[Beowulf] Network Filesystems performance

[Chris Samuel]

On Fri, 24 Aug 2007, Michael Will wrote:

> I tested several NFS server configurations with a 19 node cluster.

Same, but with 150+ nodes and about 500+ CPUs.

> The first advise is to stay away from redhat for file servers since
> they have some bursty I/O bugs and don't support XFS.

Amen.

We've run through Fedora (OK, but release cycle too quick), Ubuntu 
(Dapper has longer support, but a bit flakey) and now run Debian Etch 
(very happy).

Fedora & Ubuntu were on a pair of IBM e325 with 2x2.0GHz Opterons and 
gigabit ethernet connected through to each side of an Apple XServe 
RAID array.

Debian is running on an IBM x3550 with a pair of 3GHz woodcrests and a 
couple of bonded gigabit ethernets connected through via SAS to some 
external SATA EXP3000 arrays.  We decided to use the hardware RAID to 
make smaller individual RAID5 arrays and then stripe across them 
using the Linux MD driver.  Seems to work rather nicely!

cheers,
Chris
-- 
Christopher Samuel - (03) 9925 4751 - Systems Manager
 The Victorian Partnership for Advanced Computing
 P.O. Box 201, Carlton South, VIC 3053, Australia
VPAC is a not-for-profit Registered Research Agency
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