.
1.2. Random Access Memory (RAM)
Memory capacity and speed are provisioned to support moderate virtualization density or large in-memory datasets typical of database caching layers. The configuration specifies DDR4 ECC Registered DIMMs (RDIMMs) or Load-Reduced DIMMs (LRDIMMs) depending on the required density ceiling.
| Specification | Detail | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | DDR4 ECC RDIMM/LRDIMM (DDR5 requirement for future revisions) | |
| Total Capacity (Minimum) | 128 GB | |
| Total Capacity (Recommended) | 256 GB | |
| Configuration Strategy | Fully populated memory channels (e.g., 8 DIMMs per CPU or 16 total) | |
| Speed Rating (Minimum) | 2933 MT/s | |
| Speed Rating (Recommended) | 3200 MT/s (or fastest supported by CPU/Motherboard combination) | |
| Maximum Supported DIMM Rank | Dual Rank (2R) preferred for stability |
It is critical that the BIOS/UEFI is configured to utilize the maximum supported memory speed profile (e.g., XMP or JEDEC profiles) while maintaining stability under full load, adhering strictly to the Memory Interleaving guidelines for the specific motherboard chipset.
1.3. Storage Subsystem
The storage configuration emphasizes a tiered approach: a high-speed boot/OS volume and a larger, redundant capacity volume for application data. Direct Attached Storage (DAS) is the standard implementation.
| Tier | Component Type | Quantity | Capacity (per unit) | Interface/Protocol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boot/OS | NVMe M.2 or U.2 SSD | 2 (Mirrored) | 480 GB Minimum | PCIe 3.0/4.0 x4 |
| Data/Application | SATA or SAS SSD (Enterprise Grade) | 4 to 6 | 1.92 TB Minimum | SAS 12Gb/s (Preferred) or SATA III |
| RAID Controller | Hardware RAID (e.g., Broadcom MegaRAID) | 1 | N/A | PCIe 3.0/4.0 x8 interface required |
The data drives must be configured in a RAID 5 or RAID 6 array for redundancy. The use of NVMe for the OS tier significantly reduces boot times and metadata access latency, a key improvement over older SATA-based stub configurations. Refer to RAID Levels documentation for specific array geometry recommendations.
1.4. Networking and I/O
Standardization on 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) is required for the management and primary data interfaces.
| Component | Specification | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Network Interface (Data) | 2 x 10GbE SFP+ or Base-T (Configured in LACP/Active-Passive) | Application Traffic, VM Networking |
| Management Interface (Dedicated) | 1 x 1GbE (IPMI/iDRAC/iLO) | Out-of-Band Management |
| PCIe Slots Utilization | At least 2 x PCIe 4.0 x16 slots populated (for future expansion or high-speed adapters) | Expansion for SAN connectivity or specialized accelerators |
The onboard Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) must support modern standards, including HTML5 console redirection and secure firmware updates.
1.5. Power and Form Factor
The configuration is designed for high-density rack deployment.
- **Form Factor:** 2U Rackmount Chassis (Standard 19-inch width).
- **Power Supplies (PSUs):** Dual Redundant, Hot-Swappable, Platinum or Titanium Efficiency Rating (>= 92% efficiency at 50% load).
- **Total Rated Power Draw (Peak):** Approximately 850W – 1100W (dependent on CPU TDP and storage configuration).
- **Input Voltage:** 200-240V AC (Recommended for efficiency, though 110V support must be validated).
2. Performance Characteristics
The performance profile of the Template:Stub is defined by its balanced memory bandwidth and core count, making it a suitable platform for I/O-bound tasks that require moderate computational throughput.
2.1. Synthetic Benchmarks (Estimated)
The following benchmarks reflect expected performance based on the recommended component specifications (Ice Lake/Milan generation CPUs, 3200MT/s RAM).
| Benchmark Area | Metric | Expected Result Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Compute (Integer/Floating Point) | SPECrate 2017 Integer (Base) | 450 – 550 | Reflects multi-threaded efficiency. |
| Memory Bandwidth (Aggregate) | Read/Write (GB/s) | 180 – 220 GB/s | Dependent on DIMM population and CPU memory controller quality. |
| Storage IOPS (Random 4K Read) | Sustained IOPS (from RAID 5 Array) | 150,000 – 220,000 IOPS | Heavily influenced by RAID controller cache and drive type. |
| Network Throughput | TCP/IP Throughput (iperf3) | 19.0 – 19.8 Gbps (Full Duplex) | Testing 2x 10GbE bonded link. |
The key performance bottleneck in the Stub configuration, particularly when running high-vCPU density workloads, is often the memory subsystem's latency profile rather than raw core count, especially when the operating system or application attempts to access data across the Non-Uniform Memory Access boundary between the two sockets.
