They are not the same under the "glossy add brochure". In the same way that an RC cola or a PEPSI or a COKE or a TAB are all just soda pops.
First figure out what your SLA's (service leval agreements) are and how much you are willing to pay to meet those agreements. In other words if your site was down for 10 minutes how much would that cost you? What about an hour? What about 2 days?
Then you can decide whether you need full fault tolerance, and robust systems, or whether you can tolerate a system that is only up 95% of the time (18 days down a year).
Once you know what level of robustness and fault tolerance you require: Do an equipment list and remember to include things like remote access modems, toolboxes, spare parts, remote manageable power switches and terminal servers or "lights out" console devices for NiceTry NT OS systems, and terminal servers for your UNIX boxes. Think about how many network ports you are going to need and whether you need redundant networks or not. Do you need to have redundant power supplies or clusters on your systems? How many power cords and serial cables? How many SCSI/FiberChannel cords? How many ethernet ports?
Now that you have an equipment list, use visio or net-vis to figure out how you are going to rack mount all this equipment so that it breathes(cooling) and is serviceable, find out if the equipment can be mounted on rails or if it requires cabinets. Get the precise physical dimensions and use them. Find out whether the equipment is front to back or side to side ventilated.
Now that you have your virtual racks (diagrams). Figure out how to situate them on a virtual floor so that you can access all the hot swappable parts. A general rule of thumb is 22" of clearance for any service access because there are really FAT service engineers who will need to get behind that cabinet.
Get a watt meter and plug in your equipment and measure the boot up watt usage. Double that to create a safety margin and then make sure to figure out how many power circuits you need. Don't blow fuses in a data center, they really really don't like that!
OKAY, now remember that if you have a system with two power supplies you want to plug it into different circuits on different breaker panels on different PDU's that are backed by different battery rooms with different Generator's that have power from two different power companies.
If your Data center engineers cannot explain this to you and you need it, then go somewhere else.
Make sure when you get power outlets installed in your cabinet or your cage that they come from diverse sources. Ask the electrician to explain the nomenclature for their circuit numbering schema so that you can verify the diversity of the systems.
Find out what the max power the co-lo will give you per floor space or cabinet unit. With computers as small as they are you can use more power in a rack then most co-lo providers will give you. Make sure that you can live with those limitations and get them in writing. You may find that you can fit all your equipment into 2 cabinets, but that to get the power you need you need 4 cabinets, is it worth the price?
Networking, personally I like the DIY approach. Do your own firewalls and just get your own subnet. Try to get a full class C so you can do your own DNS as well.
If you only have a handfull of machines then you may like a company like Exodus that will do it for you, but remember that you may suffer from their mistakes. I have had 3 outages in the last year because of Exodus! Thank god the outages were very short!
Otherwise you may like a company like Equinix, they give you space, power and security, but you have to get your own ISP's. Then you need to get an ASN and a real subnet and do BGP with the big boys.
How much physical security do you need? Some of your customers may not be worried about it, others will want armed gaurds and biometric scanners. Do you need accountability with retinal scanners at every door and hand scanners on the locks?
Remember that you need to remote manage your systems, plan for it, the data center may be busy with someone elses emergency when your system needs someone to press "F2" to continue on the console boot up screen. Look into APEX Emerge 200 0 PCI cards, and APEX or CYBEX KVM switches.
Remember to keep a copy of manuals on site, and contact phone numbers, remote access modems, spare parts, miscellaneous tools and equipment, and keep a chair and a laptop in your co-lo facility. When you are waiting for 3 hours for a call back from tech-support you will thank me.
Once you have in writing and the t's crossed and the i's dotted for all of the requirements: SPACE, POWER/AirCond, SECURITY Then compare the prices of your different options. You will find that they are different for your particular situation, then they are for your friends in different industries.
It depends on your needs and your budget which of the co-lo providers you will go with.
Those screenshots would be much better as.gif's instead of.jpg. In case anyone doesn't know, GIF compression works well for things like cartoons, graphs, and computer generated images, while JPEG compression works well for real color pictures with no hard lines, like photographs and scanned images.
From a UNIX system admin of 5 years with dozens of various platforms under administration: BAD IDEA, BAD IDEA, BAD IDEA!!!! I have to explain to all of my managers why NT is impossible to remotely manage because there is no way to connect to the console of the machine remotely if there is a network problem or the system becomes unstable.
OK OK, there are third party product that allow "telnet" access to NT, and most UNIX's come with a Remote Service Processor, and even Linux can be configured with a modem and you can set that modem to be the CONSOLE with later kernel's.
Now, explain to me how I can change configuration files while accessing these machines over a terminal? I can't use the GUI over a console connection, and launching GUI's via modem's sucks. How can I know ahead of time that the machine I will be using for remote access will even have X windows???
