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Looking for a NVMe dedicated server
- Budget: Around $400/month
- Spec:
- CPU: At least 32 cores/64 threads
- RAM: 128GB
- Storage: 8x 960GB NVMe RAID 10
- Location: any, prefer good connection to Singapore
- Bandwidth: nothing special
- Important:
- The NVMe RAID 10 must be BIOS RAID, or something like Intel Rapid Storage, so Windows Server 2019 can be installed on the array, or at least can mount the array as a data volume.
Comments
https://www.hetzner.com/dedicated-rootserver/ax161/configurator
You are welcome!
Also, there is no problem installing windows on a hardware raid.
@Barnesanger I have been working with Hetzner support for few days, it doesn't work.
Is the number of disks mandatory, or Is it's ok to replace with fewer disks with better size?
Well, you just add the driver to the install disc. If the hardware doesn't have a driver, then yeah, "doesn't work". You don't run production stuff without supported hardware/drivers.
What is the RAID card?
So to get 8 onboard, you need Epyc with PCIe add-on cards, 4 on MB and 4 in PCIe passive cards?
@TimboJones
https://www.dell.com/community/PowerEdge-HDD-SCSI-RAID/Windows-server-2019-see-4-single-NVME-disks-instead-of-1-virtual/td-p/7719105
Windows installer, or installed Windows can't see the RAID array as a single virtual disk.
Sure, 4x NVMe still work for me, but prefer 8x, because I need very high IOPs at peak hours.
Does it have to be a single machine?
Running on multiple servers already, but the main DB is MSSQL which I have no ideas how to run it on multiple machines yet. The server is for the main DB.
Problem is we can do 3x PCie where 2x can be on RAID 1 and the other one can be set aside for offloading backups or you could go with a RAID-5 config.
Hmm, just saw MSSQL, which is, yeah....
A few Hetzner Auction Servers might meet your requirements. Besides that, Online.net and SpinServers have 2 machines each, and Dedispec has one.
Hmm, is it just a false warning?
Yes, I would assume so. Also, MSSQL is available as a Docker image. If you can work with that, you can then stick with software RAID on Linux. Hetzner has quite a few machines under 300 dollars that meet your requirements.
@AC_Fan tested docker MSSQL already. Unexpected timeout with the queries running fine on bare metal.
Wouldn't it be less work to try to work around that issue? Or you could simply spin up a Windows VM on Linux.
We could provide a custom build in London for you. Send me an email on [email protected] and ill sort a quote for you
No, I spent weeks to improve IOPs on Docker and Windows VM, didn't work well.
I'm currently running 8xSSD RAID 10, and it only has some timeouts during peak hours.
But it has problems on Docker/Windows VM on Linux with NMVe mdadm/ZFS even during normal hours.
I also tried Windows server 2019 storage spaces. It's trash.
The only option I can see is an AX161, but you already said it doesn't work for you for some reason.
Yea, Dell engineers have been working on it for a while. Hopefully they can solve it.
That's quite unbelievable, really. One goes to Dell exactly because they are supposed to test and support their shit in Enterprise environment. This is a huge QA failure and inexcusable.
I just googled around, and found some hardware raid cards supporting NVMe.
Why don't providers use them?
Example MegaRAID 9560-16i
We use Dell R7425 which support 24 x NVMe U.2 SSDs via onboard raid controller, supports hot swap and requires no reboots.
Dell, HP, super micro, etc all sell their own rebranded cards that they want to offer at time of sale.
Also, you might have missed this is LowEndTalk, not HighEndTalk.
The card itself is fairly cheap though 😂
An 8xm.2 PCIe with RAID? I think you'll find "fairly cheap" be relative. What card you talking about? And they have Windows drivers for booting?
We use HighPoint SSD7103 RAID controller which is Windows bootable
MegaRAID 9560-16i. Yes, Windows is supported.
Just because windows supports NVMe booting doesn't mean the server BIOS will support it. Our Dell R7425 latest generation EPYC have no issues, but the older Opteron R815 doesn't boot PCIE.
I heard that Intel VROC works well for NVMe raid.
You guys know any providers willing to do that setup?
Intel VROC works pretty well, it's a good alternative to hardware RAID. However nothing compares to the performance we have seen on these M.2 Highpoint controllers.
Benchmark
Good day
I have worked very well with the following providers
OVH
Hetzner
They have good prices and excellent infrastructure
These providers include robust servers and nvme ssd drives.
Blessings