Cloud Build

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  1. Server Configuration Documentation: Template:DocumentationHeader

This document provides a comprehensive technical specification and operational guide for the server configuration designated internally as **Template:DocumentationHeader**. This baseline configuration is designed to serve as a standardized, high-throughput platform for virtualization and container orchestration workloads across our data center infrastructure.

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    1. 1. Hardware Specifications

The **Template:DocumentationHeader** configuration represents a dual-socket, 2U rack-mount server derived from the latest generation of enterprise hardware. Strict adherence to component selection ensures optimal compatibility, thermal stability, and validated performance metrics.

      1. 1.1. Base Platform and Chassis

The foundational element is a validated 2U chassis supporting high-density component integration.

Chassis and Platform Summary
Component Specification
Chassis Model Vendor XYZ R4800 Series (2U)
Motherboard Dual Socket LGA-5124 (Proprietary Vendor XYZ Board)
Power Supplies (PSU) 2x 1600W 80 PLUS Platinum, Hot-Swappable, Redundant (1+1)
Management Controller Integrated Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) v4.1 (IPMI 2.0 Compliant)
Networking (Onboard LOM) 2x 10GbE Base-T (Broadcom BCM57416)
Expansion Slots 4x PCIe Gen 5 x16 Full Height, Half Length (FHFL)

For deeper understanding of the chassis design principles, refer to Chassis Design Principles.

      1. 1.2. Central Processing Units (CPUs)

This configuration mandates the use of dual-socket CPUs from the latest generation, balancing core density with high single-thread performance.

CPU Configuration Details
Parameter Specification (Per Socket)
Processor Family Intel Xeon Scalable Processor (Sapphire Rapids Equivalent)
Model Number 2x Intel Xeon Gold 6548Y (or equivalent tier)
Core Count 32 Cores / 64 Threads (Total 64 Cores / 128 Threads)
Base Clock Frequency 2.5 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency Up to 4.1 GHz (Single Core)
L3 Cache Size 60 MB (Total 120 MB Shared)
TDP (Thermal Design Power) 250W per CPU
Memory Channels Supported 8 Channels DDR5

The choice of the 'Y' series designation prioritizes memory bandwidth and I/O capabilities critical for virtualization density, as detailed in CPU Memory Channel Architecture.

      1. 1.3. System Memory (RAM)

Memory capacity and speed are critical for maximizing VM density. This configuration utilizes high-speed DDR5 ECC Registered DIMMs (RDIMMs).

Memory Configuration
Parameter Specification
Total Capacity 1.5 TB (Terabytes)
Module Type DDR5 ECC RDIMM
Module Density 12x 128 GB DIMMs
Configuration Fully Populated (12 DIMMs per CPU, 24 Total) – Optimal for 8-channel interleaving
Memory Speed 4800 MT/s (JEDEC Standard)
Error Correction ECC (Error-Correcting Code)

Note on population: To maintain optimal performance across the dual-socket topology and ensure maximum memory bandwidth utilization, the population must strictly adhere to the Dual Socket Memory Population Guidelines.

      1. 1.4. Storage Subsystem

The storage configuration is optimized for high Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) suitable for active operating systems and high-transaction databases. It employs a combination of NVMe SSDs for primary storage and a high-speed RAID controller for redundancy and management.

        1. 1.4.1. Boot and System Drive

A small, dedicated RAID array for the hypervisor OS.

Boot Drive Configuration
Component Specification
Drives 2x 480 GB SATA M.2 SSDs (Enterprise Grade)
RAID Level RAID 1 (Mirroring)
Controller Onboard SATA Controller (Managed via BMC)
        1. 1.4.2. Primary Data Storage

The main storage pool relies exclusively on high-performance NVMe drives connected via PCIe Gen 5.

