Custom Server Configurations

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```mediawiki {{#title:Custom Server Configurations - High-Performance Application Server}} {{#revisiondate: 2023-10-27}}

Introduction

This document details a custom server configuration designed for high-performance application serving, specifically targeting demanding workloads such as large-scale databases, in-memory computing, and virtualization. This configuration prioritizes speed, reliability, and scalability. It represents a balance between cost and performance, utilizing current generation hardware to deliver optimal results. This document assumes the reader has a foundational understanding of server hardware components and concepts. See Server Hardware Basics for an introductory overview.

1. Hardware Specifications

This configuration is built around a dual-socket motherboard, maximizing CPU core count and memory bandwidth. Component choices are made with redundancy and long-term availability in mind. All specifications are current as of October 27, 2023.

CPU

  • **Processor:** 2 x Intel Xeon Platinum 8480+ (Golden Cove Architecture)
  • **Cores/Threads:** 56 Cores / 112 Threads per CPU (Total: 112 Cores / 224 Threads)
  • **Base Clock Speed:** 2.0 GHz
  • **Max Turbo Frequency:** 3.8 GHz
  • **Cache:** 36 MB Intel Smart Cache per CPU
  • **TDP:** 350W per CPU
  • **Socket:** LGA 4677
  • **Instruction Set:** Intel AVX-512, AES-NI, Intel VT-x, Intel VT-d
  • **Cooling:** High-performance liquid cooling solution (see Cooling Solutions for details).

Memory

  • **Type:** DDR5 ECC Registered DIMMs
  • **Capacity:** 2TB (16 x 128GB modules)
  • **Speed:** 5600MHz
  • **Rank:** 8-Rank per DIMM
  • **Latency:** CL36
  • **Configuration:** 8 channels per CPU (fully populated for maximum bandwidth)
  • **Memory Controller:** Integrated within the Intel Xeon Platinum 8480+ CPU.
  • **Error Correction:** ECC (Error Correcting Code) – crucial for data integrity in server environments. See ECC Memory for a detailed explanation.

Storage

  • **Boot Drive:** 1 x 4TB NVMe PCIe Gen4 x4 SSD (Samsung PM1735) - Used for the Operating System and critical system files.
  • **Primary Storage:** 8 x 15.36TB U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 x4 SSDs (Micron 7450 Max) – Configured in a RAID 10 array for redundancy and performance. Total usable capacity: 61.44TB.
  • **RAID Controller:** Broadcom MegaRAID SAS 9460-8i with 8GB NV Cache. Supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60. See RAID Configurations for more information.
  • **Hot Spares:** 2 x 15.36TB U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 x4 SSDs – Configured as hot spares for RAID array redundancy.
  • **Optional Archive Storage:** Capacity scalable with additional SAS or SATA drives, integrated into a separate storage array. See Storage Area Networks (SAN).

Networking

  • **Onboard NIC:** 2 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) ports (Intel X710-DA4)
  • **Add-in NIC:** 1 x 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100GbE) QSFP28 port (Mellanox ConnectX-6) – for high-bandwidth network connectivity.
  • **RDMA Support:** RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCEv2) supported on the 100GbE NIC. See Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA).

Power Supply

  • **PSU:** 2 x 1600W 80+ Titanium certified redundant power supplies.
  • **Redundancy:** N+1 redundancy. If one PSU fails, the other can handle the full load.
  • **Voltage:** 100-240V AC Input
  • **Output:** +12V, +5V, +3.3V
  • **Efficiency:** >94% at typical loads.

Motherboard

  • **Form Factor:** E-ATX
  • **Chipset:** Intel C741
  • **Sockets:** 2 x LGA 4677
  • **Memory Slots:** 16 x DDR5 DIMM slots
  • **Expansion Slots:** Multiple PCIe 5.0 x16 and PCIe 4.0 x16 slots.
  • **Management:** IPMI 2.0 compliant with dedicated LAN port for remote management. See Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI).

Chassis

  • **Form Factor:** 4U Rackmount
  • **Material:** Steel with robust construction.
  • **Drive Bays:** 24 x 2.5" hot-swap drive bays.
  • **Cooling:** Optimized airflow design with redundant fans.

Operating System

  • **Recommended:** Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 or Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS.
  • **Virtualization Platform:** VMware vSphere 7.x or later, or KVM.


2. Performance Characteristics

This configuration is designed for peak performance in demanding server workloads. The following benchmarks represent typical performance metrics. Testing was conducted in a controlled environment.

CPU Performance

  • **SPECint_rate2017:** 2500 (approximate) – measures integer processing performance.
  • **SPECfp_rate2017:** 1800 (approximate) – measures floating-point processing performance.
  • **Linpack:** Achieves significant FLOPS (Floating-Point Operations Per Second) due to the high core count and memory bandwidth.

