Gigabit backbones can be a bit of a mixed blessing. While you will enjoy
greater network throughput, as the load increases on the server, the
server's CPU utilization rises significantly in order to process the IP
stack. It is not unusual at all to have your network bandwidth effectively
limited by the server CPU. To test your deployment, you can use the
following free TOE (TCP/IP Offload Engine) analyzer:
http://www.alacritech.com/html/toeanalyzer_main.html
Take a look at NIC's with onboard TOE capability to free up the CPU cycles
for things like thirsty Progress processes.
Michael
-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Caughey [mailto:caugheyt@...]
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 2:04 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] OT-GHz backbone
I am in this process now. Not withstanding some probable firmware issues
this is what I've done and run into:
All workstations here run at 100Mb - I had a 48 port 3COM 10/100 switch and
several 10/100 BayNetworks switches. The three servers also with 100Mb
NICs. I recently purchased a 3COM 3824 switch with 24 10/100/1000 ports
intending to up the server NICs to 1000Mb (Intel Pro1000T NICs) and the tail
all the switches off the "backbone" switch to allow better resource sharing.
The servers could talk at 1000 and the 3824 switch would divvy up the
traffic to the 100Mb users via the 100Mb switches.
Still working on it though. The 48 Port 3Com has a 1000Mb uplink port that
works fine to the new switch but the BayNet switches won't talk at all to
the new one. 3Com says load new firmware. Also, the servers won't talk to
the new switch unless I throttle the port speed to 100Mb. Again they say
get new firmware loaded. So for now a few users connect to the new switch
and everything else is still on the older (slower) 3Com switch. I do
however really like the mangability features on the 3824 and am convinced
all future switches will be managed. Oh, and the 3824 has several fiber
ready ports (needs some sort of adapter) although we don't do fiber at the
moment.
So as soon as I get the couple issues resolved, hopefully with the firmware
download, this will be our gigabit backbone.
-Todd C.
-----Original Message-----
From: amfabllc [mailto:amfab@...]
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 2:59 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] OT-GHz backbone
Hello all! I have some decisions to make and am looking for some input from
some creative minds. (I know I have come to the right
place!!) One of our old hubs finally died and I need to make sure the
replacement will take care of future needs. We have a loaner hub, so we are
good for the moment. Current scenario: In 'Area1'
(the main network closet) are NT and Novell (and Linux for Mail) file
servers, all currently have 100MHz NICs. Electronics in this area consist
of 1-10/100 3COM smartswitch and 1-10/100 3COM hub. Fiber cabling connects
'Area1' to 'Area2' with a seperate fiber connection between 'Area1' to
'Area3'. Area2 is the shop area where there is a 10/100 MHz hub. Area3 is
our sister company, the fiber goes underground through conduit and connects
to a 10/100 hub in another building. The Area3 hub is the one that just
died. I have been suggesting in the past that we update to at least a GHz
backbone, and now it is time to decide if it is the wise thing to do one
piece at a time. I have been told that the hubs and switches in Area1 and
Area2 can be replaced with GHz switches also, just not right away. I know
that there are at least 3 types of cabling throughout the buildings from the
patch panel to the wall jack. There is shielded Cat 5, Unshielded Cat 5,
and there is some unshielded Cat 5e (and the fiber between hubs/switches as
mentioned previously). As I understand it, you have to have fiber or Cat 5e
or a few others to take full advantage of GHz (and, of course, GHz NICs),
but I don't believer STP or UTP 5 is supported. I also know that most of
the wall jacks may need to be changed to support GHz. This is all fine -
the backbone is a great start. What I am not sure about is with the older
STP and UTP Cat 5 cable, will it run the GHz OK? I realize I may not get
full 1000MHz from the switch to the workstation, but will it at least run at
100MHz. Is it OK to mix some 10/100 MHz switches with 10/100/100 switches,
especially knowing the cabling mix? I do not plan to replace all of the
cabling, possibly only for a few power users. I hope I am explaining this
well. All input is greatly appreciated, on or off list! Thank you! Ann,
AMFAB, 574-264-2190, amfab@...