Primary Storage Configuration
Component Specification
Drive Type NVMe PCIe Gen 4/5 U.2 SSDs
Total Drives 8x 3.84 TB Drives
RAID Controller Dedicated Hardware RAID Card (e.g., Broadcom MegaRAID 9750-8i Gen 5)
RAID Level RAID 10 (Striped Mirrors)
Usable Capacity (Approx.) 12.28 TB (Raw 30.72 TB)
Interface PCIe Gen 5 x8 (via dedicated backplane)

The use of a dedicated hardware RAID controller is mandatory to offload parity calculations from the main CPUs, adhering to RAID Controller Offloading Standards. Further details on NVMe drive selection can be found in NVMe Drive Qualification List.

      1. 1.5. Networking Interface Cards (NICs)

While the LOM provides 10GbE connectivity for management, high-throughput data plane operations require dedicated expansion cards.

High-Speed Network Adapters
Slot Adapter Type Quantity Configuration
PCIe Slot 1 100GbE Mellanox ConnectX-7 (2x QSFP56) 1 Dedicated Storage/Infiniband Fabric (If applicable)
PCIe Slot 2 25GbE SFP+ Adapter (Intel E810 Series) 1 Primary Data Plane Uplink
PCIe Slot 3 Unpopulated (Reserved for future expansion) 0 N/A

The 100GbE card is typically configured for RoCEv2 (RDMA over Converged Ethernet) when deployed in High-Performance Computing (HPC) clusters, referencing RDMA Implementation Guide.

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    1. 2. Performance Characteristics

The **Template:DocumentationHeader** configuration is tuned for balanced throughput and low latency, particularly in I/O-bound virtualization scenarios. Performance validation is conducted using industry-standard synthetic benchmarks and application-specific workload simulations.

      1. 2.1. Synthetic Benchmark Results

The following results represent average performance measured under controlled, standardized ambient conditions ($22^{\circ}C$, 40% humidity) using the specified hardware components.

        1. 2.1.1. CPU Benchmarks (SPECrate 2017 Integer)

SPECrate measures sustained throughput across multiple concurrent threads, relevant for virtual machine density.

SPECrate 2017 Integer Benchmark (Reference Values)
Metric Result (Average) Unit
SPECrate_int_base 580 Score
SPECrate_int_peak 615 Score
Notes Results achieved with all 128 threads active, optimized compiler flags (-O3, AVX-512 enabled).

These figures confirm the strong multi-threaded capacity of the 64-core platform. For single-threaded performance metrics, refer to Single Thread Performance Analysis.

        1. 2.1.2. Memory Bandwidth Testing (AIDA64 Read/Write)

Measuring the aggregate memory bandwidth across the dual-socket configuration.

Memory Bandwidth Performance
Operation Measured Throughput Unit
Memory Read Speed (Aggregate) 320 GB/s
Memory Write Speed (Aggregate) 285 GB/s
Latency (First Access) 58 Nanoseconds (ns)

The latency figures are slightly elevated compared to single-socket configurations due to necessary NUMA node communication overhead, discussed in NUMA Node Interconnect Latency.

      1. 2.2. Storage Performance (IOPS and Throughput)

Storage performance is the primary differentiator for this configuration, leveraging PCIe Gen 5 NVMe drives in a RAID 10 topology.

        1. 2.2.1. FIO Benchmarks (Random I/O)

Testing small, random I/O patterns (4K block size), critical for VM boot storms and transactional databases.

4K Random I/O Performance
Queue Depth (QD) IOPS (Read) IOPS (Write)
QD=32 (Per Drive Emulation) 280,000 255,000
QD=256 (Aggregate Array) > 1,800,000 > 1,650,000

Sustained performance at higher queue depths demonstrates the efficiency of the dedicated RAID controller and the NVMe controllers in handling parallel requests.

        1. 2.2.2. Sequential Throughput

Testing large sequential transfers (128K block size), relevant for backups and large file processing.

