How much hardware do I need?

T

timeOday

I am making a system which uses a SQL database (currently H2) for data
acquisition. This requires many very small disk writes.

Initial benchmarking of the database with a plain-Jane 7200 RPM IDE
desktop drive, probably 3 or 4 years old, reveals the maximum rate of
insertions is only about 30% of what we need. It is I/O rather than CPU
bound.

We could put more effort ($$$) making the code more optimized (and
complex), but I'd rather just buy faster storage if possible.

Is a current fast hard drive (say, a Raptor) likely to triple database
insert speed? I'm guessing not. How about a RAID array - what sort of
card, which RAID level, and how many drives might be required?

I realize nothing is guaranteed based on the information I've provided,
but economically, it's well worth it for me to just buy it and see, if
there's a decent chance of success.
 
A

Arno Wagner

Previously timeOday said:
I am making a system which uses a SQL database (currently H2) for data
acquisition. This requires many very small disk writes.
Initial benchmarking of the database with a plain-Jane 7200 RPM IDE
desktop drive, probably 3 or 4 years old, reveals the maximum rate of
insertions is only about 30% of what we need. It is I/O rather than CPU
bound.
We could put more effort ($$$) making the code more optimized (and
complex), but I'd rather just buy faster storage if possible.
Is a current fast hard drive (say, a Raptor) likely to triple database
insert speed? I'm guessing not. How about a RAID array - what sort of
card, which RAID level, and how many drives might be required?
I realize nothing is guaranteed based on the information I've provided,
but economically, it's well worth it for me to just buy it and see, if
there's a decent chance of success.

A Raptor gives you lower latency and sligly lower seek time.
Say 30% more transactions per second or so. RAID gains you
notning in terms of access speed, only throughput, i.e. nothing
in your application.

Your options are:
- Try a different Database system or
- Try different setting of the database system.
- Use a FLASH disk (not an USB stick, there are FLASH disks out there
exactly for database acceleration).
- Use a RAMdisk designed for database acceleration. These have
backup HDDs and batteries and are very expensive.
- Write a log instead of a database and consolidate the log offline

The only ones of these that work (unless your database system is
really broken) is the move to FLASH or RAM. Theya re also likely
the most expensive option.

Arno
 
C

CJT

timeOday said:
I am making a system which uses a SQL database (currently H2) for data
acquisition. This requires many very small disk writes.

Initial benchmarking of the database with a plain-Jane 7200 RPM IDE
desktop drive, probably 3 or 4 years old, reveals the maximum rate of
insertions is only about 30% of what we need. It is I/O rather than CPU
bound.

We could put more effort ($$$) making the code more optimized (and
complex), but I'd rather just buy faster storage if possible.

Is a current fast hard drive (say, a Raptor) likely to triple database
insert speed? I'm guessing not. How about a RAID array - what sort of
card, which RAID level, and how many drives might be required?

I realize nothing is guaranteed based on the information I've provided,
but economically, it's well worth it for me to just buy it and see, if
there's a decent chance of success.

Write to a virtual disk in ram and move it to rotating disk periodically
(if at all).
 
I

isaac4all

Hi
Go get a Hard disk of minimum of 80 GB of hard disk space, Memory
DDram of Minimum of 256Mb and CPU of 1.2Mhz. Go to any of those sites
to compare and purchase those item to create your database system. I
have remember that a system that contains important data's should not
be connected to the internet to keep it safe. Here are the site to
shop for the components

1. Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=finditall10fr-20&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380557


2. Tiger direct
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=x1ijFJ9Dvfc&offerid=102327.10000056&type=4&subid=0


Isaac okoye
Information Rules the World
http://www.finditall100free.ds4a.com
 
A

Arno Wagner

Previously isaac4all said:
Hi
Go get a Hard disk of minimum of 80 GB of hard disk space, Memory
DDram of Minimum of 256Mb and CPU of 1.2Mhz. Go to any of those sites
to compare and purchase those item to create your database system. I
have remember that a system that contains important data's should not
be connected to the internet to keep it safe. Here are the site to
shop for the components

Complete nonsense, I am afraid.

Arno
 

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