Most of the machines I maintain don't even have a monitor on them, nor a keyboard, and I don't have X installed on them at all.
I don't want to have to enter TAGS around all my text and remember XML rules. I am not a webmaster, I am a sysadmin.
I don't even like most GUI admin tools because they don't follow the syntax rules for files and end up stripping out or relocating comments. They usually don't have the flexibility of "command line" interfaces which is what a config file really is all about, it is a batch of preformated command arguments.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T USE XML for fomatting config files. Leave them in plain text so I can access them from my PALM PILOT MODEM when I get paged at the beach. Or I can access them from the UNGODLY poor MS Win/NT Telnet client if I have to use someone else's machine to connect to them.
Linuxconfig is a great tool for all those people who don't need very fine control over their config files. It offers basic control of all config's and is centrally located. It also gives those of us who don't want a config GUI the option of not installing it and using the plain text we want.
For the last 3 years I have been working in Large (40,000 sq.ft.) data centers, doing hardware research and integration/architecture for large high-availability service platforms of various types.
First, get a quote from Hitachi Data Systems for their 7700e open systems platform. You will be amazed at it's price, redundancy, and scalability. It supports up to 16GB of cache, and scales to 6.5 TB. I saw a quote for one of these that included support and the management software for about $250K (Not including much disk). It has a large initial footprint, but scales by adding disk cabinets, so it isn't THAT big for the top end of scaling.
Second, NT and Linux are both bad ideas for this kind of large file, massive network connectivity environment. (I love Linux, but 31bits of addressing is very limiting on large servers.)
NT is bad because:
1. It doesn't scale well above 2 CPU's 2. It is HORRIBLY UNPREDICTABLY UNRELIABLE!!! 3. It is very hard to remotely manage, so every time you have a problem you might have to run to the data center to even do troubleshooting, then you find that you need that diskette in your office..., then you need to make a phone call, but the data center phone is 20ft away from the console (I HATE NT IF FOR THIS REASON ONLY!).
If you find that your hands are bound with using NT, then look for alternative FileSystems. Veritas might be a good place to start looking. I don't know if they have NT FS, but one of their account executives could point you to someone who does.
You could use HP/SGI/SUN/DG. I know that HP is expensive, but it's management tools are nicer than SUN's. SUN has nice/easy hardware, but if you don't have in depth UNIX SA experience, you will have problems making the box admin friendly. I haven't worked with SGI and DG enough to comment, but I know that they would meet the requirements.
Lastly, you might be much better off looking into the client server communication protocols involved and seeing if it might be possible to use many hosts behind a CISCO Director or a BIG-IP box, (load balancing, redundancy through the IP layer).
Slashdot Mirror
They are not the same under the "glossy add brochure". In the same way that an RC cola or a PEPSI or a COKE or a TAB are all just soda pops.
First figure out what your SLA's (service leval agreements) are and how much you are willing to pay to meet those agreements. In other words if your site was down for 10 minutes how much would that cost you? What about an hour? What about 2 days?
Then you can decide whether you need full fault tolerance, and robust systems, or whether you can tolerate a system that is only up 95% of the time (18 days down a year).
Once you know what level of robustness and fault tolerance you require: Do an equipment list and remember to include things like remote access modems, toolboxes, spare parts, remote manageable power switches and terminal servers or "lights out" console devices for NiceTry NT OS systems, and terminal servers for your UNIX boxes. Think about how many network ports you are going to need and whether you need redundant networks or not. Do you need to have redundant power supplies or clusters on your systems? How many power cords and serial cables? How many SCSI/FiberChannel cords? How many ethernet ports?
Now that you have an equipment list, use visio or net-vis to figure out how you are going to rack mount all this equipment so that it breathes(cooling) and is serviceable, find out if the equipment can be mounted on rails or if it requires cabinets. Get the precise physical dimensions and use them. Find out whether the equipment is front to back or side to side ventilated.
Now that you have your virtual racks (diagrams).
Figure out how to situate them on a virtual floor so that you can access all the hot swappable parts. A general rule of thumb is 22" of clearance for any service access because there are really FAT service engineers who will need to get behind that cabinet.
Get a watt meter and plug in your equipment and measure the boot up watt usage. Double that to create a safety margin and then make sure to figure out how many power circuits you need. Don't blow fuses in a data center, they really really don't like that!
OKAY, now remember that if you have a system with two power supplies you want to plug it into different circuits on different breaker panels on different PDU's that are backed by different battery rooms with different Generator's that have power from two different power companies.
If your Data center engineers cannot explain this to you and you need it, then go somewhere else.
Make sure when you get power outlets installed in your cabinet or your cage that they come from diverse sources. Ask the electrician to explain the nomenclature for their circuit numbering schema so that you can verify the diversity of the systems.
