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[Platforms #DYP-533202]: Advice for new idd.aos.wisc.edu?

Hi Pete,

re:
> I have some money (4K or so) to spend before June 1. I'd like to
> upgrade/replace idd.aos.wisc.edu with something that will be able to
> handle the upcoming increases in data through noaaport, NEXRAD, CONDUIT,
> etc.

Good timing on having some money available!

re:
> This will be solely an ingest and relay machine, no data saving or
> processing on this box.

OK.

re:
> I was looking at a single linux machine with dual quad-core opterons, 32
> Gb of RAM, and dual 15K RPM SAS 300 Gb drives. Does this seem
> reasonable, or would you suggest some other setup?

This seems completely reasonable.  The newer machines we have been buying
here are all multi-processor (typically dual quad core) with as much
memory as we can afford (three of the new machines have 72 GB of RAM,
for instance).

re:
> I have heard of
> people running redundant servers (one ldm address but several machines
> running behind it I think..)   Is this do-able,

The toplevel IDD relay that we operate, idd.unidata.ucar.edu, is actually
a cluster of machines composed of:

- two front end "accumulators"
- between 5 and 8 back end "real servers" each configured identically
- two "directors" (only one of which will be active at one time)

The director(s) have the IP address of idd.unidata.ucar.edu.  They
receive connection requests and farm them out to the real server back
end machines.  We use the LVS package (standard Linux installation)
on the director(s).

re:
> and something I should
> consider, or should I just go with a single box as described above?

It really depends on what role you want to play in the IDD.  If you
would like to see UW become a toplevel relay node for most, if not
all, of the datastreams available, you might pursue the setup of
a cluster fashioned after the one that we run here.  Penn State
has done this, and I believe that Texas A&M is considering doing this.

If you do not envision a greatly expanded role in IDD data relay, then
I would think more along the lines of a single, well configured
machine.

re:
> Thanks for any advice you can provide!

No worries.  We could provide some info on machines we have recently
purchased for IDD-related activities, but prices change so fast that
the information may not be of much use (plus, if UW has special deals
with certain vendors, that should guide your purchases).

Cheers,

Tom
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Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: DYP-533202
Department: Support Platforms
Priority: Normal
Status: Closed