Chapter 2: Planning for Server Hardware 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Learning Objectives Explain the hardware requirements for Windows 2000 Server Explain the importance of using Microsoft’s hardware compatibility list Determine specifications for your server in terms of the right processor type, bus type, and advanced bus features 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Learning Objectives (continued) Select the right network interface card (NIC) for your server Calculate the amount of memory needed for your server Plan disk capacity, disk architecture, and fault tolerance Plan a backup system and CD-ROM specifications 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

System Requirements Use the Windows 2000 Server basic system requirements as a starting point from which to develop server computer specifications 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Windows 2000 Server Hardware Requirements Table 2-1 Minimum Hardware Requirements to Install Windows 2000 Server 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Windows 2000 Server Hardware Requirements (continued) Table 2-1 Minimum Hardware Requirements to Install Windows 2000 Server 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Windows 2000 Professional Hardware Requirements Table 2-1 Minimum Hardware Requirements to Install Windows 2000 Professional 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Windows 2000 Professional Hardware Requirements (continued) Table 2-1 Minimum Hardware Requirements to Install Windows 2000 Professional 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Windows 2000 Server Compatibility Check the Microsoft hardware compatibility list (HCL) before selecting computer hardware for a server 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Hardware Listed in the HCL Single-processor computers Multiprocessor computers Processor upgrades PCMCIA hardware SCSI adapters and drives Video adapters 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Hardware listed in the HCL (continued) Network adapters Audio adapters Modems Printers Tape devices Uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

CPU Sizing Select a fast processor Choose a processor that has a fast clock speed 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Pentium Computers Processor cache: A data storage area that is only used by the system processor. Level 1 (L1) cache, usually 8 - 64 KB, built into the processor Level 2 (L2) cache that supplements L1 cache and is usually 256 KB to 1 MB. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

L2 Cache in Different Pentium Processors Pentium processor: L2 cache is usually an SRAM chip on the mother board Pentium Pro: L2 cache is built into the chip Pentium II and III: L2 cache is on a daughter board Celeron processor: has no L2 cache Xeon processor: has special L2 caching for extra speed 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Multiprocessor Computers Symmetric multiprocessor (SMP): employs two or more processors, including some computers that can support up to 32 processors 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Clustering Computers Shared disk model: Linking two or more servers to operate as one and to equally share resources 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Shared Disk Clustering 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04 Figure 2-1 Shared disk clustering model

Clustering Computers Shared disk nothing model: Linking two or more servers to operate as one, but with each owning particular disk, CD-ROM, and tape resources 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Shared Nothing Clustering Figure 2-2 Shared nothing clustering model 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Bus Architectures Industry Standard (ISA): 8-bit and 16-bit bus architecture dating to the early 1980s Extended Industry Architecture (EISA): 32-bit bus built on the ISA architecture with faster throughput by means of bus mastering 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Bus Architectures (continued) Micro channel Architecture (MCA): 32-bit bus proprietary to IBM computers and having a slightly faster transfer rate than EISA Peripheral Computer Interface (PCI): 32-bit and 64-bit bus with the fastest data transfer rate and local bus capability 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

I2O Architecture Intelligent input/output (I2O): A computer communications architecture that removes some of the I/O processing activities from the main processor to I2O processors on peripherals designed for I2O architectures, such as hard disks. I2O devices use one general device driver for all I2O-compliant devices. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Figure 2-3 I2O communications architecture 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Plug and Play Plug and Play: Ability of added computer hardware, such as an adapter or modem, to identify itself to the computer operating system for installation 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

USB Universal serial bus: A bus standard that enables you to attach all types of devices – keyboards, cameras, pointing devices, telephones, and tape drives, for example – to one bus port on a computer. Up to 127 devices can be attached to one port and it is not necessary to power off the computer when you attach a device. USB was developed to replace the traditional serial and parallel bus technologies on computers. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Choosing NICs Network interface card: An adapter board designed to connect a workstation, server, or other network equipment to a network medium. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

NIC Components A connector for the network medium A transceiver A controller for MAC protocol communications and addressing Protocol control firmware 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

NIC Duplex Modes Half duplex: ability to send or receive signals, but not simultaneously Full duplex: capacity to send and receive signals at the same time 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Setting the Duplex Mode 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04 Figure 2-4 NIC Duplex Mode setting

