20010619: [Fwd: Re: [Fwd: 20010619: NEXRAD server (cont.)]]

>From: Russ <address@hidden>
>Organization: SSEC
>Keywords:  200106191811.f5JIB0110437 McIDAS-X NEXRAD server

Russ and Jerry,

re: how long it takes to get a listing of NEXRAD station IDs back from
noaaport.ssec

So, I logged onto noaaport and see that it is typically running a load
average over 2 and I/O waits varying from 14% to 70% (the I/O wait is
highly variable, but the load average was pretty consistent while I was
on).  It looks like the majority of time nexradir is sleeping while
waiting for the CPU.  Given this, several questions arise:

o what kind of machine is this (I see that it is a Solaris x86 box that
  is running an _old_ version of the OS (5.5.1!) (i.e., what is the
  CPU speed and how many CPUs does it have)

o how much RAM does it have

o what kind of disk is it using (e.g., IDE, SCSI, Ultra SCSI 160, etc.)

I should note that the load aveage on motherlode.ucar.edu, a Sun
Enterprise 420 machine (4 x 420 Mhz processor SPARC), is typically over
3, but, then again, it has 4 CPUs.  Also, motherlode has 1 GB of RAM
per processor.

Another comparison I can make quickly is with a dual 550 Hhz PIII
machine we have here in our office (adde.unidata.ucar.edu).  It has 768
MB of RAM and Ultra SCSI disks.  It is running the LDM and getting all
of the products in NOAAPORT channels 1, 2, 3, and 4.  This includes all
of the GINI imagery and all of the NEXRAD imagery.  It is running all
GEMPAK and McIDAS-XCD decoders; acting as an NFS server (for GEMPAK
access to data); and acting as an ADDE server.  A cold run (i.e., no
ADDE stuff was cached) of 'IMGLIST RTNEXRAD/N0R ID=LIST' on this
machine took about 5 seconds (a little less perhaps).  A second run of
the same command after waiting for 30 seconds took less than 2
seconds.  It would seem, therefore, that noaaport.ssec is kinda
struggling.

I would suggest that _if_ noaaport is short on RAM (like it only has
128 MB or so), it would be a very good thing to upgrade it.  I just got
an E-advertisement from Egghead Software that shows that RAM is now
very cheap:

Kingston 256MB Memory Modules
Buy 3 get one FREE!
256MB PC133 SDRAM
$51.99
http://promo2.eggheadlist.com/r.asp?r=231&s=KT0621

$15 Mail-in Rebate!
512MB PC133 SDRAM
$149.99 - after rebate
http://promo2.eggheadlist.com/r.asp?r=232&s=KT0621

$15 Mail-in Rebate!
128MB CompactFlash Storage Card
$99.99 - after rebate
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$10 Mail-in Rebate!
64MB PC100 SDRAM
$9.99 - after rebate
http://promo2.eggheadlist.com/r.asp?r=234&s=KT0621

$10 Mail-in Rebate!
128MB PC133 SDRAM
$24.99 - after rebate
http://promo2.eggheadlist.com/r.asp?r=235&s=KT0621

Notice the prices!  $25 for 128 MB, $52 for 256 MB (and buy 3 and get the
fourth free!), and $149 for 512 MB of RAM!!

Also, what's up with the archaic version of Solaris on this box?

Tom