Building another server...

Hi all, I guess this is the best place to ask.

I currently have a single ESX 5.5 server in my rack, the spec: -

i5-4570S
32GB RAM
Z87 ASRock Xtreme4 (So VT-d works)
HP Smart Array card has been passed through successfully, and there's 4x2TB disks in RAID-10 coming off it.

I want to add more memory to my ESX Lab, because I want to pursue CCIE SP (32GB isn't quite enough) and use it as a general lab for VMWare/Servers/etc etc.

I've got a few options: -

1. Intel NUCs. About £1000 buys two of these, and a Cisco SG300 that I want to add in as well - but this adds 4 real cores, and 32GB of more memory. The problem is I'd have to buy more NUC's in order to expand any further.

2. Another machine like I have now. Bit cheaper, but already limited to 32GB RAM so I'd have 64GB in total.

3. Socket 2011 based machine - DDR4 and up to 128GB on a single board, a bit more expense, but I can throw 128GB of RAM at a machine and 6-cores...

What have you got in your labs?

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Essendon

What will you do for an array when you have multiple physical machines? Use the first one or buy a small array?

I only have a 2-way 8-core DL380 G6 with 48GB RAM and ~2TB SAS disks, enough grunt for a home lab though there's no denying disk's been a bottleneck (noticed this the most when I was doing my VCAP-DTA). But it gets me by for most things.

As for more machines, what do you need for the SP?

kj0

Done a fair amount of research (Need to keep the wife happy) and so far, best bang for the buck is the http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G3ED7D4/ref=s9_simh_gw_p147_d14_i5?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-3&pf_rd_r=0K2END25BEG78S97EDM1&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2084660942&pf_rd_i=desktop

EPT, Quiet, up to 32gb (that model), 4x1gb Nics, etc. just need RAM (we have one at work for a different project and it's quite amazing)
Then a Synology DS-Slim with 4x 250gb Samsung Evo850 drives.
TP-Link 1gb manged switch.

gorebrush

Essendon wrote: »

What will you do for an array when you have multiple physical machines? Use the first one or buy a small array?

I only have a 2-way 8-core DL380 G6 with 48GB RAM and ~2TB SAS disks, enough grunt for a home lab though there's no denying disk's been a bottleneck (noticed this the most when I was doing my VCAP-DTA). But it gets me by for most things.

As for more machines, what do you need for the SP?

I was going to use a VM hosted in the first box as the array. The 4 disk array is just file storage. Is this sufficient?

To be honest I just need more RAM - that's the main goal, because the CSR's and XRv's will need at least 32-48GB minimum (10xCSR and 4xXRv)

Other than Cisco, I was going to use it for possible VMware lab as well.

gorebrush

kj0 wrote: »

Done a fair amount of research (Need to keep the wife happy) and so far, best bang for the buck is the Amazon.com: Supermicro 1U Rackmount Server Barebone System Components SYS-5018A-FTN4: Computers & Accessories

EPT, Quiet, up to 32gb (that model), 4x1gb Nics, etc. just need RAM (we have one at work for a different project and it's quite amazing)
Then a Synology DS-Slim with 4x 250gb Samsung Evo850 drives.
TP-Link 1gb manged switch.

One of those and 32GB RAM = £800

I think I managed to get to £1200 for a 6-core, 64GB RAM machine, but that 1U option looks sweet!

kj0

gorebrush wrote: »

One of those and 32GB RAM = £800

I think I managed to get to £1200 for a 6-core, 64GB RAM machine, but that 1U option looks sweet!

There's a few options available in that 1Ru factor. They are really, really quiet machines.
Yeah, the exchange rate is a little high at the moment - Just an option to consider though.

gorebrush

Yeah I'm just not sure which way to go. I'd really like to add 64GB in one hit, with option to go to 128GB.

I really like the E5-2620v3 CPU, 85W TDP, 6 core, Hyperthreaded, 768GB Max, Socket 2011, but I don't know, it's not cheap

However, I also like teh E5-2603v3, 6 core, no threading, 1.6GHz base, £170. Nice and cheap CPU, I dont think I need CPU cycles.

I might also just get a box with 32GB in for now and get another kit when the price has come down a bit. Decisions!

knownhero

I'm currently looking to make a server for HYPER-V so I can do my MS studies. I'm very stupid when it comes to hardware and looking to spend like £600 on a server that can handle multiple VMs.

Anyone have any suggestions?

kohr-ah

I have heard pretty great things about the Lenovo TS140 Xeon series.
Expandable to 32 Gigs of RAM and doesnt use high wattage.

Essendon

I dont know how much disk you need, but home labs run into disk bottlenecks first, RAM's a close second (varies, I know). Or get 2-3 similar hosts and use the first one as your array. Could go any way you like mate, depends on how much coin you got!

srabiee

Do you have the option of purchasing more RAM and nesting your lab setup using a single machine? The motherboard may be the limiting factor (number of RAM slots), but that can always be replaced. A lot of us went this route to save money, space, and headaches. (but then again I haven't yet run into an issue of needing more than 32GB of RAM in my lab)

ninjaturtle

Essendon wrote: »

I dont know how much disk you need, but home labs run into disk bottlenecks first, RAM's a close second (varies, I know). Or get 2-3 similar hosts and use the first one as your array. Could go any way you like mate, depends on how much coin you got!

I totally agree! I've been looking for an array in the home lab for awhile now. I run a Synology DS1512+ with 3TB drives for a total of 15TB raw. I use that as my main storage for my production network though. That thing is filling up quick too.

gorebrush

Well I have 4 x 2TB in RAID 10 - so I have 4TB of space there.

I just use SSD's to host the VM's though so shared storage over a network isn't something I've looked at too much yet. I'm more interested in CPU and RAM.

I can't expand my current machine because there is a hard limit of 32GB (And I am at that limit already).

More research needed, I know I am going to need to spend a decent amount but I don't want to spend rediculous amounts either

kj0

gorebrush wrote: »

More research needed, I know I am going to need to spend a decent amount but I don't want to spend rediculous amounts either

This is mostly my issue. Paying off a house at the moment doesn't help

If I pass myVCP (When I finally get my results back) I will put my purchase request form in to my wife to upgrade my lab for VCIX :P - Need to sell my CCNA lab first.

dave330i

kj0 wrote: »

This is mostly my issue. Paying off a house at the moment doesn't help If I pass myVCP (When I finally get my results back) I will put my purchase request form in to my wife to upgrade my lab for VCIX :P - Need to sell my CCNA lab first.

I've done my VCIX using HOL.

gorebrush

The HOL's would cover all the NV requirements for me, it was more for the Cisco labs I was after more power for but some VMWare later on would have been useful.

kj0

dave330i wrote: »

I've done my VCIX using HOL.

That was just NV though, wasn't it? What about the VCAPs? (I presume they didn't actually have HOL when you did yours though.)

dave330i

kj0 wrote: »

That was just NV though, wasn't it? What about the VCAPs? (I presume they didn't actually have HOL when you did yours though.)

I used VMware workstation with 16GB for DCA, since HOL wasn't available at the time.

Shdwmage

I ended up buying my rig off of ebay. I spent $600 on the machine and another couple hundred in hard drives. I have 72gb of ram and dual xeon processors. So it is way more than what I need, but for the cost I couldn't match it.