Container Deployment Guide
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- Container Deployment Guide - High Density Compute Node (HDCN-v3)
This document details the hardware and operational considerations for the High Density Compute Node version 3 (HDCN-v3), a server configuration optimized for containerized workloads. This guide is intended for system administrators, DevOps engineers, and IT professionals responsible for deploying and maintaining container infrastructure.
1. Hardware Specifications
The HDCN-v3 is designed for high density compute and efficient resource utilization. It prioritizes core count, memory capacity, and fast storage access over single-thread performance.
1.1. Processor
- **Model:** Dual Intel Xeon Gold 6338 (32 Cores/64 Threads per CPU)
- **Base Clock Speed:** 2.0 GHz
- **Turbo Boost Max 3.0:** Up to 3.4 GHz
- **Cache:** 48 MB Intel Smart Cache per CPU
- **TDP:** 205W per CPU
- **Architecture:** Intel Ice Lake-SP
- **Instruction Set Extensions:** AVX-512, Intel Deep Learning Boost (DL Boost) with VNNI
- **Socket:** LGA 4189
1.2. Memory
- **Capacity:** 512 GB DDR4-3200 ECC Registered (RDIMM)
- **Configuration:** 16 x 32 GB modules
- **Channels:** 8 channels per CPU (16 total)
- **Speed:** 3200 MT/s
- **Error Correction:** ECC (Error Correcting Code)
- **Memory Protection:** Intel Optane Persistent Memory support (optional, requires separate modules - see Persistent Memory Configuration Guide)
1.3. Storage
- **Boot Drive:** 480 GB SATA III SSD (Solid State Drive) - Intel Optane SSD S4510 Series
- **OS Drive:** 960 GB SATA III SSD (Solid State Drive) - Samsung 870 EVO
- **Data Storage:** 8 x 4 TB SAS 12Gb/s 7.2K RPM HDD (Hard Disk Drive) in RAID 10 configuration (managed by Hardware RAID Controller Details)
- **NVMe Cache:** 2 x 1.92 TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD (Samsung PM1733) - Used for read/write caching of the SAS array to accelerate I/O. Configured using NVMe Caching Implementation.
- **RAID Controller:** Broadcom MegaRAID SAS 9460-8i with 8GB NV Cache.
- **Storage Interface:** SAS, SATA, NVMe
1.4. Networking
- **Onboard NIC:** 2 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) ports (Intel X710-DA4)
- **Add-in Card:** Mellanox ConnectX-6 100GbE QSFP28 Network Interface Card (NIC). See Network Interface Card Configuration for details.
- **MAC Address:** Unique MAC address per port, configurable via BMC.
- **RDMA Support:** RoCEv2 supported on Mellanox NIC.
1.5. Motherboard
- **Chipset:** Intel C621A
- **Form Factor:** 2U Rackmount
- **Expansion Slots:** 3 x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 x PCIe 4.0 x8
- **BMC:** ASPEED AST2600 BMC with dedicated 1GbE port. See BMC Access and Configuration for remote management.
1.6. Power Supply
- **Capacity:** 2 x 1100W 80+ Platinum Certified Redundant Power Supplies (RPS)
- **Input Voltage:** 100-240V AC
- **Input Current:** 15A / 10A (depending on input voltage)
- **Efficiency:** 94% at 50% load
- **Redundancy:** N+1 redundancy. See Power Supply Redundancy Documentation.
1.7. Chassis
- **Form Factor:** 2U Rackmount
- **Cooling:** Hot-swappable redundant fans with N+1 redundancy. See Thermal Management and Cooling for details.
- **Front Panel:** Power buttons, status LEDs, UID LED.
- **Rear Panel:** Power supply connectors, network ports, management port.
2. Performance Characteristics
The HDCN-v3 is designed for container workloads and excels in scenarios demanding high concurrency and parallel processing.
2.1. Benchmark Results
The following benchmark results were obtained in a controlled environment. Actual performance will vary based on workload, configuration, and environmental factors.
| Benchmark | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 5 (CPU - Multi-Core) | 38,500 | Average of multiple runs. |
| SPECvirt_sc2013 | 420 | Virtualization performance benchmark. |
| IOmeter (Sequential Read - SAS RAID 10) | 850 MB/s | With NVMe caching enabled. |
| IOmeter (Sequential Write - SAS RAID 10) | 600 MB/s | With NVMe caching enabled. |
| Sysbench (MySQL - OLTP) | 12,000 QPS | Using a containerized MySQL deployment. |
2.2. Real-World Performance
- **Kubernetes Node:** The HDCN-v3 can comfortably support up to 100-150 containers depending on their resource requirements.
- **Docker Swarm:** Similar performance to Kubernetes, with a slight overhead due to Swarm's architecture.
- **CI/CD Pipeline:** Build times are significantly reduced due to the high core count and fast storage. Observed 30-40% improvement in build times compared to previous generation hardware.
- **Microservices Deployment:** The HDCN-v3 provides sufficient resources to host a large number of microservices with low latency.
