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#1 2005-03-15 1:03 pm

Gipetto
Yankee Doodle's noodle
Royal Wombat
From: People! Ahg!!
Registered: 2000-09-24
Posts: 9941
Website

Minimum Server Requirements

OK, I need some advice on system requirements.
Here's what I need to run:

Apache2
php5 w/ all the goodies like GD & PDFlib
mySQL
Python (maybe)

The computer will need to act as:
Test webserver
project management server (through dotproject - web interface)
cvs server (maybe with web browseable structure via python)
light file server
support 4 concurrent users, 1 local, 3 remote
backup server for 2 local PowerBooks (to a dedicated FW drive - not mingled with the other data)

I have 2 systems to choose from:
iBook G4 800 with 256mb of Ram
Dual G4 1ghz with 1.75GB of Ram

Though the decision may seem obvious, go with the tower, I would like to be able to sell the tower as it is still worth a good stack of cash. Could I run well enough on the iBook and not kill my users? I currently get good speeds on a G3 ibook running a site with light graphics but any kind of image transformation takes a few seconds and phpMyAdmin runs a bit pokey on it which leads me to believe that it would not survive the above configuration without the users wanting to split their heads open.

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#2 2005-03-15 1:12 pm

zakatak
Member
From: Kalamazoo
Registered: 2004-08-05
Posts: 565

Re: Minimum Server Requirements

the RAM on the iBook will kill it... and you might want to see what the ibook will go for, cause they retain their value pretty well too...

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#3 2005-03-15 1:35 pm

BadMrMojo
Member
Registered: 2002-04-03
Posts: 171

Re: Minimum Server Requirements

For only four users? I'd be tempted to go with the iBook too. The big things would be the RAM (as noted) and also the HD speed. Does it still have a stock 4200 RPM drive? That might it too hurt. Of course, supposedly the pdflib hurts no matter what - I've never actually tried it, so I can't be certain on that, naturally.

If you're going to sell the tower, I'd strongly advise using a little bit of that to upgrade the iBook. I'm not positive how that configuration will work out but it looks good on paper... er... screen... er... whatever.

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#4 2005-03-15 1:49 pm

zakatak
Member
From: Kalamazoo
Registered: 2004-08-05
Posts: 565

Re: Minimum Server Requirements

you could always buy even 256mbs more for the ibook... I hadn't seen the four users thing... How long do you want it to last? Is it for a specific project that is slated to last a limited time?

I think the RAM will be the biggest hindrance...

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#5 2005-03-15 2:14 pm

Gipetto
Yankee Doodle's noodle
Royal Wombat
From: People! Ahg!!
Registered: 2000-09-24
Posts: 9941
Website

Re: Minimum Server Requirements

I can easily purchase a 512 stick for the iBook - it has two 128s in it now. And it would need to survive about a year or two, maybe a bit longer. I'll probably run OSX Server (I was previously debating but just found what I want via Fink).

It does have the stock 4200rpm drive, but I also don't want to dive that deep into the hardware to make a switchout. I have an FW400 drive that I could dedicate to data so the system and the data are not running on the same drive - should help a bit with data throughput.

Last edited by Gipetto (2005-03-15 2:21 pm)

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#6 2005-03-15 4:25 pm

tpark
The Legend
From: Earth
Registered: 2004-10-05
Posts: 171
Website

Re: Minimum Server Requirements

800Mhz is fine enough. 256 is reasonable for a apache server as long as there aren't too many requests per second. It's mail server that takes up a lot of memory.

T


nominoc - nominoc.com

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#7 2005-03-15 5:21 pm

Scott
Zombie Gorilla
From: Oregon
Registered: 2002-12-07
Posts: 3446
Website

Re: Minimum Server Requirements

yea 256 will be fine for the needs you listed.  Sure more is better, but it shouldn't be a bottleneck.  (unless you are also using the machine as a workstation.)


http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/images/logo_kit/468x60-Blue.gif

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#8 2005-03-15 7:41 pm

Gipetto
Yankee Doodle's noodle
Royal Wombat
From: People! Ahg!!
Registered: 2000-09-24
Posts: 9941
Website

Re: Minimum Server Requirements

Well, my lucky day - I'm keeping the tower. I thought it might be a bit of a fight with the wife but she scoffed at the thought of using the iBook to do the job when a powerful tower is right there.

Yay!

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#9 2005-03-15 8:30 pm

zakatak
Member
From: Kalamazoo
Registered: 2004-08-05
Posts: 565

Re: Minimum Server Requirements

Sweet... so you keeping both machines? or do you have to get rid of the ibook?

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#10 2005-03-15 10:39 pm

Gipetto
Yankee Doodle's noodle
Royal Wombat
From: People! Ahg!!
Registered: 2000-09-24
Posts: 9941
Website

Re: Minimum Server Requirements

Selling the iBook

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