Memory Sizing Guidelines Table 2-3 Memory Guidelines 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Memory Type Make sure that the memory used in a server is error checking and correcting (ECC) EEC: Memory that can correct some types of memory problems without causing computer operations to halt 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Troubleshooting Tip Microsoft generally recommends a minimum of 128 MB on all versions of Windows 2000 Server (unless there are 5 or fewer users), however, they also recommend that you use at least 256 MB or more for best performance. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Disk Capacity Estimate disk capacity to include: Operating system files Software files Data and database files User files General public files Utility files Server management files 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Example Disk Capacity Calculation 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Example Disk Capacity Calculation (continued) 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Disk Drive Design Issues that Affect Disk Contention Speed of the individual disks Speed of the disk controllers Speed of the data pathway to the disks Number of disk pathways Disk caching 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Disk Drive Interfaces Integrated Device Electronics (IDE): An inexpensive hard disk interface that is used on Intel-based computers from the 80286 to Pentium computers Enhanced Small Device Interface (ESDI): An early device interface for computer peripherals and hard disk drives Small Computer System Interface (SCSI): A 32- or 64-bit computer adapter that transports data between one or more attached devices, such as hard disks, and the computer 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Simple Disk Controller Architecture Figure 2-5 Disk controller connecting a disk drive 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Ultra SCSI adapter connected to two disk drives and a tape drive SCSI Architecture Figure 2-6 Ultra SCSI adapter connected to two disk drives and a tape drive 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

SCSI Interface Data Transfer Rates 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04 Table 2-5 SCSI Interface Data Transfer Rates

Troubleshooting Tip Omitting the cable terminator is a common problem when connecting several devices to one SCSI adapter. If you experience difficulty recognizing hard disk storage during the Windows 2000 Server installation, check to make sure the terminator is connected to the last device on the SCSI cable. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Design Tip One method to significantly increase performance on a server is to purchase two or more hard disk drives and divide the flow of data between two or more data pathways by placing drives on different adapters. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Setting Up Multiple Disk Pathways Figure 2-7 Using two SCSI adapters to create separate data paths for hard disk drives 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Fibre Channel For disk intensive applications, consider using Fibre Channel as an alternative to SCSI. Fibre Channel is a high-speed method for connecting computer peripherals, such as disk drives, to servers and other host computers through copper and fiber-optic cable. Current implementations of Fibre Channel in Windows 2000 servers provide data transfer rates of up to 1 Gbps. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Disk Mirroring Disk mirroring: A fault tolerance method that prevents data loss by duplicating data from a main disk to a backup disk. Some operating systems also refer to this as disk shadowing. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Disk Mirroring Architecture Figure 2-8 Disk mirroring 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Disk Duplexing Disk duplexing: A fault tolerance method similar to disk mirroring in that it prevents data loss by duplicating data from a main disk to a backup disk; but disk duplexing places the backup disk on a different controller or adapter than is used by the main disk. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Disk Duplexing Architecture Figure 2-9 Disk duplexing 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

RAID Fault Tolerance RAID level 0: Disk striping with no redundancy RAID level 1: Disk mirroring or duplexing RAID level 2: Disk striping across an array of disks in which all disks store error-correction data in case of a disk failure 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

RAID Fault Tolerance (continued) RAID level 3: Similar to RAID level 2, but error-correcting data is stored on only one disk RAID level 4: Similar to RAID level 2, but an added feature is checksum verification data stored on one disk RAID level 5: Similar to RAID level 4, but error-correction and checksum data are spread over all disks 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

RAID Supported by Windows 2000 RAID level 0 RAID level 1 RAID level 5 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Features of the Windows 2000 Disk Management Snap-in Status information about drives Ability to create and format partitions Ability to change drive letter assignments Support for FAT and NTFS drives Ability to create mirrored, striped, RAID-5, and spanned volumes 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Disk Management Snap-In 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04 Figure 2-10 Windows 2000 Disk Management snap-in

Analysis Issues Affecting Disk Fault Tolerance Selection Importance of the data Tolerance for down time when a failure occurs Amount of data that must be stored How fast the data must be accessed Budget for equipment purchases and support 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Software RAID and Hardware RAID Compared Hardware RAID is more expensive Hardware RAID is generally faster for read and write access Ability to place boot and system files on all configurations of hardware RAID Hardware RAID can include the ability to “hot swap” disks Hardware RAID generally has more setup and configuration options 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Planning Tip Purchase hardware RAID from a vendor that does not use all proprietary components so you can use disk drives, cables, and various parts from other vendors. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Backup Media Plan your server so that it can be backed up using removable media such as tapes, Zip/Jaz disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Design Tip Attach tape backup systems to adapters or controllers that do not also have disk storage attached. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Tape Drive Architecture 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04 Figure 2-11 Connecting a tape drive to a separate adapter