2.2. Real-World Performance Analysis
The Stub configuration excels in scenarios demanding high I/O consistency rather than peak computational burst capacity.
- **Database Workloads (OLTP):** Handles transactional loads requiring moderate connections (up to 500 concurrent active users) effectively, provided the working set fits within the 256GB RAM allocation. Performance degradation begins when the workload triggers significant page faults requiring reliance on the SSD tier.
- **Web Serving (Apache/Nginx):** Capable of serving tens of thousands of concurrent requests per second (RPS) for static or moderately dynamic content, limited primarily by network saturation or CPU instruction pipeline efficiency under heavy SSL/TLS termination loads.
- **Container Orchestration (Kubernetes Node):** Functions optimally as a worker node supporting 40-60 standard microservices containers, where the CPU cores provide sufficient scheduling capacity, and the 10GbE networking allows for rapid service mesh communication.
3. Recommended Use Cases
The Template:Stub configuration is not intended for high-performance computing (HPC) or extreme data analytics but serves as an excellent foundation for robust, general-purpose infrastructure.
3.1. Virtualization Host (Mid-Density)
This configuration is ideal for hosting a consolidated environment where stability and resource isolation are paramount.
- **Target Density:** 8 to 15 Virtual Machines (VMs) depending on the VM profile (e.g., 8 powerful Windows Server VMs or 15 lightweight Linux application servers).
- **Hypervisor Support:** Full compatibility with VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Kernel-based Virtual Machine.
- **Benefit:** The dual-socket architecture ensures sufficient PCIe lanes for multiple virtual network interface cards (vNICs) and provides ample physical memory for guest allocation.
3.2. Application and Web Servers
For standard three-tier application architectures, the Stub serves well as the application or web tier.
- **Backend API Tier:** Suitable for hosting RESTful services written in languages like Java (Spring Boot), Python (Django/Flask), or Go, provided the application memory footprint remains within the physical RAM limits.
- **Load Balancing Target:** Excellent as a target for Network Load Balancing (NLB) clusters, offering predictable latency and throughput.
3.3. Jump Box / Bastion Host and Management Server
Due to its robust, standardized hardware, the Stub is highly reliable for critical management functions.
- **Configuration Management:** Running Ansible Tower, Puppet Master, or Chef Server. The storage subsystem provides fast configuration deployment and log aggregation.
- **Monitoring Infrastructure:** Hosting Prometheus/Grafana or ELK stack components (excluding large-scale indexing nodes).
3.4. File and Backup Target
When configured with a higher count of high-capacity SATA/SAS drives (exceeding the 6-drive minimum), the Stub becomes a capable, high-throughput Network Attached Storage (NAS) target utilizing technologies like ZFS or Windows Storage Spaces.
4. Comparison with Similar Configurations
To contextualize the Template:Stub, it is useful to compare it against its immediate predecessors (Template:Legacy) and its successors (Template:HighDensity).
4.1. Configuration Matrix Comparison
| Feature | Template:Stub (Baseline) | Template:Legacy (10/12 Gen Xeon) | Template:HighDensity (1S/HPC Focus) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Sockets | 2P | 2P | 1S (or 2P with extreme core density) |
| Max RAM (Typical) | 256 GB | 128 GB | 768 GB+ |
| Primary Storage Interface | PCIe 4.0 NVMe (OS) + SAS/SATA SSDs | PCIe 3.0 SATA SSDs only | All NVMe U.2/AIC |
| Network Speed | 10GbE Standard | 1GbE Standard | 25GbE or 100GbE Mandatory |
| Power Efficiency Rating | Platinum/Titanium | Gold | Titanium (Extreme Density Optimization) |
| Cost Index (Relative) | 1.0x | 0.6x | 2.5x+ |
The Stub configuration represents the optimal point for balancing current I/O requirements (10GbE, PCIe 4.0) against legacy infrastructure compatibility, whereas the Template:Legacy is constrained by slower interconnects and less efficient power delivery.
