What would you do with this hardware?

[TurboFC3S]

I've been having some serious performance issues with my current setup. So this weekend I'm rebuilding our current box, and going to be setting up a second server.

Question is, what should I do with the hardware I have.

Box #1 - Dell 2550, Dual P3 933's, 2 gig RAM, 2 x 36 gig SCSI with Dell Perc3 RAID card
Box #2 - Dell 2450, Dual P3 600's, 1 gig RAM, 2 x 18 gig SCSI with Dell Perc2 RAID card

My initial thought was to do something like this:

Box #2 in front as a Squid cache, firewall, and e-mail server. Also use it to server banner ads from our phpAdsNew database
Box #1 behind it as a webserver and database

Or should I do the more traditional setup of
Box #2 in front as a webserver. Also put the firewall and e-mail on this box
Box #1 behind as a dedicated database server. Continue to server banner ads from this box.

Then to throw more into the mix, what would you think if I got another box identical to Box #2? What then? Would I do a cache in front, then webserver, then database. Or should I do 2 webservers load balanced and a database?

Basically I need a configuration that will be able to grow with our site over the next year at least. Right now we serve approx 150-250 concurrent users consistently off Box #1 alone. But within the next 6 months I see that number easily growing to 400-500 concurrent users.

Thanks for your opinions,
Ryan

[eva2000]

i'd do the box #2 webserver and box #1 database server setup for now since it should be more than enough to handle 250+ users assuming you're using red hat linux 7.1/7.2 with latest apache/2.4 kernel and php and mysql versions and php accelerator

then in 6 months time grab yourself cpu upgrades to dual pentium 3 1.26/1.4 or 1.53ghz with 512k L2 cache prices in 6 months would hopefully be more favourable unless intel still fears tualatin's superior performance over their pentium 4 range in regards to web serving - in that case tualatins will still be pricey in 6 months :(

[TurboFC3S]

I think that's what I'm going to do Eva. Tomorrow is the big day that all this goes online! Wish me luck! I'm really hoping the kernel upgrade will get rid of our memory management problems.

[eva2000]

Originally posted by TurboFC3S
I think that's what I'm going to do Eva. Tomorrow is the big day that all this goes online! Wish me luck! I'm really hoping the kernel upgrade will get rid of our memory management problems. good luck :)

so you're going to use Mandrake or RH linux ?

[TurboFC3S]

WooHoo! Everything went pretty smoothly. I now admin 3 servers ... Box #3 is for another automotive forum I admin.

I used Mandrake 8.2 with the Enterprise kernel. I just setup the webserver with a public IP, then put the database on a private IP with a crossover cable to the webserver.

I jacked up my cgi-bin somehow, and now my PhotoPost stuff isn't working? Also planning on using Squid on the webserver, but DAMN that's one complicated config file! Gotta study up before I get it going. And I really need to get that PHP Accelerator working this time around.

It's amazing how low the load on the database box is, like .2 - .3 or less. I've seen it as low as .07 with about 150 users online. But the webserver is around 1 - 1.5, which is why I need that PHP Accelerator.

Fun stuff :rolleyes:

[Raptor007]

Originally posted by TurboFC3S
And I really need to get that PHP Accelerator working this time around.


that might help ;):
http://i4net.tv/marticle/get.php?action=getarticle&articleid=26

[eva2000]

Originally posted by Raptor007


that might help ;):
http://i4net.tv/marticle/get.php?action=getarticle&articleid=26 :D

[TurboFC3S]

I've seen your writeup Eva, and on the old build of the server I tried it ... but never got it working. It would load, and my phpinfo page said it was loaded. But Apache would never start if I had the lines in my Vhosts file. I'll give it a shot again on the new box.