Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Mon, 24 Apr 2000 08:25:20 -0400 (EDT)
From:      Lanny Baron <lnb@freedomtc.com>
To:        Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com>, Noemie Buzaglo <nbuzaglo@mrs.com>
Cc:        questions@FreeBSD.ORG, Lanny Baron <lnb@freedomtc.com>
Subject:   Re: SMP & RAID
Message-ID:  <XFMail.000424082520.lnb@freebsdsystems.com>
In-Reply-To: <20000424181548.E12676@freebie.lemis.com>

next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Hello Greg,
I fail to understand why FreeBSD would not want to pursue large corporate
users. If it is what you say (SMOP..) then why doesn't one of the programmers
for FreeBSD get SMP up to par with other systems?

The answer provided does not demonstrate FreeBSD as being a commercially
viable solution against other systems, which is contrary to what we believe. To
be blunt, sucks.

Greg, as you are not only a genius in his own right, you are a lover of
FreeBSD! AS the saying goes "if it's not broken, BREAK it and fix it"

There must be some secret here, if MS is using FBSD for hotmail and Yahoo! is
using it for web. One processor to deliver all that? 

If that is true, I am Moses, Let My Multiprocessors work and Thread !

regards, and a belated Happy Easter,

Lanny Baron

On 24-Apr-00 Greg Lehey wrote:
> On Monday, 24 April 2000 at  2:46:26 -0400, Lanny Baron wrote:
>> On 24-Apr-00 Greg Lehey wrote:
>>> On Sunday, 23 April 2000 at  2:27:42 -0400, Lanny Baron wrote:
>>>> Hello,
>>>> Can I get some information with respect to SNP and how well FreeBSD can
>>>> handle up to 8 processors.
>>>
>>> You mean SMP (symmetrical multiprocessing)?  It depends on what you
>>> want to do.  The big limitation is the giant kernel lock which only
>>> allows one processor to run in kernel mode at any one time.  Depending
>>> on your application, this may make no difference at all, or it may
>>> completely bog it down.
>>>
>>>> Would anyone know what RAID cards are supported.
>>>
>>> Take a look at the release notes, for example
>>> http://www.freebsd.org/releases/4.0R/notes.html.
>>>
>>>> Someone sent me mail saying that only Vinum will work.
>>>
>>> Don't rely on "someone".
>>
>> Yes sorry it is SMP. Typo.
>> As for what type of application might require multiple cpu's, I
>> would think large database applications. 
> 
> We've done some comparisons with Solaris in this area recently.  They
> show that we have a long way to go to catch up with Solaris, and we're
> planning to do some work on it.  At the moment, I wouldn't recommend
> FreeBSD SMP for database applications.
> 
>> I know for a fact that a certain company with very large database
>> bogs the entire network down for them. They run AIX and have several
>> AS400's. A question then arises as to the claims of company's that
>> sell systems and offer up to 8 CPU's. If FreeBSD cannot utilize the
>> processing power, how can Linux?
> 
> As a followup to the Mindcraft benchmarks, Linux has given more
> attention to kernel locking than we have.  Don't count on them being
> behind us.
> 
>> This Kernel lock you speak of, is there anyway around it?
> 
> Sure, it's a SMOP (Simple Matter Of Programming).  It took Sun about 5
> years to get where they are now.  Don't expect us to be any better.
> 
> Greg
> --
> When replying to this message, please copy the original recipients.
> For more information, see http://www.lemis.com/questions.html
> Finger grog@lemis.com for PGP public key
> See complete headers for address and phone numbers
> 
> 
> To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org
> with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message


To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org
with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message




Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?XFMail.000424082520.lnb>