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=259395.3614674.4902533.1261774/D=egroupweb/S=17050071
83:HM/A=1524963/R=0/SIG=12o885gmo/*http://hits.411web.com/cgi-bin/autoredir?
camp=556&lineid=3614674&prop=egroupweb&pos=HM>
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l/S=:HM/A=1524963/rand=728721359>
Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
greater network throughput, as the load increases on the server, the
server's CPU utilization rises significantly in order to process the IP
stack. It is not unusual at all to have your network bandwidth effectively
limited by the server CPU. To test your deployment, you can use the
following free TOE (TCP/IP Offload Engine) analyzer:
http://www.alacritech.com/html/toeanalyzer_main.html
Take a look at NIC's with onboard TOE capability to free up the CPU cycles
for things like thirsty Progress processes.
Michael
-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Caughey [mailto:caugheyt@...]
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 2:04 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] OT-GHz backbone
I am in this process now. Not withstanding some probable firmware issues
this is what I've done and run into:
All workstations here run at 100Mb - I had a 48 port 3COM 10/100 switch and
several 10/100 BayNetworks switches. The three servers also with 100Mb
NICs. I recently purchased a 3COM 3824 switch with 24 10/100/1000 ports
intending to up the server NICs to 1000Mb (Intel Pro1000T NICs) and the tail
all the switches off the "backbone" switch to allow better resource sharing.
The servers could talk at 1000 and the 3824 switch would divvy up the
traffic to the 100Mb users via the 100Mb switches.
Still working on it though. The 48 Port 3Com has a 1000Mb uplink port that
works fine to the new switch but the BayNet switches won't talk at all to
the new one. 3Com says load new firmware. Also, the servers won't talk to
the new switch unless I throttle the port speed to 100Mb. Again they say
get new firmware loaded. So for now a few users connect to the new switch
and everything else is still on the older (slower) 3Com switch. I do
however really like the mangability features on the 3824 and am convinced
all future switches will be managed. Oh, and the 3824 has several fiber
ready ports (needs some sort of adapter) although we don't do fiber at the
moment.
So as soon as I get the couple issues resolved, hopefully with the firmware
download, this will be our gigabit backbone.
-Todd C.
-----Original Message-----
From: amfabllc [mailto:amfab@...]
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 2:59 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] OT-GHz backbone
Hello all! I have some decisions to make and am looking for some input from
some creative minds. (I know I have come to the right
place!!) One of our old hubs finally died and I need to make sure the
replacement will take care of future needs. We have a loaner hub, so we are
good for the moment. Current scenario: In 'Area1'
(the main network closet) are NT and Novell (and Linux for Mail) file
servers, all currently have 100MHz NICs. Electronics in this area consist
of 1-10/100 3COM smartswitch and 1-10/100 3COM hub. Fiber cabling connects
'Area1' to 'Area2' with a seperate fiber connection between 'Area1' to
'Area3'. Area2 is the shop area where there is a 10/100 MHz hub. Area3 is
our sister company, the fiber goes underground through conduit and connects
to a 10/100 hub in another building. The Area3 hub is the one that just
died. I have been suggesting in the past that we update to at least a GHz
backbone, and now it is time to decide if it is the wise thing to do one
piece at a time. I have been told that the hubs and switches in Area1 and
Area2 can be replaced with GHz switches also, just not right away. I know
that there are at least 3 types of cabling throughout the buildings from the
patch panel to the wall jack. There is shielded Cat 5, Unshielded Cat 5,
and there is some unshielded Cat 5e (and the fiber between hubs/switches as
mentioned previously). As I understand it, you have to have fiber or Cat 5e
or a few others to take full advantage of GHz (and, of course, GHz NICs),
but I don't believer STP or UTP 5 is supported. I also know that most of
the wall jacks may need to be changed to support GHz. This is all fine -
the backbone is a great start. What I am not sure about is with the older
STP and UTP Cat 5 cable, will it run the GHz OK? I realize I may not get
full 1000MHz from the switch to the workstation, but will it at least run at
100MHz. Is it OK to mix some 10/100 MHz switches with 10/100/100 switches,
especially knowing the cabling mix? I do not plan to replace all of the
cabling, possibly only for a few power users. I hope I am explaining this
well. All input is greatly appreciated, on or off list! Thank you! Ann,
AMFAB, 574-264-2190, amfab@...
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=259395.3614674.4902533.1261774/D=egroupweb/S=17050071
83:HM/A=1524963/R=0/SIG=12o885gmo/*http://hits.411web.com/cgi-bin/autoredir?
camp=556&lineid=3614674&prop=egroupweb&pos=HM>
<http://us.adserver.yahoo.com/l?M=259395.3614674.4902533.1261774/D=egroupmai
l/S=:HM/A=1524963/rand=728721359>
Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/