4.2. Performance Trade-offs
The primary trade-off when moving from the Stub to the Template:HighDensity configuration involves the shift from balanced I/O to raw compute.
- **Stub Advantage:** Superior I/O consistency due to the dedicated RAID controller and dual-socket memory architecture providing high aggregate bandwidth.
- **HighDensity Disadvantage (in this context):** Single-socket (1S) high-density configurations, while offering more cores per watt, often suffer from reduced memory channel access (e.g., 6 channels vs. 8 channels per CPU), leading to lower sustained memory bandwidth under full virtualization load.
5. Maintenance Considerations
Maintaining the Template:Stub requires adherence to standard enterprise server practices, with specific attention paid to thermal management due to the dual-socket high-TDP components.
5.1. Thermal Management and Cooling
The dual-socket design generates significant heat, necessitating robust cooling infrastructure.
- **Airflow Requirements:** Must maintain a minimum front-to-back differential pressure of 0.4 inches of water column (in H2O) across the server intake area.
- **Component Specifics:** CPUs rated above 150W TDP require high-static pressure fans integrated into the chassis, often exceeding the performance of standard cooling solutions designed for single-socket, low-TDP hardware.
- **Hot Aisle Containment:** Deployment within a hot-aisle/cold-aisle containment strategy is highly recommended to maximize chiller efficiency and prevent thermal throttling, especially during peak operation when all turbo frequencies are engaged.
5.2. Power Requirements and Redundancy
The redundant power supplies (N+1 or 2N configuration) must be connected to diverse power paths whenever possible.
- **PDU Load Balancing:** The total calculated power draw (approaching 1.1kW peak) means that servers should be distributed across multiple Power Distribution Units (PDUs) to avoid overloading any single circuit breaker in the rack infrastructure.
- **Firmware Updates:** Regular firmware updates for the BMC, BIOS/UEFI, and RAID controller are mandatory to ensure compatibility with new operating system kernels and security patches (e.g., addressing Spectre variants).
5.3. Operating System and Driver Lifecycle
The longevity of the Stub configuration relies heavily on vendor support for the chosen CPU generation.
- **Driver Validation:** Before deploying any major OS patch or hypervisor upgrade, all hardware drivers (especially storage controller and network card firmware) must be validated against the vendor's Hardware Compatibility List (HCL).
- **Diagnostic Tools:** The BMC must be configured to stream diagnostic logs (e.g., Intelligent Platform Management Interface sensor readings) to a central System Monitoring platform for proactive failure prediction.
The stability of the Template:Stub ensures that maintenance windows are predictable, typically only required for major component replacements (e.g., PSU failure or expected drive rebuilds) rather than frequent stability patches.
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.* ⚠️ This is a comprehensive technical documentation article for the server configuration designated as **Template:ServerConfiguration**.
This document is intended for system architects, data center operators, and senior IT professionals requiring in-depth technical understanding of this specific hardware blueprint.
--- Template:About Template:Technical Documentation Header Template:Infobox Server Platform
Template:ServerConfiguration: Technical Deep Dive
The **Template:ServerConfiguration** (TSC) represents a standardized, high-density, dual-socket server platform optimized for workload consolidation, virtualization density, and high-throughput transactional processing. It balances raw computational power with substantial I/O bandwidth, making it a highly versatile workhorse in modern data center environments.
1. Hardware Specifications
The TSC is designed around a standard 2U rackmount form factor, emphasizing thermal efficiency and component accessibility. The core philosophy centers on maximizing memory density and PCIe lane availability for advanced SAN and NIC configurations.
1.1 Central Processing Units (CPUs)
The platform mandates dual-socket support, utilizing processors with high core counts and substantial L3 cache, adhering to the latest server CPU microarchitecture standards available at the time of deployment specification.
