Kevin,
I think that IBM has worked hard to provide NetView on as many platforms as
possible so that you can run the OS that suits your needs. It sounds like
you realize that you have a choice, which is exactly what IBM wants you to
have.
IBM has also been working in the open source arena to improve the Linux OS
to help make it robust for corporate use. In the past, a key advantage
for AIX would have been the filesystem. That is less true today since IBM
has been contributing to Linux. Yet, there are other features in AIX that
makes it the unix OS of choice for critical mission solutions. There is a
LOT of servicability and scalability in AIX that is not found in Linux.
Is your NetView mission critical? For a service provider, probably yes.
>From a performance point of view, I think a 4-way p-Series will beat a
4-way Intel box pretty easily. But if you are using NetView to do the
testing....you have to really be doing a lot with NetView to push a 4-way
on either set of hardware. On a heavily loaded NetView server trapd will
have one processor somewhat busy, snmpcollect and netmon may have a second,
and all other NetView processes will run on a 3rd. The fourth would be
very idle, probably only used when you do a command that is ovwdb
intensive. I would suggest a 4-way box only if you are managing 30K
interfaces or greater. Otherwise a 2-way works very nicely. If you
are integrating 3rd party software with NetView, then you may want to stay
with a 4-way.
IBM has been working hard to take some mainframe features and work them
into non-mainframe servers. They have done this with the p-Series, and
now are starting to do it with their x-Series (intel) boxes. This
includes advanced memory features, predictive hardware failure features,
service processors for remote management, etc. If you are buying IBM
x-Series or p-Series you get some advanced hardware features on both. If
you are thinking of using a non-IBM Intel box, then I suggest you do a very
close inspection of the hardware features between the p-Series and the
other one before you make a switch. Also, compare the "service" options
that you have. Do you need to be able to call service 24x7 or can you
afford to have your NetView server down for a few days or even a week?
For a really good price/performance ratio on a p-Series box check on the
new P610 boxes. If those machines had wings, they would fly. :-)
--- Time to step off my soap box. :-)
Kind regards,
Stephen Hochstetler shochste@us.ibm.com
International Technical Support Organization - Austin
Office - 512-436-8564 FAX - 512-436-9326
ITSO redbooks at http://www.redbooks.ibm.com
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