From owner-freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Mar 27 11:46:31 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6100116A400 for ; Mon, 27 Mar 2006 11:46:31 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from xfb52@dial.pipex.com) Received: from asmtp-out4.blueyonder.co.uk (asmtp-out4.blueyonder.co.uk [195.188.213.63]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 050FE43D48 for ; Mon, 27 Mar 2006 11:46:30 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from xfb52@dial.pipex.com) Received: from [62.31.10.160] (helo=[192.168.0.2]) by asmtp-out4.blueyonder.co.uk with esmtp (Exim 4.52) id 1FNqB2-0000W3-Ul; Mon, 27 Mar 2006 12:46:28 +0100 Message-ID: <4427D095.2070405@dial.pipex.com> Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 12:46:29 +0100 From: Alex Zbyslaw User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; FreeBSD i386; en-GB; rv:1.7.12) Gecko/20060305 X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Sten_Daniel_S=F8rsdal?= References: <4427CA87.6020904@wm-access.no> In-Reply-To: <4427CA87.6020904@wm-access.no> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Cc: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Dell 2850, i386 or ia64? 5.x or 6.x? X-BeenThere: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion of FreeBSD hardware List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 11:46:31 -0000 Sten Daniel S=F8rsdal wrote: > I am looking to buy a Dell 2850 for a database/webserver=20 > (apache/postgresql) application. > What are peoples experiences with this server and which FreeBSD=20 > version do you recommend? Is Ia64 possible? Can anyone recommend it? > Our 2850s work with 5.4. Haven't had a chance to try 6.X yet, but for a = fresh install, that's what I'd go for - I know other people run it. =20 Right now I'd stick on the latest BETA and update to 6.1 when it came=20 out (and track the security branch thereafter). We have the PERC4e/Di SCSI RAID controller (which is actually an LSI=20 megaraid). The megarc port is a CLI to the RAID - somewhat cryptic but=20 it does do monitoring. That's the kind of thing I would expect *might*=20 have problems if you go 64-bit. No experience with it, however. So far the servers are stable, noisy (won't matter in a machine room,=20 but hell in an office :-)), and if you have to remote manage, get a DRAC4= =2E $0.02, --Alex PS Like most Dell servers, I think, they come with Dell diagnostics on=20 the first slice, which I would recommend not trashing, just in case. =20 Also handy to know that the diags think the machine is OK. PPS There should be more 2850 specific info on the mailing list archives