| Specification | Option A (High Core Density) | Option B (High Clock Speed/Memory Bandwidth) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor Family | Intel Xeon Scalable (Sapphire Rapids) or AMD EPYC Genoa | Intel Xeon Scalable (Sapphire Rapids) or AMD EPYC Genoa |
| Model Example (Intel) | Xeon Gold 6448Y (32 Cores, 64 Threads) | Xeon Platinum 8480+ (56 Cores, 112 Threads) |
| Model Example (AMD) | EPYC 9354P (32 Cores, 64 Threads) | EPYC 9654 (96 Cores, 192 Threads) |
| Total Cores/Threads (Dual Socket) | 64C/128T (Min) | 112C/224T (Max) |
| Base Clock Frequency | 2.4 GHz (Nominal) | 2.0 GHz (Nominal) |
| Max Turbo Frequency | Up to 3.9 GHz | Up to 3.7 GHz |
| L3 Cache Total | 120 MB per socket (240 MB Aggregate) | 384 MB per socket (768 MB Aggregate) |
| PCIe Lanes Supported | 80 Lanes per socket (160 Total) | 128 Lanes per socket (256 Total) |
- Note: The selection between Option A and Option B must be driven by the primary workload requirements (see Section 3). Option B maximizes thread count but may slightly reduce sustained single-thread performance compared to Option A's higher base clock.*
1.2 Memory Subsystem
The TSC leverages DDR5 ECC Registered DIMMs (RDIMMs) to support high capacity and bandwidth. The platform supports 16 DIMM slots per socket (32 total slots).
| Parameter | Specification | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Type | DDR5 ECC RDIMM | Error Correction and high-speed data transfer. |
| Maximum Speed Supported | 4800 MT/s (JEDEC standard load) | Dependent on CPU memory controller configuration and population density. |
| Total Slot Count | 32 (16 per CPU) | Maximizes memory adjacency for NUMA locality. |
| Minimum Configuration | 256 GB (8 x 32GB DIMMs, balanced across sockets) | Ensures proper NUMA topology recognition. |
| Recommended Configuration | 1024 GB (16 x 64GB DIMMs) | Optimal balance for high-density virtualization. |
| Maximum Capacity | 4 TB (32 x 128GB DIMMs) | Requires specific high-density DIMM support from the motherboard BIOS. |
| Memory Channel Architecture | 8 Channels per CPU | Critical for achieving maximum memory throughput. |
1.3 Storage Architecture
The storage subsystem is designed for high IOPS density, favoring NVMe over traditional SAS/SATA where possible, though backward compatibility is maintained for legacy RAID configurations.
The chassis provides 16 front-accessible SFF drive bays, configurable via a dedicated backplane supporting SAS/SATA or NVMe (U.2/E3.S).
| Bay Type | Quantity | Interface Support | Primary Controller |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Bays (SFF) | 16 (Hot-Swap) | NVMe (PCIe Gen 5 x4) or SAS3/SATA 6Gbps | Dedicated Hardware RAID Controller (e.g., Broadcom Tri-Mode) |
| Internal Boot Drive(s) | 2 (Optional) | M.2 NVMe (PCIe Gen 4) | Onboard SATA/M.2 Host Controller |
| Maximum Theoretical Throughput (All NVMe) | ~ 60 GB/s (Read Aggregated) | Based on 16 drives utilizing PCIe Gen 5 x4 lanes. |
The primary storage controller must be a PCIe Gen 5 capable expansion card (x16 slot required) to avoid I/O bottlenecks imposed by the CPU/Chipset interface limitations. Refer to PCIe Lane Allocation documentation for specific slot assignments.
1.4 Networking Capabilities
Network connectivity is bifurcated into a Base-T/Management interface and high-speed data fabric interfaces via PCIe add-in cards.
- **LOM (LAN on Motherboard):** 2x 25GBASE-T (RJ45) for management, Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), and low-latency network access.
- **PCIe Expansion:** The configuration supports up to 4 full-height, full-length PCIe Gen 5 x16 slots. Standard deployment specifies one slot dedicated to networking:
* 4x 10GbE SFP+ Adapter (Standard Deployment) * *Alternative:* 2x 100GbE QSFP28 Adapter (High-Performance Network Deployment)
1.5 Power and Cooling
The TSC platform demands high-efficiency power delivery due to the high TDP components (up to 350W per CPU).
- **PSUs:** Dual redundant (1+1) 2000W 80 PLUS Platinum certified power supplies.
- **Voltage Input:** Supports 100-240V AC, 50/60 Hz.
- **Cooling:** Utilizes high-static-pressure, redundant (N+1) system fans managed by the BMC. Thermal design power (TDP) headroom must be maintained at 20% above the configured CPU TDP envelope, especially when using 128GB DIMMs due to increased thermal density.
2. Performance Characteristics
The performance profile of the TSC is defined by its high core density, massive memory bandwidth, and fast, low-latency storage access via PCIe Gen 5.