CD-ROM Drive Equip your server with a fast CD-ROM drive from which to load the Windows 2000 Server operating system, device drivers, and application software Implement a CD-ROM “jukebox” in situations where users will access CD-ROM resources over the network 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Example CD-ROM Jukebox Figure 2-12 CD-ROM “jukebox” 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Implementation Tip Fully set up and test all server components Allow for a “burn-in” period 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Chapter Summary Server hardware comes in a full range of sophisticated options including fast processors and fault-tolerant disk drives. Plan server hardware to meet or exceed the needs of the intended implementation. Begin the selection process by consulting the Microsoft HCL. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Chapter Summary Select a fast bus architecture and other features that enable you to expand the server as needed. Implement disk storage using fast channel technology such as SCSI or Fibre Channel and include fault tolerance in your planning. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Chapter Summary Implement at least one CD-ROM drive to load software and drivers. Plan to test the server hardware before you install Windows 2000 Server. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Key Terms 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04   bus – A pathway in a computer used to transmit information. This pathway is used to send CPU instructions and other data to transfer within the computer. bus mastering – A process that reduces the reliance on the CPU for input/output activities on a computer’s bus. Interface cards that have bus mastering can take control of the bus for faster data flow. clock speed – Rate at which the CPU sends bursts of data through a computer’s buses. data transfer rate – Speed at which data moves through the disk controller along the data channel to a disk drive. disk access time – Amount of time it takes for a disk drive to read or write data by moving a read/write head to the location of the data. disk duplexing – A fault tolerance method similar to disk mirroring in that it prevents data loss by duplicating data from a main disk to a backup disk; but disk duplexing places the backup disk on a different controller or adapter than is used by the main disk. disk mirroring – A fault tolerance method that prevents data loss by duplicating data from a main disk to a backup disk. Some operating systems also refer to this as disk shadowing. Enhanced Small Device Interface (ESDI) – An early device interface for computer peripherals and hard disk drives. error checking and correcting memory (ECC) – Memory that can correct some types of memory problems without causing computer operations to halt. Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) – A computer bus design that incorporates 32-bit communications within a computer. It is an industry standard used by several computer manufacturers. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Key Terms 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04 Fibre Channel – A high-speed method for connecting computer peripherals, such as disk drives, to servers and other host computers through copper and fiber-optic cable. Current implementations of Fibre Channel in Windows 2000 servers provide data transfer rates of up to 1 Gbps. firmware – Software that is stored on a chip in a device, such as in a ROM, and that is used to control basic functions of the device such as communications with a disk drive. full duplex – The capacity to send and receive signals at the same time. half duplex – The ability to send or receive signals, but not simultaneously. hardware compatibility list (HCL) – A list of computer hardware tested by Microsoft and determined to be compatible with Windows 2000 Server. Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) – An older expansion bus design dating back to the 1980s, supporting 8-bit and 16-bit cards and with a data transfer rate of 8 MB per second. Integrated Device Electronics (IDE)– An inexpensive hard disk interface that is used on Intel-based computers from the 80286 to Pentium computers. intelligent input/output (I2O) – A computer communications architecture that removes some of the I/O processing activities from the main processor to I2O processors on peripherals designed for I2O architectures, such as hard disks. I2O devices use one general device driver for all I2O-compliant devices. MicroChannel Architecture (MCA) – A bus architecture that is used in older IBM Intel-based computers. It provides 32-bit communications within the computer. network interface card (NIC) – An adapter board designed to connect a workstation, server, or other network equipment to a network medium. Peripheral Computer Interface (PCI) – A computer bus design that supports 32-bit and 64-bit bus communications for high-speed operations. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04

Key Terms 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04 Plug and Play (PnP) – Ability of added computer hardware, such as an adapter or modem, to identify itself to the computer operating system for installation. processor cache – A special data storage area used only by the system processor and located on either the processor chip or a chip separate from the processor. redundant array of ­inexpensive (or independent) disks (RAID) – A set of standards to extended the life of hard disk drives and to prevent data loss from a hard disk failure. shared disk model – Linking two or more servers to operate as one and to equally share resources that include disk, CD-ROM, and tape storage. shared nothing model – Linking two or more servers to operate as one, but each owns particular disk, CD-ROM, and tape resources. Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) – A 32- or 64-bit computer adapter that transports data between one or more attached devices, such as hard disks, and the computer. There are several types of SCSI adapters, including SCSI, SCSI-2, SCSI-3, SCSI wide, SCSI narrow, wide Ultra SCSI, and Ultra2 SCSI. All are used to provide high-speed data transfer to reduce bottlenecks within the computer. striping – A data storage method that breaks up data files across all volumes of a disk set to minimize wear on a single volume. symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) – A type of computer with two or more CPUs that share the processing load. Universal Serial Bus (USB) – A bus standard that enables you to attach all types of devices – keyboards, cameras, pointing devices, telephones, and tape drives, for example – to one bus port on a computer. Up to 127 devices can be attached to one port and it is not necessary to power off the computer when you attach a device. USB was developed to replace the traditional serial and parallel bus technologies on computers. 4/27/2019 LastUpdated 3/16/04