Sequential Throughput Performance
Operation Measured Throughput Unit
Sequential Read (Max) 18.5 GB/s
Sequential Write (Max) 16.2 GB/s

These throughput figures are constrained by the PCIe Gen 5 x8 link to the RAID controller and the internal signaling limits of the NVMe drives themselves. See PCIe Gen 5 Bandwidth Limitations for detailed analysis.

      1. 2.3. Real-World Workload Simulation

Performance validation involves simulating container density and general-purpose virtualization loads using established internal testing suites.

    • Scenario: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Density**

Running 300 concurrent light-use VDI sessions (Windows 10/Office Suite).

  • Observed CPU Utilization: 75% sustained.
  • Observed Memory Utilization: 95% (1.42 TB used).
  • Result: Stable performance with <150ms average desktop latency.
    • Scenario: Kubernetes Node Density**

Deploying standard microservices containers (average 1.5 vCPU, 4GB RAM per pod).

  • Maximum Stable Pod Count: 180 pods.
  • Failure Point: Exceeded IOPS limits when storage utilization surpassed 85% saturation, leading to increased container startup times.

This analysis confirms that storage I/O is the primary bottleneck when pushing density limits beyond the specified baseline. For I/O-intensive applications, consider the configuration variant detailed in Template:DocumentationHeader_HighIO.

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    1. 3. Recommended Use Cases

The **Template:DocumentationHeader** configuration is specifically engineered for environments demanding a high balance between computational density, substantial memory allocation, and high-speed local storage access.

      1. 3.1. Virtualization Hosts (Hypervisors)

This is the primary intended role. The combination of 64 physical cores and 1.5 TB of RAM provides excellent VM consolidation ratios.

  • **Enterprise Virtual Machines (VMs):** Hosting critical Windows Server or RHEL instances requiring dedicated CPU cores and large memory footprints (e.g., Domain Controllers, Application Servers).
  • **High-Density KVM/VMware Deployments:** Ideal for running a large number of small to medium-sized virtual machines where maximizing the core-to-VM ratio is paramount.
      1. 3.2. Container Orchestration Platforms (Kubernetes/OpenShift)

The platform excels as a worker node in large-scale container environments.

  • **Stateful Workloads:** The fast NVMe RAID 10 array is perfectly suited for persistent volumes (PVs) used by databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB) running within containers, providing low-latency disk access that traditional SAN/NAS connections might struggle to match.
  • **CI/CD Runners:** Excellent capacity for parallelizing build and test jobs due to high core count and fast local scratch space.
      1. 3.3. Data Processing and Analytics (Mid-Tier)

While not a dedicated HPC node, this server handles substantial in-memory processing tasks.

  • **In-Memory Caching Layers (e.g., Redis, Memcached):** The 1.5 TB of RAM allows for massive, high-performance caching layers.
  • **Small to Medium Apache Spark Clusters:** Suitable for running Spark Executors that benefit from both high core counts and fast access to intermediate shuffle data stored on the local NVMe drives.
      1. 3.4. Database Servers (OLTP Focus)

For Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) databases where latency is critical, this configuration is highly effective.

  • The high IOPS capacity (1.8M Read IOPS) directly translates to improved transactional throughput for systems like SQL Server or Oracle RDBMS.

Configurations requiring extremely high sequential throughput (e.g., large-scale media transcoding) or extreme single-thread frequency should look towards configurations detailed in High Frequency Server SKUs.

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    1. 4. Comparison with Similar Configurations

To contextualize the **Template:DocumentationHeader**, it is essential to compare it against two common alternatives: a memory-optimized configuration and a storage-dense configuration.

      1. 4.1. Configuration Variants Overview

| Configuration Variant | Primary Focus | CPU Cores (Total) | RAM (Total) | Primary Storage Type | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Template:DocumentationHeader (Baseline)** | Balanced I/O & Compute | 64 | 1.5 TB | 8x NVMe (RAID 10) | | Variant A: Memory Optimized | Max VM Density | 64 | 3.0 TB | 4x SATA SSD (RAID 1) | | Variant B: Storage Dense | Maximum Raw Capacity | 48 | 768 GB | 24x 10TB SAS HDD (RAID 6) |

      1. 4.2. Performance Comparison Matrix

This table illustrates the trade-offs when selecting a variant over the baseline.

