[geeks] Big Blue Smoke

[Eric Dittman]

> >>> Okay, let me rephrase that:  How many thousands of individual
> >>> web servers can you run, without slowdowns, from a group of
> >>> Netras that cost the same as the z800?
> >>
> >> how much does a z800 cost?
> >
> > $375,000.
> 
> retail, netras are $3000. we get 40% off that, for various reasons. so 
> we could get 208.33 netras for that price. they come with two 100mbit 
> nic's. youre telling me that your z800 is more cost effective? i just 
> cant see it. i _know_ it hasnt got 208 cpu's... i _know_ it hasnt got 
> 416 disks... i _know_ it hasnt got 416 nic's....

If you are comparing with discounts, then consider places that
deal with IBM get hefty discounts, too.

1 z-class processor is not the same as 1 USIII.  There's also
a lot more to a system than the processor speed.  I don't know
which S/390 system you worked on last, but they've not remained
stagnant, any more than Sun has.  I'd encourage you to read some
of the technical specs on the z800.  There's also some good
articles on server consolidation on the S/390 systems.  I can
get pointers to the articles from the mainframe guys at work
(again, I'm not a mainframe guy, and I don't want to be one).

> there are situations when a mainframe is the way to go. web serving is 
> not one of them.

It depends on what you are trying to do with the web servers.
-- 
Eric Dittman
dittman at dittman.net
Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/