Calculating a "optimum" server configuration.... Help pls?
Been browsing the site for weeks in preparation for our launch, and this is my first post. Hope ya can help out with a fairly detailed question:
My question is about configuring a perfect webserver, and determining a load quota for the same.
My goal here is to create a single configuration that can be cloned whenever we need to expand our capacity, and maintaining a good cost to quality ratio for our customers. With that in mind, here is the configuration I have had quoted: (note: this is the web server only the name servers, database servers and domain controller have already been built)
Case: SuperMicro 2U Black w/ duel 650W redundant Hot Swap PSs
MB: SuperMicro 6023P8-B
CPUs: 2x 2.8Ghz Xeon w/ 800Mhz FSB & 1MB Cache
RAM: 4GB DDR 266 (PC-2100) ECC
Vid: Onboard ATI Rage 8MB
NIC: Integrated duel gigabit
RAID: FastTrack Pro 4 Port S150 w/ 128MB DDR
HDs: 6x 250GB SATA 7200RPM w/ 8MB Cache (2x RAID-5 Arrays for client data)
HDs: Onboard SCSI 2x 36GB RAID 1 for OS/System
Now, the above configuration costs ~3800.00. My questions are:
1. Is this a good configuration for a webserver?
2. Is there a good algorithm to determine a average number of clients per server (assume number is not limited by Hard Drive space, and most sites are average traffic nothing super heavy)
3. Assuming multiple packages and package levels (such as 3x Personal Packages, 3 Business, 3 E-Commerce) In the opinion of the experts here, would you spread the high end sites throughout your servers, or would you rather confine the high end sites to a single server or configuration? Also, would it be better to have a different (cheaper?) configuration for the higher end sites and just put fewer of them per server? (For instance, the cost of the above server could be halved by 1/4ing the HD and RAM sizes)
Would appreciate any responses .
Thanks!
Dave Borneman