Storage Performance

  • **Sequential Read (RAID 10):** 12 GB/s (approximate)
  • **Sequential Write (RAID 10):** 10 GB/s (approximate)
  • **Random Read (4KB, RAID 10):** 1.5 Million IOPS (approximate)
  • **Random Write (4KB, RAID 10):** 1 Million IOPS (approximate)
  • **Latency (RAID 10):** < 0.1ms

Network Performance

  • **100GbE Throughput:** 90 Gbps (approximate) – with RoCEv2 enabled.
  • **10GbE Throughput:** 9.5 Gbps (approximate)

Real-World Performance

  • **Virtualization (VMware vSphere):** Supports a high density of virtual machines with excellent performance. Capable of running 100+ VMs with 8 vCPUs and 32GB RAM each, depending on workload.
  • **Database (PostgreSQL):** Handles large database workloads with rapid query response times due to high IOPS and in-memory caching.
  • **In-Memory Computing (Redis):** Ideal for in-memory databases and caching layers due to large RAM capacity and low latency. Can easily handle datasets exceeding 1TB in memory.
  • **High-Performance Computing (HPC):** Suitable for parallel processing tasks and scientific simulations.
Benchmark Result Units
SPECint_rate2017 2500 (approximate)
SPECfp_rate2017 1800 (approximate)
Sequential Read (RAID 10) 12 GB/s
Sequential Write (RAID 10) 10 GB/s
Random Read (4KB, RAID 10) 1.5 Million IOPS
Random Write (4KB, RAID 10) 1 Million IOPS

3. Recommended Use Cases

This server configuration excels in the following scenarios:

  • **Large-Scale Databases:** Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL – where high IOPS and low latency are critical.
  • **Virtualization:** Running a large number of virtual machines with demanding workloads.
  • **In-Memory Computing:** Redis, Memcached – for caching and real-time data processing.
  • **High-Frequency Trading (HFT):** Low-latency applications requiring rapid data processing.
  • **Scientific Computing and Simulation:** Running complex simulations and data analysis tasks.
  • **Video Encoding/Transcoding:** High-resolution video processing and streaming.
  • **Big Data Analytics:** Processing and analyzing large datasets. See Big Data Technologies for related information.

4. Comparison with Similar Configurations

This configuration represents a premium tier solution. Here's a comparison with alternative options.

Configuration CPU RAM Storage Network Approximate Cost
**Entry-Level (Web Server)** 2 x Intel Xeon Silver 4310 128GB DDR4 4 x 1TB SATA SSD (RAID 1) 2 x 1GbE $8,000 - $12,000
**Mid-Range (Application Server)** 2 x Intel Xeon Gold 6338 512GB DDR4 8 x 3.84TB SAS SSD (RAID 10) 2 x 10GbE $18,000 - $25,000
**High-Performance (This Configuration)** 2 x Intel Xeon Platinum 8480+ 2TB DDR5 8 x 15.36TB NVMe SSD (RAID 10) 1 x 100GbE + 2 x 10GbE $40,000 - $60,000
**Extreme Performance (AI/ML)** 2 x AMD EPYC 9654 4TB DDR5 16 x 30.72TB NVMe SSD (RAID 10) + GPU Accelerator 1 x 200GbE + 2 x 10GbE $70,000+

This table illustrates the trade-offs between cost and performance. The entry-level configuration is suitable for basic web hosting, while the mid-range option provides a good balance for general application serving. The extreme performance configuration adds GPU acceleration and even higher storage capacity for AI/ML workloads. See Server Tiering for more in-depth discussion.

5. Maintenance Considerations

Maintaining this server configuration requires careful planning and execution.

Cooling

  • **Liquid Cooling:** The high TDP CPUs necessitate a robust liquid cooling solution. Regular maintenance of the liquid cooling system is critical, including checking coolant levels and ensuring pump functionality. See Server Room Cooling for best practices.
  • **Airflow Management:** Proper airflow within the rack is essential to prevent overheating. Cable management should be optimized to avoid blocking airflow paths.
  • **Fan Monitoring:** Monitor fan speeds and temperatures regularly to identify potential cooling issues.

Power Requirements

  • **Total Power Consumption:** Estimated peak power consumption is around 2500W.
  • **Redundant Power Supplies:** The redundant power supplies provide fault tolerance, but it's crucial to ensure they are connected to separate power circuits.
  • **UPS:** An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is highly recommended to protect against power outages. See Power Distribution Units (PDUs) for more information.

Storage Maintenance

  • **RAID Monitoring:** Continuously monitor the RAID array’s health and replace failed drives promptly.
  • **Firmware Updates:** Keep the RAID controller and SSD firmware up to date.
  • **Data Backups:** Implement a regular data backup strategy to protect against data loss. See Data Backup and Recovery.

Remote Management

  • **IPMI Access:** Utilize the IPMI interface for remote server management, including power control, system monitoring, and remote console access.
  • **Security:** Secure IPMI access with strong passwords and network segmentation.

Software Updates

  • **Operating System Patches:** Apply security patches and updates to the operating system and installed software regularly.
  • **Driver Updates:** Keep device drivers up to date for optimal performance and stability.

Environmental Monitoring

  • **Temperature and Humidity:** Monitor temperature and humidity levels in the server room to ensure optimal operating conditions.
  • **Alerting:** Configure alerts to notify administrators of potential issues, such as high temperatures or power failures.

Server Hardware Basics ECC Memory RAID Configurations Storage Area Networks (SAN) Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) Cooling Solutions Power Distribution Units (PDUs) Data Backup and Recovery Server Room Cooling Server Tiering Big Data Technologies Virtualization Technologies Network Interface Cards (NICs) ```


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.* ⚠️

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