[CentOS] how can I stress a server?

Guy Boisvert boisvert.guy at videotron.ca
Wed Nov 19 21:12:49 UTC 2008


Rudi Ahlers wrote:
> 
> John, just cause the machines we use to serve web content to our
> clients doesn't use the grade of equipment you prefer to use, and can
> afford, doesn't mean equipment that other people use is inferior, or
> worthless.
> 
> I have a problem with one of my machines, and have narrowed down that
> it could either be the CPU, RAM or motherboard, but before I take it
> back to the suppliers, I need to know what is wrong. They will switch
> it on, and see that it works. But it's not taking the load that I
> expect it could. In fact, it's not taking the same load as a machine
> with a Intel E6750 Core 2 Duo & 4GB RAM. This server should be 2 - 4
> times faster & handle 2 - 4 times the load of the E6750, yet it
> doesn't and I need to know why. I don't appreciate being told that the
> hardware I have if inferior.
> 
> 


Hi Rudy,

	John is a veteran on this list and you could probably learn many things 
from him.  I suggest you read:

http://www.mit.edu/~jcb/tact.html

(that could maybe explain why you seemed irritated by John!)

	By the way, server grade hardware is just that: Meant to serv and 
include specific features for that particular kind of job.  That doesn't 
mean that a workstation board won't be able to do a server job at all. 
Having said that, i manage servers since a long time and i can assure 
you that using serious server hardware with ECC translates in lower 
costs in the long run.

	Sure you can still have problems with server grade hardware!  But then, 
we could try to obtain statistics and MTBF to get a better idea.

	But i find ECC error indicator to be invaluable and there a many other 
features that will help to pinpoint problems rapidly.

	So Rudy, i can understand that you may have hardware problems and 
probably pressure to solve them but IMHO, it's just a classic example of 
TCO.  And i read that you had problems with Dell servers, then try 
something else!  It's OT but can say that i have many Tyan and HP 
servers in production and no problem at all.

Hope you'll solve your problem.

Regards,

Guy Boisvert, ing.
IngTegration inc.



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