Server Hardware Tips

Much of the discussion about web hosting and servers centers around operating systems, software, and web applications. But one should not overlook hardware, which can make or break website performance. Here are a few hardware tips to make sure you get the most for your money.

1. When possible, opt for the quality, server-grade CPUs (i.e. 64-bit Intel Xeon dual or quad core)

2. The more RAM you have, the better. You can never go wrong by adding memory to your system.

3. Get large, fast hard drives, especially if you plan to run virtual private servers (VPS).

4. For large-scale sites, server redundancy is a good thing, if you can afford it.

5. Multi-core processors improve performance, but correlate the amount of processing power you get with your actual needs. In other words, there is no point in having a 64-core processor for a couple of blogs.

6. Find ways to save power, especially if you have to pay for it. Green servers will save you money and save the environment.

7. Remember that technology is constantly evolving. Plan on needing to upgrade in the future.

Photo Source: Flickr

Server Hardware: Celeron vs. Xeon

Intel processors have a variety of names, and there is no shortage in the number of variations. When you are looking to lease or purchase a server, this can be confusing. On the current market, you may find servers with Intel’s Core 2, Celeron, Xeon, and the newer Core i7.

The first distinction that you should make is between processors designed for servers and those that are not. Generally speaking, Core 2 and Celeron processors are for workstations and not servers. The Xeon processors may, in some cases, even have identical architecture to the Core 2 models but will be packaged and sold for servers. Similarly, there are Core i7 chips with similar architecture to high-end Xeon CPUs, but the former is for desktops, while the latter is for servers.

What you truly want to avoid, however, is getting a server with a Celeron processor. While there may be little difference between a high-powered i7 and a similar Xeon, a Celeron processor of the same clock speed will often have less cache and slower FSB. If a server company is trying to market Celeron servers to you, they are actually selling you an inferior product.

Photo Source: Flickr

Intel May Release a 10-core Xeon

Rumors are circulating that Intel will soon announce their newest Xeon processor with a whopping 10 cores. Intel release notes from the upcoming Hot Chips conference, and on the list of announcements is “Westmere-EX: A 20-Thread Server CPU”. With hyperthreading, the operating system treats each core like two processors (i.e. two threads). In this case, 20 threads would be the processor has 10 cores.

Intel is neither confirming nor denying the claims, meaning that they are probably true. Their last Xeon processor, the 7500 had eight cores, and it stands to reason that ten would be the next logical choice. In the past, they have jumped in higher increments (i.e. four cores to eight), but as the amount increases, it will be more difficult to fit more on a chip. Therefore, moving up two increments is still significant.

Xeon processors are popular in many hardware server lines, and it is common to see web hosting dedicated servers powered with two, four, or eight-core Xeon processors. Many run a 64-bit version of Linux, such as CentOS.

Source: Hardware Central
Photo: Flickr

Common Server Architectures

In computer lingo, when someone talks about architecture, they usually mean the type of CPU driving the system. For servers, the most used architecture has traditionally been x86, but this has gradually been supplanted by x86_64 (64-bit). Here is a list of various server architectures.

x86 – This dates back to 1978 and Intel’s 8086 processor, which would seem ancient by today’s standards. Servers running 32-bit x86 processors are typically dual-core or quad-core systems.

x86_64 – AMD started the 64-bit movement by releasing AMD64 processors that essentially an extension of the x86 instruction set, allowing for backwards compatibility. Intel now has their own versions of x86_64 processors, including the Xeon, which is often used for web servers.

Itanium(IA-64) – Intel’s attempt at 64-bit server architecture is now losing popularity, although some HP servers still use it. Microsoft recently announced that they will stop supporting it.

PowerPC – Although this architecture is famous on the desktop for powering Apple computers for several years, it is IBM’s server architecture of choice. These processors are still used today.

SPARC – Originally constructed by Sun Microsystems (now a part of Oracle), one could list the future of this server architecture as uncertain. Some large companies, such as Fujitsu, however, are still using it.

ARM – This processor architecture has been traditionally used for mobile devices, but they recently announced that some energy-efficient servers will use them in the future.

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons