[Linux-cluster] cluster architecture

[vahram]

Hi all,

I'm planning to put together a production web server farm that will 
consist of at least 6 servers.  They will all be running Apache and 
Postfix, and will be sharing a 4+TB storage device.  Horizontal 
scalability is a major issue for us.

I just wanted to get some general recommendations on who to go with for 
our storage needs.  We were considering a Netapp appliance, but the cost 
is extremely high and their solution is probably a bit overkill for our 
needs.  Cost is a major issue for us.

How does the performance of a Netapp appliance running NFS compare to a 
fibre-based storage device (such as an Apple XServe RAID or similar 
unit) running GFS?  Is anyone here running GFS on a production server 
farm?  Thanks!

-vahram