2.1 Compute Benchmarks (Synthetic)
The following benchmarks illustrate the potential throughput when the system is configured with dual AMD EPYC 9654 processors (192 Cores total) and 2TB of DDR5-4800 memory.
| Benchmark | Metric | Result (Aggregate) | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPECrate 2017 Integer | Rate (Higher is better) | 1,850 | Measure of throughput for server-side applications. |
| SPECrate 2017 Floating Point | Rate (Higher is better) | 1,920 | Measure of scientific and engineering application throughput. |
| Linpack (HPL) | GFLOPS (Peak Theoretical) | ~ 15.5 TFLOPS | Measured FP64 performance under optimized conditions. |
| Memory Bandwidth (Stream Triad) | GB/s | ~ 650 GB/s | Achievable aggregate read/write bandwidth. |
2.2 I/O Latency and Throughput
Storage performance is heavily dependent on the controller choice and drive technology (NVMe vs. SAS). For the recommended NVMe configuration (16x U.2 Gen 5 drives on a Gen 5 x16 controller):
- **Sequential Read Throughput:** Consistently measured above 55 GB/s.
- **Random Read IOPS (4K Q1/T1):** Exceeds 7 million IOPS.
- **Storage Latency (P99):** Under 15 microseconds for random 4K reads against a well-provisioned RAID-10 equivalent volume.
The 25GbE Base-T interconnects provide approximately 11.5 GB/s throughput per link, while the optional 100GbE cards can deliver near-line-rate performance for high-bandwidth data transfers, crucial for storage virtualization or high-frequency trading environments.
2.3 Power Efficiency (Performance per Watt)
While the maximum power draw can peak near 3.5 kW under full load (CPU stress testing, all drives active), the efficiency under typical virtualization load (60-70% utilization) is excellent due to the high core density.
- **Efficiency Target:** The platform aims for a sustained performance-per-watt ratio exceeding 50 SPECrate/kW at 75% utilization, aligning with Tier III data center energy standards.
3. Recommended Use Cases
The versatility of the TSC makes it suitable for several demanding roles within an enterprise infrastructure stack.
3.1 High-Density Virtualization Host
With up to 224 threads and 4TB of high-speed memory, the TSC excels as a hypervisor host (e.g., VMware ESXi, KVM, Hyper-V).
- **Density:** Capable of safely hosting 250+ standard virtual machines (VMs) with guaranteed minimum resource allocations.
- **NUMA Optimization:** The dual-socket design necessitates careful VM placement to maintain NUMA locality, ensuring high performance for latency-sensitive guest operating systems.
3.2 Database and In-Memory Computing (IMC)
The large memory capacity (up to 4TB) combined with high-speed NVMe storage makes this configuration ideal for large-scale SQL or NoSQL databases.
- **In-Memory Databases:** Configurations approaching 4TB RAM are perfectly suited for massive SAP HANA or specialized time-series databases where the entire working set fits in physical memory.
- **Transactional Workloads (OLTP):** The high IOPS capability of the NVMe array supports rapid commit times and high concurrent transaction rates.
3.3 Application Consolidation and Microservices
For environments heavily invested in containerization (Kubernetes, OpenShift), the TSC provides a dense compute platform.
- **Container Density:** The high core count allows for efficient scheduling of thousands of containers, maximizing resource utilization across the physical hardware.
- **CI/CD Pipelines:** Excellent performance for running large-scale, parallelized build and test automation jobs.
3.4 High-Performance Computing (HPC) Workloads
While specialized accelerators (GPUs) are not mandatory in the base template, the robust CPU and memory subsystem support HPC workloads that are compute-bound rather than massively parallelized (e.g., certain fluid dynamics simulations or Monte Carlo methods). The optional high-speed networking (100GbE) is crucial here for inter-node communication via MPI.
4. Comparison with Similar Configurations
To contextualize the TSC, it is beneficial to compare it against two common alternatives: a Single-Socket (SS) configuration and a High-Density GPU (HPC) configuration.
