Advice on Splitting Functions Across Server Hardware

Hey everybody, I am currently running Orion NPM with NTA and another SQL application all on the same Dell server. Over the years we have, of course, added a bunch more nodes along with the NTA module and look for more detail in our polling (more time granularity) and this server has been slowing down for a while (I can wait 45+ seconds sometimes just to get the login screen of the web console). I now have approval for some cash to buy a new server on the path to upgrading. It makes sense to me at this point, and after much reading about the experience of others with much larger networks, to split the functions of this system across the 2 machines (ie. SQL, poller, web server). I'm just not sure what to move where.

We monitor approx. 500 nodes with 9.1 SP4, and only about 50 interfaces with NTA. Current server is a Dell PE860 - Xeon 370 (dual core, 2.66 GHz), 8 GB RAM. The new server on order is a PE2950III - dual Xeon E5410 (quad core, 2.33 GHz), 32 GB RAM.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

EDIT to add: both servers will be running Windows Server 2003 Enterprise, currently running MS SQL 2005 Standard.

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Yann

Hi,

What is the main bottleneck on the current server? (CPU, Disks, RAM)

I would move the Database on the new server and configure SQL Server to use a good amount of the 32GB of RAM.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms178067.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190673.aspx

Ensure you use RAID1+0 disks arrays to handle NTA Load. (e.g. 1 array for the transaction log file (.ldf) and one or more for the data files (.mdf and .ndf) if possible and keep the OS on another array (e.g. RAID 5).

8GB is usually sufficient for Orion NPM + NTA.

acherman

It looks like a combination of CPU and RAM - the hardware can only handle a max of 8 GB RAM. I don't think disk access times are an issue.

When you mention RAID to handle the NAT load, would that be on the poller/web server, or the SQL server?

Thanks.

Yann

When you mention RAID to handle the NAT load, would that be on the poller/web server, or the SQL server?

SQL Server.

It looks like a combination of CPU and RAM - the hardware can only handle a max of 8 GB RAM.

I wondered if the CPU were sufficient on the current server when I asked this question. As said 8 GB is sufficient for NPM+NTA .

CPUs probably fall below the system requirements depending of how many network elements you are monitoring.

If possible, I would swop few gigs of RAM from the new server for upgrading CPU on the current server. Again not sure if this is possible as per the server datasheet. 16GB or so on the new server would be sufficient per example for the DB.

I now understand why you asked , tough decision.

Thanks,

Yann

acherman

Yah, single socket board. I think I can go from the Xeon 3070 (dual core, 2.66 GHz, 4 MB cache) to the Xeon X3210 (quad core, 2.13 GHz, 2x4 MB cache), but I'm not sure it would help much (low cost from Dell, might be worht trying).

Thanks again, Yann.