Performance Metric Comparison
Metric Baseline (Header) Variant A (Memory Optimized) Variant B (Storage Dense)
Max VM Count (Estimated) High Very High (Requires more RAM per VM) Medium (CPU constrained)
4K Random Read IOPS **> 1.8 Million** ~400,000 ~50,000 (HDD bottleneck)
Memory Bandwidth (GB/s) 320 400 (Higher DIMM count) 240 (Slower DIMMs)
Single-Thread Performance High High Medium (Lower TDP CPUs)
Raw Storage Capacity 12.3 TB (Usable) ~16 TB (Usable, Slower) **> 170 TB (Usable)**
    • Analysis:**

1. **Variant A (Memory Optimized):** Provides double the RAM but sacrifices 66% of the high-speed NVMe IOPS capacity. It is ideal for applications that fit entirely in memory but do not require high disk transaction rates (e.g., Java application servers, large caches). See Memory Density Server Profiles. 2. **Variant B (Storage Dense):** Offers massive capacity but suffers significantly in performance due to the reliance on slower HDDs and a lower core count CPU. This is suitable only for archival, large-scale cold storage, or backup targets.

The **Template:DocumentationHeader** configuration remains the superior choice for transactional workloads where I/O latency directly impacts user experience.

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    1. 5. Maintenance Considerations

Proper maintenance protocols are essential to ensure the longevity and sustained performance of the **Template:DocumentationHeader** deployment. Due to the high-power density of the dual 250W CPUs and the NVMe subsystem, thermal management and power redundancy are critical focus areas.

      1. 5.1. Power Requirements and Redundancy

The system is designed for resilience, utilizing dual hot-swappable Platinum-rated PSUs.

  • **Peak Power Draw:** Under full load (CPU stress testing + 100% NVMe utilization), the system can draw up to 1350W.
  • **Recommended Breaker Circuit:** Must be provisioned on a 20A circuit (or equivalent regional standard) for the rack PDU to ensure headroom for power supply inefficiencies and inrush current during boot cycles.
  • **Redundancy:** Operation must always be maintained with both PSUs installed (N+1 redundancy). Failure of one PSU should trigger immediate alerts via the BMC, as detailed in BMC Alerting Configuration.
      1. 5.2. Thermal Management and Cooling

The 2U chassis relies heavily on optimized airflow management.

  • **Airflow Direction:** Standard front-to-back cooling path. Ensure adequate clearance (minimum 30 inches) behind the rack for hot aisle exhaust.
  • **Ambient Temperature:** Maximum sustained ambient intake temperature must not exceed $27^{\circ}C$ ($80.6^{\circ}F$). Exceeding this threshold forces the BMC to throttle CPU clock speeds to maintain thermal limits, resulting in performance degradation (see Section 2).
  • **Fan Configuration:** The system uses high-static pressure fans. Noise levels are high; deployment in acoustically sensitive areas is discouraged. Refer to Data Center Thermal Standards for acceptable operating ranges.
      1. 5.3. Component Replacement Procedures

Due to the high component count (24 DIMMs), careful procedure is required for upgrades or replacements.

        1. 5.3.1. Storage Replacement (NVMe)

If an NVMe drive fails in the RAID 10 array: 1. Identify the failed drive via the RAID controller GUI or BMC interface. 2. Ensure the system is operating in a degraded state but still accessible. 3. Hot-swap the failed drive with an identical replacement part (same capacity, same vendor generation if possible). 4. Monitor the rebuild process. Full rebuild time for a 3.84 TB drive in RAID 10 can range from 8 to 14 hours, depending on ambient temperature and system load. Do not introduce high I/O workloads during the rebuild phase if possible.