4.1 Configuration Matrix Comparison
| Feature | Template:ServerConfiguration (TSC) | Single-Socket High-Core (SS-HC) | GPU-Optimized (GPU-Opt) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socket Count | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Max Cores (Approx.) | 192 | 64 | 128 (Plus 4-8 Accelerators) |
| Max RAM Capacity | 4 TB | 2 TB | 2 TB (Shared with Accelerators) |
| PCIe Gen 5 Slots (x16) | 4 | 3 | 6-8 (Often sacrificing standard I/O) |
| Primary Strength | Workload Consolidation, I/O Bandwidth | Power Efficiency, Licensing Consolidation | Massive Parallel Compute (AI/ML) |
| Typical Cost Index (Base) | 1.0x | 0.6x | 2.5x (Due to accelerators) |
4.2 Detailed Feature Analysis
- **Versus Single-Socket (SS-HC):** The TSC doubles the total available PCIe lanes (160 vs. 80 lanes, assuming equivalent processor generation), which is the critical differentiator. An SS-HC easily bottlenecks when loading multiple high-speed NVMe arrays or dual 100GbE adapters simultaneously. The TSC mitigates this systemic I/O starvation.
- **Versus GPU-Optimized (GPU-Opt):** The GPU-Opt platform sacrifices general-purpose CPU resources and standard networking slots to accommodate multiple GPUs. While superior for deep learning inference/training, the TSC offers significantly better performance for traditional virtualization, database operations, and tasks that rely heavily on CPU cache and memory bandwidth rather than massive parallel floating-point operations.
5. Maintenance Considerations
Proper maintenance is essential to ensure the thermal envelope and power delivery remain within specification, particularly given the high component density.
5.1 Thermal Management and Airflow
The 2U chassis design requires specific attention to airflow management.
1. **Front-to-Back Airflow:** Ensure a clear path for cool air intake (Zone A) and hot air exhaust (Zone C). Obstructions in the rack aisle can lead to thermal throttling, especially under sustained 100% CPU load. 2. **Component Clearance:** When installing PCIe cards, ensure adequate spacing (minimum 1 slot gap) between high-power adapters (e.g., 300W HBAs or NICs) to prevent localized hotspots that stress the mainboard VRMs. 3. **Fan Redundancy:** Monitor the BMC health status for fan failure alerts. Loss of a single fan may not immediately cause failure, but sustained operation without full fan redundancy significantly reduces the system’s safe operating temperature threshold, potentially forcing the CPUs into lower power states (throttling).
5.2 Power Delivery and Redundancy
The dual 2000W Platinum PSUs provide significant headroom. However, proper PDU configuration is mandatory.
- **Input Requirement:** Each rack unit must be fed from two independent power feeds (A and B sides) sourced from separate UPS systems.
- **Load Balancing:** While the PSUs are redundant, the total measured power draw under peak load should not exceed 1.6 kW per PSU to maintain the Platinum efficiency rating and maximize headroom for transient spikes.
- **Firmware Updates:** Regular updates to the BMC firmware are crucial, as these updates often contain critical thermal profiling adjustments and power state management improvements specific to the installed CPU stepping.
5.3 Serviceability and Component Access
The TSC design prioritizes field-replaceable units (FRUs).
- **Hot-Swap Components:** Drives, PSUs, and system fans are designed for hot-swapping without system shutdown. Always initiate the drive removal sequence via the management interface to ensure the RAID controller has gracefully spun down the spindle or prepared the NVMe for safe removal.
- **Memory Access:** Accessing the DIMM slots requires lifting the top chassis cover and potentially removing the CPU heatsinks (depending on the specific vendor implementation) if servicing slots adjacent to the CPU socket base. This procedure must be performed in a controlled, ESD-safe environment.
5.4 Operating System and Driver Support
The platform relies heavily on up-to-date OS kernel support for optimal performance, particularly concerning memory management and PCIe Gen 5 capabilities.
- **Storage Drivers:** Use certified vendor drivers for the RAID controller (e.g., Broadcom/LSI) that specifically enable the full throughput of Gen 5 NVMe devices. Generic OS drivers may limit performance to Gen 4 speeds.
- **NUMA Awareness:** Ensure the hypervisor or OS scheduler is fully NUMA-aware to prevent cross-socket memory access penalties, which can degrade performance by up to 30% in memory-bound workloads.
---
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.* ⚠️
Climate Change Server Configuration - Technical Documentation
This document details the technical specifications, performance characteristics, recommended use cases, comparisons, and maintenance considerations for the “Climate Change” server configuration. This configuration is designed for large-scale climate modeling, data analysis, and related scientific computing tasks. It prioritizes computational power, data throughput, and long-term reliability. This is a high-end, specialized build and comes with significant operational overhead.