Find out what the max power the co-lo will give you per floor space or cabinet unit. With computers as small as they are you can use more power in a rack then most co-lo providers will give you. Make sure that you can live with those limitations and get them in writing. You may find that you can fit all your equipment into 2 cabinets, but that to get the power you need you need 4 cabinets, is it worth the price?
Networking, personally I like the DIY approach.
Do your own firewalls and just get your own subnet. Try to get a full class C so you can do your own DNS as well.
If you only have a handfull of machines then you may like a company like Exodus that will do it for you, but remember that you may suffer from their mistakes. I have had 3 outages in the last year because of Exodus! Thank god the outages were very short!
Otherwise you may like a company like Equinix, they give you space, power and security, but you have to get your own ISP's. Then you need to get an ASN and a real subnet and do BGP with the big boys.
How much physical security do you need? Some of your customers may not be worried about it, others will want armed gaurds and biometric scanners. Do you need accountability with retinal scanners at every door and hand scanners on the locks?
Remember that you need to remote manage your systems, plan for it, the data center may be busy with someone elses emergency when your system needs someone to press "F2" to continue on the console boot up screen. Look into APEX Emerge 200 0 PCI cards, and APEX or CYBEX KVM switches.
Remember to keep a copy of manuals on site,
and contact phone numbers, remote access modems, spare parts, miscellaneous tools and equipment, and keep a chair and a laptop in your co-lo facility. When you are waiting for 3 hours for a call back from tech-support you will thank me.
Once you have in writing and the t's crossed and the i's dotted for all of the requirements:
SPACE, POWER/AirCond, SECURITY
Then compare the prices of your different options.
You will find that they are different for your particular situation, then they are for your friends in different industries.
It depends on your needs and your budget which of the co-lo providers you will go with.
Those screenshots would be much better as .gif's .jpg. In case anyone doesn't know, GIF compression works well for things like cartoons, graphs, and computer generated images, while JPEG compression works well for real color pictures with no hard lines, like photographs and scanned images.
instead of
-Ben.
Hear Linus Torvald's say it himself.
From a UNIX system admin of 5 years with dozens of various platforms under administration: BAD IDEA, BAD IDEA, BAD IDEA!!!! I have to explain to all of my managers why NT is impossible to remotely manage because there is no way to connect to the console of the machine remotely if there is a network problem or the system becomes unstable.
OK OK, there are third party product that allow "telnet" access to NT, and most UNIX's come with a Remote Service Processor, and even Linux can be configured with a modem and you can set that modem to be the CONSOLE with later kernel's.
Now, explain to me how I can change configuration files while accessing these machines over a terminal? I can't use the GUI over a console connection, and launching GUI's via modem's sucks.
How can I know ahead of time that the machine I will be using for remote access will even have X windows???
Most of the machines I maintain don't even have a monitor on them, nor a keyboard, and I don't have X installed on them at all.
I don't want to have to enter TAGS around all my text and remember XML rules. I am not a webmaster, I am a sysadmin.
I don't even like most GUI admin tools because they don't follow the syntax rules for files and end up stripping out or relocating comments. They usually don't have the flexibility of "command line" interfaces which is what a config file really is all about, it is a batch of preformated command arguments.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T USE XML for fomatting config files. Leave them in plain text so I can access them from my PALM PILOT MODEM when I get paged at the beach. Or I can access them from the UNGODLY poor MS Win/NT Telnet client if I have to use someone else's machine to connect to them.
Linuxconfig is a great tool for all those people
who don't need very fine control over their config files. It offers basic control of all config's and is centrally located. It also gives those of us who don't want a config GUI the option of not installing it and using the plain text we want.
A very concerned Linux and UNIX advocate.
-Ben.
First, get a quote from Hitachi Data Systems for their 7700e open systems platform. You will be amazed at it's price, redundancy, and scalability. It supports up to 16GB of cache, and scales to 6.5 TB. I saw a quote for one of these that included support and the management software for about $250K (Not including much disk). It has a large initial footprint, but scales by adding disk cabinets, so it isn't THAT big for the top end of scaling.
Second, NT and Linux are both bad ideas for this kind of large file, massive network connectivity environment. (I love Linux, but 31bits of addressing is very limiting on large servers.)
NT is bad because:
If you find that your hands are bound with using NT, then look for alternative FileSystems. Veritas might be a good place to start looking. I don't know if they have NT FS, but one of their account executives could point you to someone who does.
You could use HP/SGI/SUN/DG. I know that HP is expensive, but it's management tools are nicer than SUN's. SUN has nice/easy hardware, but if you don't have in depth UNIX SA experience, you will have problems making the box admin friendly. I haven't worked with SGI and DG enough to comment, but I know that they would meet the requirements.
Lastly, you might be much better off looking into the client server communication protocols involved and seeing if it might be possible to use many hosts behind a CISCO Director or a BIG-IP box, (load balancing, redundancy through the IP layer).