        1. 5.3.2. Memory Upgrades

Memory upgrades require a full system shutdown. 1. Power down the system gracefully. 2. Disconnect power cords. 3. Grounding procedures (anti-static wrist strap) are mandatory. 4. When adding or replacing DIMMs, always populate slots strictly following the Dual Socket Memory Population Guidelines to maintain optimal interleaving and avoid triggering memory training errors during POST.

      1. 5.4. Firmware and Driver Lifecycle Management

Maintaining the firmware stack is crucial for stability, especially with PCIe Gen 5 components.

  • **BIOS/UEFI:** Must be kept within one major revision of the vendor's latest release. Critical firmware updates often address memory training instability or NVMe controller compatibility issues.
  • **RAID Controller Firmware:** Must be synchronized with the operating system's driver version to prevent data corruption or performance regressions. Check the Storage Controller Compatibility Matrix quarterly.
  • **BMC Firmware:** Regular updates are required to patch security vulnerabilities and improve remote management features.

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    1. 6. Advanced Configuration Notes
      1. 6.1. NUMA Topology Management

With 64 physical cores distributed across two sockets, the system operates under a Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) architecture.

  • **Policy Recommendation:** For most virtualization and database workloads, the host operating system (Hypervisor) should enforce **Prefer NUMA Local Access**. This ensures that a VM or container process primarily accesses memory physically attached to the CPU socket it is scheduled on, minimizing inter-socket latency across the UPI (Ultra Path Interconnect).
  • **NUMA Spanning:** Workloads that require very large contiguous memory blocks exceeding 768 GB (half the total RAM) will inevitably span NUMA nodes. Performance impact is acceptable for non-time-critical tasks but should be avoided for sub-millisecond latency requirements.
      1. 6.2. Security Hardening

The platform supports hardware-assisted security features that should be enabled.

  • **Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0:** Must be enabled and provisioned for secure boot processes and disk encryption key storage.
  • **Hardware Root of Trust:** Verify the integrity chain from the BMC firmware up through the BIOS during every boot sequence. Documentation on validating this chain is available in Hardware Root of Trust Validation.
      1. 6.3. Network Offloading Features

To maximize CPU availability, NICS should have offloading features enabled where supported by the workload.

  • **Receive Side Scaling (RSS):** Mandatory for all 25GbE interfaces to distribute network processing load across multiple CPU cores.
  • **TCP Segmentation Offload (TSO) / Large Send Offload (LSO):** Should be enabled for high-throughput transfers to minimize CPU cycles spent preparing network packets.

The selection of the appropriate NIC drivers, especially for the high-speed 100GbE adapter, is critical. Generic OS drivers are insufficient; vendor-specific, certified drivers must be used, as outlined in Network Driver Certification Policy.

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    1. Conclusion

The **Template:DocumentationHeader** server configuration provides a robust, high-performance foundation for modern data center operations, striking an excellent balance between processing power, memory capacity, and low-latency storage access. Adherence to the specified hardware tiers and maintenance procedures outlined in this documentation is mandatory to ensure operational stability and performance consistency.


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.* ⚠️

Overview

The "Cloud Build" server configuration is a high-performance, scalable server solution designed to meet the rigorous demands of continuous integration, continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, software compilation, and large-scale data processing. This document details the hardware specifications, performance characteristics, recommended use cases, comparisons with similar configurations, and maintenance considerations for the Cloud Build server. It is intended for system administrators, DevOps engineers, and hardware support personnel.