- **Database Workloads (Containerized):** Suitable for running containerized database instances (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) with moderate to high transaction volumes. See Database Performance Tuning Guide.
3. Recommended Use Cases
The HDCN-v3 is ideally suited for the following use cases:
- **Container Orchestration Platforms:** Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, Mesos.
- **CI/CD Pipelines:** Jenkins, GitLab CI, CircleCI.
- **Microservices Architectures:** Hosting and scaling microservices applications.
- **Big Data Analytics:** Running containerized data processing frameworks (e.g., Spark, Hadoop). See Big Data Deployment Considerations.
- **Virtualization (Nested Virtualization):** Running virtual machines within containers.
- **Development and Testing Environments:** Providing isolated environments for developers and testers.
- **Web Application Hosting:** Hosting containerized web applications with high traffic.
- **Machine Learning Workloads:** Training and deploying machine learning models (especially with Intel DL Boost). See Machine Learning Acceleration Options.
4. Comparison with Similar Configurations
The HDCN-v3 offers a balance of performance, density, and cost. Here's a comparison with similar configurations:
| Configuration | CPU | Memory | Storage | Networking | Price (Approx.) | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDCN-v3 (This Document) | Dual Intel Xeon Gold 6338 | 512 GB DDR4-3200 | 480GB SSD (Boot) + 960GB SSD (OS) + 32TB SAS RAID 10 + 3.84TB NVMe Cache | 10GbE + 100GbE | $8,000 - $10,000 | High-density container hosting, CI/CD, Microservices |
| HDCN-v2 | Dual Intel Xeon Gold 6248R | 256 GB DDR4-2933 | 240GB SSD (Boot) + 480GB SSD (OS) + 24TB SAS RAID 10 | 10GbE + 40GbE | $6,000 - $8,000 | General-purpose container hosting |
| AMD EPYC 7543P Configuration | Dual AMD EPYC 7543P | 512 GB DDR4-3200 | 480GB SSD (Boot) + 960GB SSD (OS) + 32TB SAS RAID 10 + 3.84TB NVMe Cache | 10GbE + 100GbE | $7,500 - $9,500 | Similar to HDCN-v3, with potentially higher core count but potentially lower single-thread performance. See AMD vs Intel Server Comparison. |
| Dell PowerEdge R750 | Single Intel Xeon Platinum 8380 | 256 GB DDR4-3200 | 480GB SSD (Boot) + 960GB SSD (OS) + 24TB SAS RAID 10 | 10GbE | $9,000 - $12,000 | General-purpose server, less focused on density. |
5. Maintenance Considerations
Maintaining the HDCN-v3 requires careful attention to cooling, power, and storage.
5.1. Cooling
- **Ambient Temperature:** Maintain a server room temperature between 20-25°C (68-77°F).
- **Airflow:** Ensure adequate airflow around the server chassis. Avoid blocking vents.
- **Fan Monitoring:** Regularly monitor fan speeds and temperatures using the BMC interface. See BMC Sensor Monitoring.
- **Dust Control:** Periodically clean dust from the server chassis and fans.
- **Liquid Cooling (Optional):** Consider liquid cooling solutions for high-density deployments to improve thermal efficiency. See Liquid Cooling Integration Guide.
5.2. Power Requirements
- **Voltage:** 100-240V AC
- **Amperage:** 15A / 10A (depending on input voltage)
- **Dedicated Circuit:** Each server should be connected to a dedicated power circuit.
- **Power Distribution Units (PDUs):** Use intelligent PDUs with remote monitoring and control capabilities. See PDU Configuration Best Practices.
- **Redundancy:** Utilize the redundant power supplies to ensure high availability.
5.3. Storage Management
- **RAID Monitoring:** Regularly monitor the health of the RAID array using the MegaRAID Storage Manager. See RAID Array Management.
- **SSD Wear Leveling:** Monitor SSD wear levels to predict potential failures.
- **Firmware Updates:** Keep the firmware for the SSDs, HDDs, and RAID controller up to date.
- **Data Backups:** Implement a robust data backup strategy. See Disaster Recovery Planning.
5.4. Firmware and Software Updates
- **BIOS/UEFI Updates:** Regularly update the server's BIOS/UEFI firmware.
- **BMC Firmware Updates:** Keep the BMC firmware up to date for security and stability.
- **Driver Updates:** Ensure all drivers (network, storage, etc.) are up to date.
- **Operating System Updates:** Maintain a current and patched operating system.
5.5. Physical Security
- **Rack Security:** Secure the server rack with locks.
- **Access Control:** Restrict physical access to the server room.
Server Hardware Documentation BMC Access and Configuration Network Interface Card Configuration Persistent Memory Configuration Guide Hardware RAID Controller Details NVMe Caching Implementation Power Supply Redundancy Documentation Thermal Management and Cooling Database Performance Tuning Guide Big Data Deployment Considerations Machine Learning Acceleration Options AMD vs Intel Server Comparison PDU Configuration Best Practices RAID Array Management Disaster Recovery Planning ```
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.* ⚠️