jwcolby
jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com
Sat Jul 2 00:36:37 CDT 2011
Awhile back I built a server based on the ASUS KGPE-D16 dual socket G34 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131643 and a single 8 core AMD 6128 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819105266 with 32 gigs of RAM using the Kingston KVR1333D3D4R9S/8G http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139140 While I was at it I built a 2 drive SSD Raid 0 using OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTX120G http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227705 to place my central databases on. Backup is everything (!) but it has been fault free so far, and pretty darned fast! But I started filling up the disk (in fact twice had a "disk full") so this week I ordered an ASUS PIKE 1068E raid controller http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816110042 And 4 more SSDs using the Mushkin Enhanced Callisto Deluxe MKNSSDCL120GB-DX http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226152 I just finished the install. I created a 4 disk raid 0 on the 1068 E controller and moved the data files onto that volume and left the log files on the original raid 0 SSD volume. I understand that I must keep backups in place due to the RAID 0 failure scenario. However these databases are primarily read-only, with approximately monthly updates so the data is relatively static. Given that they are primarily read-only the high IOPS and low latency getting at the data makes an enormous performance difference with manageable risk. I am getting the typical ATTO graphs you would expect with a 4 drive SSD Raid 0, in the neighborhood of 700 GBPS for the large block transfers, both read and write. I am impatiently waiting for the Interlagos to arrive, though I may not be able to afford them at first. OTOH the price of the RAM has dropped substantially in the 8 months since I built the server so buying another 32 gigs soon is definitely doable. Doing an AB comparison with the old system is impractical nut i can tell you I am running processes in a few minutes that used to take a half hour or more. Sometimes much more. It is gratifying to watch 8 cores running at 80+ % at times. I can also say that backing up a 60 gig database file with high compression from SSD to rotating media is *really* fast. I can't say that SSDs would be the answer for transaction processing systems but for my purposes they really do rock. -- John W. Colby www.ColbyConsulting.com