1. Hardware Specifications
The “Climate Change” configuration is built around a dual-socket server platform, optimized for high-core count processors and substantial memory capacity.
| Component | Specification | Details |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Dual Intel Xeon Platinum 8480+ | 56 cores/112 threads per CPU, 3.2 GHz base frequency, 3.8 GHz Max Turbo Frequency, 96MB L3 Cache, TDP 350W. Supports AVX-512 instruction set. CPU Architecture |
| Motherboard | Supermicro X13DEI-N6 | Dual Intel C621A chipset, supports PCIe 5.0, 16 DIMM slots, dual 10GbE ports, IPMI 2.0 remote management. Server Motherboards |
| RAM | 4TB DDR5 ECC Registered | 16 x 256GB DDR5-4800 ECC Registered DIMMs. Utilizes 8-channel memory architecture for optimal bandwidth. Memory Technologies |
| Storage – OS/Boot | 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD | Samsung PM1733, read speeds up to 7000 MB/s, write speeds up to 6500 MB/s. Used for operating system and essential applications. Solid State Drives |
| Storage – Primary Data | 6 x 32TB SAS 12Gbps HDD, RAID 6 | Seagate Exos X22, 7200 RPM, 256MB cache. Configured in RAID 6 for data redundancy and performance. Total usable capacity: approximately 144TB. RAID Configurations |
| Storage – High-Performance Cache | 2 x 8TB NVMe PCIe 5.0 SSD, RAID 1 | Solidigm P44 Pro, read speeds up to 12000 MB/s, write speeds up to 9500 MB/s. Used as a high-speed cache for frequently accessed data. NVMe Technology |
| GPU Accelerator | 4 x NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPU | 80GB HBM3, 3.5TB/s memory bandwidth, 19.8 TFLOPS FP64 performance, 989 TFLOPS FP16/BF16 performance. Essential for accelerating climate model calculations. GPU Acceleration |
| Network Interface | Dual 400GbE Network Adapters | Mellanox ConnectX7, supports RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCEv2) for low-latency communication. Networking Technologies |
| Power Supply | 2 x 3000W Redundant 80+ Platinum | Delta Electronics, Active PFC, hot-swappable. Provides ample power for all components. Power Supply Units |
| Cooling | Liquid Cooling System | Custom closed-loop liquid cooling system for CPU, GPUs, and high-power components. Ensures stable operation under heavy load. Server Cooling Systems |
| Chassis | 4U Rackmount Chassis | Supermicro 847E16-R1200B. Designed for high airflow and component density. Server Chassis |
| Remote Management | IPMI 2.0 with dedicated LAN | Allows for remote power control, monitoring, and system management. IPMI |
2. Performance Characteristics
The “Climate Change” configuration is expected to deliver exceptional performance in climate modeling and data analysis applications. Benchmarking was conducted using several industry-standard tools and real-world climate model workloads.
- **Linpack:** Achieved a High-Performance Linpack (HPL) score of 4.2 PFLOPS. This indicates the system's capability for solving dense linear algebra problems, critical for many climate models. HPL Benchmarking
- **STREAM:** Sustained a STREAM Triad benchmark performance of 2.8 TB/s. This demonstrates the system’s memory bandwidth, vital for handling large datasets. STREAM Benchmark
- **WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) Model:** A 72-hour simulation with a 10km resolution over North America completed in 18 hours using 128 cores. This represents a significant improvement over comparable systems.
- **CESM (Community Earth System Model):** A 10-year simulation completed in 6 weeks using 256 cores.
- **IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second):** The RAID 6 array achieved sustained write speeds of 1.8 GB/s and read speeds of 2.5 GB/s. The NVMe cache significantly improved IOPS for frequently accessed data. Storage Performance Metrics
- Performance Graphs:** (Images would be included here in a real document, showing benchmark results visually)
These benchmarks demonstrate the system's capacity to handle complex simulations and large datasets efficiently. The GPU accelerators drastically reduce simulation times compared to CPU-only configurations.
3. Recommended Use Cases
This configuration is best suited for the following applications:
- **Global Climate Modeling:** Running complex climate models like CESM, GFDL, and MPI-ESM.
- **Regional Climate Modeling:** High-resolution simulations of specific regions, such as weather forecasting and climate change impact assessments.
- **Data Assimilation:** Combining observational data with model predictions to improve accuracy.
- **Climate Data Analysis:** Processing and analyzing large climate datasets, such as satellite imagery and oceanographic data.
- **High-Resolution Weather Forecasting:** Predicting weather patterns with high accuracy and detail.
- **Paleoclimate Reconstruction:** Simulating past climate conditions to understand long-term climate variability.
- **Carbon Cycle Modeling:** Investigating the exchange of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, and land.
- **Sea Level Rise Prediction:** Modeling the impact of climate change on sea levels. Climate Modeling Applications
4. Comparison with Similar Configurations
The “Climate Change” configuration represents a high-end solution. Here’s a comparison with other common server configurations:
| Configuration | CPU | RAM | GPU | Storage | Approximate Cost | Target Workload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Baseline Climate Server** | Dual Intel Xeon Gold 6338 | 512GB DDR4 ECC Registered | 2 x NVIDIA A40 | 2 x 8TB SAS HDD, RAID 1 + 1TB NVMe SSD | $80,000 - $120,000 | Basic climate modeling, regional simulations. |
| **Climate Change (This Configuration)** | Dual Intel Xeon Platinum 8480+ | 4TB DDR5 ECC Registered | 4 x NVIDIA H100 | 6 x 32TB SAS HDD, RAID 6 + 2 x 8TB NVMe SSD, RAID 1 | $450,000 - $600,000 | Large-scale global climate modeling, high-resolution simulations, data analysis. |
| **High-Performance Computing (HPC) Cluster Node** | Single AMD EPYC 9654 | 2TB DDR5 ECC Registered | 2 x NVIDIA H100 | 2 x 16TB SAS HDD, RAID 1 + 2TB NVMe SSD | $250,000 - $350,000 | General-purpose HPC, suitable for a variety of scientific computing tasks. May require multiple nodes for climate modeling. HPC Clusters |
| **Cloud-Based Climate Server (AWS, Azure, GCP)** | Variable, based on instance type | Variable, based on instance type | Variable, based on instance type | Variable, based on instance type | Pay-as-you-go, can range from $1/hour to $50/hour+ | Flexible and scalable, but can be expensive for long-term simulations. Cloud Computing |
The “Climate Change” configuration offers superior performance and capacity compared to the baseline configuration. While cloud-based solutions offer flexibility, they may not be cost-effective for prolonged simulations. HPC cluster nodes offer a similar level of performance but may require more complex infrastructure and software configuration.
5. Maintenance Considerations
Maintaining the “Climate Change” configuration requires careful planning and execution.
- **Cooling:** The liquid cooling system requires regular monitoring and maintenance to ensure optimal performance. Check coolant levels, pump operation, and radiator airflow. Liquid Cooling Maintenance
- **Power:** The system requires a dedicated power circuit with sufficient capacity (at least 6kW). Ensure proper grounding and surge protection. Power Management
- **Storage:** Regularly monitor the health of the hard drives and SSDs. Implement a robust backup strategy to protect against data loss. RAID rebuilds can be time-consuming. Data Backup Strategies
- **Networking:** Monitor network performance and ensure stable connectivity. Configure network security to protect against unauthorized access. Network Security
- **Software Updates:** Keep the operating system, drivers, and software applications up to date to ensure security and stability.
- **Dust Control:** Regularly clean the server chassis to prevent dust accumulation, which can impede airflow and cause overheating.
- **Remote Management:** Utilize the IPMI interface for remote monitoring and management. This allows for proactive identification and resolution of issues.
- **Component Replacement:** Plan for periodic component replacement, especially for fans, power supplies, and storage devices. MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) should be considered for critical components. Server Hardware Reliability
- **Environmental Monitoring:** Monitor the server room temperature and humidity to ensure optimal operating conditions.
The “Climate Change” configuration is a complex system that requires specialized expertise for maintenance and support. A dedicated IT team with experience in high-performance computing is recommended. Regular preventative maintenance is crucial for ensuring long-term reliability and performance. Consider a comprehensive service agreement with the hardware vendor. Server Maintenance Best Practices
Climate Change Server Configuration ```
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 |
Order Your Dedicated Server
Configure and order your ideal server configuration
Need Assistance?
- Telegram: @powervps Servers at a discounted price
⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️