AmigaOne based WebServers

[Casper]

I wouldn't recomend using a Pegasos or an AmigaONE as a web server if you plan to host anything more serious than a small web site. I wouldn't recomend using a desktop PC as a web server either. If you plan to use a dynamic site with a database behind it, then forget about it. They're just not up to the job. I have personal experience with how badly a desktop PC performs as a webserver, and I'm guessing the Pegasos and the A1 won't fare any better in this regard.

A decent web server should be able to support dual hot-swappable PSUs, hot-swappable PCI and hot-swappable HDs.  That way you don't have to stop your server to replace parts that break.
It should also have SCSI RAID  to be able to sustain the data transfer required, especially if you have a database. RAID is needed to use disk mirroring on two (or more) drives so that if one hard drive fails, the server will still be running.

Both the Pegasos and the A1 lack these features.

I don't know about the AtriciaS, but in standard desktop PCs the chipsets just can't handle the amount of data transfers that a decent server chipset do. I've seen a dual 600Mhz PIII server kick a 2.0GHz PIV desktop PC's behind in terms of speed when they were both used a webservers.

[DaveP]

I agree with most of what you say but this:

" If you plan to use a dynamic site with a database behind it, then forget about it. They're just not up to the job."

Au contraire, they are quite up to the job. The issue then is less data transfer ( esp with databases that don't always go to persistent storage to retrieve results  :-D ) and more CPU power.

The issue is less maintenance ( backup sites can always be brought online and switched over to take the other offline ) or uninterruptable power supplies. The issue is  cost vs value.

If the value you want is low volumes ( >1 million complex dynamic page hits per day ) and you aren't doing business critical applications ( such as a banking site or shopping site where a missed transaction equates to money ) then an ATX based board is quite adequate to the task.

Data mirroring can happen without costly RAID by using an ethernet connection and an exit to drive a mirror transaction against a remote version of the database. Maybe one, two hours of programming!

These days a hell of a lot of overkill is ordered by greedy web hosting techies that don't think hard enough about fitness for purpose and try to scare money out of procurement managers ;-)

Frankly I would rather pick up a second hand netfinity for 500 quid but...

I don't know what Wayne uses but it is a good example of a popular site which could easily be hosted on an ATX.

Something like www.tesco.com should be hosted on special hardware with data and processor redundancy built into the design. But then if you are going to do that use something that has ACID properties to run it on ( like WebSphere, MQSeries and DB2 ).

[zacman]

>It had been compiling stuff for hours on friday.
>Mostly the kernel, and one of our linux games, but
>over and over.

Ok, so you have not tested the board/Articia chipset
but you're just using it daily. Thanks for clarification.

[Ami603]

@Zacman:

Really do you think that is needed to test one revision of a chipset another year?
If this revision has (supposedly) removed a previous bug,you only need to try reproduce it
as in previous versions,then if you cannot reproduce it in,let`s say,one week,this can mean that the bug has dissapeared.
Also if you mean to find possible newer bugs that appears because of the correction done to fix the first bug,this only appears after a stress testing the machine,as,in example,doing things as compiling,etc.
With your meaning of testing,let`s say that nobody can sell a single chip never,because of possible bugs that can appear in daily use.

[Rogue]

zacman wrote:

Ok, so you have not tested the board/Articia chipset
but you're just using it daily. Thanks for clarification.

No, I just use it. Testing is done at MAI labs, they have the required equipment and expertise. I never did say anything else.

However, I am putting this equipment throught daily use. I have it running with UDMA 100, on an accelerated Radeon X server at 1152x865x24bits, with no problems whatsoever, and I consider this quite a good test.

[Rogue]

bbrv wrote:
Actually, Hans-Jörg customers did get these chips,

I only had one of those boards. This was replaced with one of the fixed SE boards, and now with an XE board with the new silicon on it. It is my impression that most boards that got delivered where already fixed.

[JoannaK]

@DaveP
I knew state of those pages before posting link here, they definitely need upgrade.

About client's .. well..,Their names (or boards we make for them) are unfortunately not public info. It would be a lot easier for us if they were but it's not something I can make decision on.  And frankly, our existing clients means a lot more to me than getting your 'respect' on this board...

About mass production, we don't make them..  After design and testing is done and system reaches volumes, i's no longer much interest to us. We mainly do prototypes, basic Low-level Code like IPL's and drivers for QNX and other releated stuff. Application level is for our clients to make. .  

[DaveP]

JoannaK wrote:
@DaveP
[snip]

About client's .. well..,Their names (or boards we make for them) are unfortunately not public info. It would be a lot easier for us if they were but it's not something I can make decision on.

Don't worry I was just interested in what your target market was. In business it is useful to have testimonials which is a good way of showing people the markets perspective on how products get used.

  And frankly, our existing clients means a lot more to me than getting your 'respect' on this board...

Thats good because you wouldn't get my 'respect' over something like that, it was a side question.