1. Hardware Specifications

The Cloud Build server is built around a robust and carefully selected set of components to maximize performance and reliability. The following table details the specifications:

Component Specification
CPU Dual Intel Xeon Gold 6338 (32 Cores/64 Threads per CPU), Total 64 Cores / 128 Threads
CPU Clock Speed Base: 2.0 GHz, Turbo Boost: 3.4 GHz
Chipset Intel C621A
RAM 256 GB DDR4 ECC RDIMM, 3200 MHz, 8 x 32 GB Modules
RAM Configuration Octa-channel memory architecture
Storage - OS/Boot 512 GB NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD (Read: 7000 MB/s, Write: 5500 MB/s) - See Storage Technologies for more details
Storage - Build/Data 8 x 4 TB SAS 12Gbps 7.2K RPM Enterprise HDD in RAID 6 configuration (Usable Capacity: 24 TB) - See RAID Configurations for information on RAID levels
Storage - Temporary/Cache 2 x 2 TB NVMe PCIe Gen3 SSD (Read: 3500 MB/s, Write: 3000 MB/s) configured in RAID 1 - See SSD Performance Characteristics
Network Interface Dual 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100GbE) - Mellanox ConnectX-6 Dx - See Network Interface Cards
Power Supply 2 x 1600W Redundant 80+ Platinum Power Supplies - See Power Supply Units
Motherboard Supermicro X12DPG-QT6
Chassis 4U Rackmount Server Chassis with Hot-Swap Bays
Cooling Redundant Hot-Swap Fans with N+1 Redundancy - See Server Cooling Systems
Remote Management Integrated IPMI 2.0 with dedicated network port - See IPMI and Remote Management
GPU None (Optional: up to two NVIDIA Tesla A100 GPUs can be added for accelerated builds - See GPU Acceleration)

Note: Configurations can be customized with different RAM capacities, storage configurations, and optional GPU acceleration based on specific workload requirements. Contact Sales Department for custom configuration options.

2. Performance Characteristics

The Cloud Build server configuration is designed for consistent and high performance in demanding workloads. The following benchmark results and real-world performance data provide insights into its capabilities.

Benchmark Results:

  • CPU Performance (SPECint_rate2017): 285 (Higher is better) - This benchmark measures the integer processing rate, vital for compilation tasks.
  • CPU Performance (SPECfp_rate2017): 210 (Higher is better) - This benchmark measures the floating-point processing rate, important for scientific computing and some build processes.
  • Storage Performance (IOPS - RAID 6): 12,000 IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) - Measured using FIO, simulating a typical CI/CD workload.
  • Network Throughput (100GbE): 95 Gbps sustained throughput - Measured using iperf3.
  • Compilation Time (Linux Kernel): 18 minutes - Compilation time for the latest stable Linux kernel using GCC 11.2 with -O2 optimization. This was performed with 64 concurrent compilation jobs.

Real-World Performance (Based on customer deployments):

  • Docker Image Build Time (Complex Application): Average build time reduced by 40% compared to previous generation servers.
  • Jenkins Build Pipeline Execution Time: Average pipeline execution time reduced by 35%.
  • Large-Scale Data Processing (Spark): 2x faster processing speeds compared to servers with lower CPU core counts and slower storage. This is dependent on the specific data processing task. Refer to Spark Performance Tuning for detailed optimizations.
  • Software Compilation (Large Codebase): Significant reduction in compilation times for projects with over 1 million lines of code.

These results demonstrate the Cloud Build server's ability to handle computationally intensive tasks efficiently. Performance will vary based on the specific workload and configuration options. Monitoring tools such as Performance Monitoring Tools are recommended for continuous performance assessment.

3. Recommended Use Cases

The Cloud Build server configuration is ideally suited for the following applications:

  • **Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD):** The high CPU core count, fast storage, and high-speed networking make it perfect for running CI/CD pipelines with tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, CircleCI, and Azure DevOps. See CI/CD Best Practices for optimal pipeline design.
  • **Software Compilation:** The powerful CPU and ample RAM accelerate software compilation processes, reducing build times for large projects.
  • **Large-Scale Data Processing:** The server can handle demanding data processing tasks using frameworks like Apache Spark, Hadoop, and Flink.
  • **Virtualization & Containerization:** The server can efficiently run multiple virtual machines or containers, providing a flexible and scalable environment. See Virtualization Technologies and Containerization with Docker for more information.
  • **Game Development:** Fast compilation and asset processing are critical for game development. This configuration provides the necessary performance.
  • **Machine Learning Model Training (with optional GPU):** Adding NVIDIA Tesla A100 GPUs transforms the server into a potent machine learning platform.
  • **Video Encoding/Transcoding:** The CPU’s core count and high memory bandwidth are beneficial for video processing tasks.

