Re: Benefits of Linux/Alpha over Linux/x86?

[Rich Payne <rdp talisman alphalinux org>]

On Thu, 22 Jun 2000, Bryan J. Smith wrote:

> Rich Payne wrote:
> > Up front I'd say that Linux's NFS server can be a little shaky at best. As
> > an SMB server it's fine, but NFS isn't quite there yet (neither x86 nor
> > Alpha).
> 
> Yeah, I know that first hand -- especially since I have Solaris
> clients!  But SPARC hardware is expensive and I heard that
> Solaris/x86 isn't as feature filled as it's 64-bit native port.  I'm
> kinda looking at using ReiserFS, but no one knows what kinda of
> locking issues (if any) to expect running NFS on it.

ReiserFS isn't on Alpha yet. I think there are plans to do this but I
would guess at the moment it takes 2nd priority to getting ReiserFS into
the kernel.
 
> Otherwise, I'm looking at NetApp's F700-series since they current
> use Alpha, are far easier to manage and have some nice techniques to
> getting good NFS performance, filesystem efficiency and drastically
> reduced boot time.

The NetApp boxes are very nice....but they do tend to be pricey.

> 
> > Yes, AlphaLinux support >2Gig files.
> 
> If it supports >2GB files on Ext2, it probably does as well for
> ReiserFS I assume?

See above.

> Any other 64-bit benefits you guys can think of that Linux/Alpha has
> over Linux/x86?
> 
> > No idea. [RE: Mylex DAC960 support]
> 
> I just read some archives where people are using the DAC960 driver
> on Alpha.  Unfortunately I'm having trouble finding any info on
> patching MILO to support booting from DAC960 drives like you do for
> LILO on x86.  Although that may be an x86-only thing since, from
> what I've read, MILO just boots the OS on Alpha, whereas LILO is
> both the boot sector (option, you can use another boot manager) and
> the OS loader.

Sort of...but not quite. Alphas have historically had 2
firmwares. AlphaBIOS and SRM. AlphaBIOS was used for booting NT, and SRM
was used for DU (Tru64) and VMS. Now AlphaBIOS is dead seeing NT on Alpha
is no more (No, I don't beleive the rumors). MILO is only needed if you
boot from AlphaBIOS. SRM boots the kernel via a secondary boot loader
called 'aboot'. So, does SRM support the DAC960? If it doesn't you could
always attached a boot disk to the onboard SCSI, boot the kernel from
there.

> The only other concern is the size of the RAID and FDISK.  I was
> reading that FDISK only supports 65,536 cylinders???  If you use the
> 8GB translation (63sec, 255hds), that would be a maximum of ~512GB
> and I might get close to that.

Hmm.....haven't played with an array that big yet so I can't speak on that
one.
> > I've used the Acenic cards (Alteon) w/o any trouble. Can't speak for
> the > NetGear.

--rdp

-- 
Rich Payne
rpayne@alphalinux.org			www.alphalinux.org