4. Comparison with Similar Configurations

The Cloud Build server configuration competes with several other server options. The following table compares it to two similar configurations: "Build Standard" and "Build Elite".

Feature Cloud Build Build Standard Build Elite
CPU Dual Intel Xeon Gold 6338 (64 Cores) Dual Intel Xeon Silver 4310 (32 Cores) Dual Intel Xeon Platinum 8380 (80 Cores)
RAM 256 GB DDR4 3200 MHz 128 GB DDR4 2666 MHz 512 GB DDR4 3200 MHz
OS Storage 512 GB NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD 256 GB NVMe PCIe Gen3 SSD 1 TB NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD
Build/Data Storage 24 TB SAS RAID 6 12 TB SAS RAID 5 48 TB SAS RAID 6
Network Dual 100GbE Dual 25GbE Dual 100GbE with RDMA
Price (USD - Approximate) $18,000 $12,000 $28,000
Target Workload High-demand CI/CD, Large-scale compilation. Moderate CI/CD, Smaller codebases. Extremely demanding workloads, Large-scale ML.

Build Standard: Offers a more cost-effective solution for smaller projects and less demanding CI/CD pipelines. It provides adequate performance for many common tasks, but may struggle with very large codebases or concurrent builds. See Build Standard Server Configuration for details.

Build Elite: Delivers maximum performance for the most demanding workloads, such as large-scale machine learning training and extremely complex software compilation. It offers higher CPU core counts, more RAM, and faster storage, but comes at a significantly higher price. See Build Elite Server Configuration for details.

The Cloud Build configuration strikes a balance between performance and cost, making it a versatile option for a wide range of applications. Consider your specific workload requirements and budget when choosing the appropriate configuration.

5. Maintenance Considerations

Maintaining the Cloud Build server requires careful attention to cooling, power, and component monitoring.

Cooling:

  • The server utilizes redundant hot-swap fans to ensure continuous cooling. Regularly check fan status via the IPMI interface.
  • Maintain a clean and well-ventilated data center environment. See Data Center Environmental Control for best practices.
  • Monitor CPU and component temperatures using Server Monitoring Software. High temperatures can lead to performance degradation and potential hardware failure.
  • Dust accumulation can impede airflow. Periodically clean the server chassis and fans.

Power Requirements:

  • The server requires two dedicated 120V/240V power circuits with a minimum of 30 amps each.
  • Ensure proper grounding to prevent electrical hazards.
  • Use a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to protect against power outages. See UPS Systems for more information.
  • Monitor power supply health via the IPMI interface.

Storage Management:

  • Regularly monitor storage utilization and performance.
  • Implement a robust backup and disaster recovery plan. See Data Backup and Recovery Strategies
  • Periodically check the health of the RAID array and replace failed drives promptly.
  • Consider data compression and deduplication techniques to optimize storage usage.

Network Management:

  • Monitor network traffic and bandwidth usage.
  • Implement network security measures to protect against unauthorized access. See Server Security Best Practices
  • Regularly update network firmware and drivers.

General Maintenance:

  • Regularly update the server's operating system and software packages.
  • Monitor system logs for errors and warnings.
  • Perform preventative maintenance tasks as recommended by the hardware vendor.
  • Maintain detailed documentation of the server configuration and maintenance procedures. See Server Documentation Standards

By following these maintenance considerations, you can ensure the long-term reliability and performance of the Cloud Build server. ```


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

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⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️