Intel Xeon CPUs. Can I use such a server as just any other PC ?

[JesperMP]

Hi there.

I am fiddling with tidying up our PC installations, and I would like to install everything in racks.
Then I get the idea to use rack servers from reputable vendors (HP, IBM, Fujitsu-Siemens), in stead of "industrial PCs". I have good experience with standard PCs as longs as you dont abuse them.

Now to my question:

These rack servers are usually with Intel Xeon CPUs, and you can often have them with dual Xeon CPU's. You can get rackservers with 'normal' Pentium CPU's, but they seem to move more and more to Xeon and Dual Xeon's.
Does Xeon and/or dual CPU's affect my software in any way ?
I use Siemens simatic net, Siemens HMI software, Rockwell RSLinx, Sybase ODBC database.
Do I have to use a special version of Windows with Xeon and/or dual CPU's ?

Thanks for any insight.

 

[Oakley]

The issue is more with OS compatability. If you are running servers, then you would want to use server OS. Yes you could use the other, but you would be losing the benefits of a server.


We have our software running on servers, and our HMI Clients running on standard PC's.


Additionally, think for the licensing. Example - SQL is a per processor licensing. If your server has two physical processors, you will have to pay for this licensing. We are actually going to start using the quad core processors to reduce our licensing costs.

 

[JesperMP]

So you are saying I need a special server OS. You mean that I can (have to ?) use Windows 2003 Server for running my regular Windows programs ?

My most pressing question is: Will "regular" software that I normally use with Pentium / Windows XP Pro run on Xeon / Windows XP or Windows 2003 Server ?

As for the licensing fees, then for now I can do with single CPU Xeon's.

 

[Oakley]

If you want to get the advantages from running servers, you will need the server OS.


As for the software packages you intend on running, you will need to check with the appropriate vendor and see if the versions are compatible with the OS.

 

[JesperMP]

What I am really after is simply the hardware platform.
For me I like that there is typically two NICs, and two HDs, and everything is on the motherboard.

If I absolutely have to, I may consider Windows 2003 Server, but if it is not absolutely necessary, then I may stay with Windows XP Pro - pending that it will work with Xeon.

I know that some of the software will run on Windows 2003 Server, the rest I have to check.

As you probably can deduct from my posts, I am a complete noob when it comes to servers.

 

[Archie]

I use server hardware (including Xeon processors) and server OS (Windows 2003) for mission critical applications. Every application that I run on WinXP also runs on Windows 2003 server.

I also run RAID-1 (full mirror) hot swap hard drives. This makes the system tolerable to a hard drive failure. If one drive fails, you simply yank it out, put in a new one without even shutting down the system. It also reports the health of the hard drive to let you know of any problems.

 

[JesperMP]

A little detective work reveals that "Xeon" doesnt really say anything else than that it is Intels latest Pentium iteration. I thought that Xeon was a radical departure from Intels previous processors, but it looks like it is "just" an incremental step in the development.

And Windows 2003 Server is needed to utilise several CPU's.

Thus I can use Windows XP Pro with a single-CPU rackserver with a Xeon CPU.
And if I need to, I can use Windows 2003 Server with a dual-CPU or quad-CPU. I checked and found that Sybase, Simatic Net and RSLinx is released for Windows 2003 Server. For WinCC Flex RT, I didnt find a definitive answer yet.

Feel free to correct me

 

[Brian123]

FYI, I believe WinXP Pro can support up to 2 processors.

Brian

 

[surferb]

Correct, according to this article and Microsoft, they count "physical sockets". You're good to go with Xeons as well. XP Home, 1, pro 2. I know that XP pro works great with 2 physical dual core CPUs - sees it as 4 logical CPUs. Probably not a whole lot of multi-tasking benefit due to lack of program optimization, but that depends on the programs that you're running. I wouldn't recommend 64 bit Windows unless you have a good reason - in my experience it can open up a can of worms.

FYI, I believe WinXP Pro can support up to 2 processors.

Brian

 

[1_1_1]

if you use multi core CPU's then XP pro can use 2 quad core CPUs
MS uses socket count

but you can't use 4 dual core on XP pro

and as for the xeon/pentium issue
the xeon is like the top of the line pentium just a little better than the best pentium

as for the one thats a departure your thinking Itanium

 

[JesperMP]

Thanks.

 

[surferb]

I'm pretty sure I remember using an XP Pro setup that showed 4 logical cores in the task manager. I'll come back with info and references from MS.

if you use multi core CPU's then XP pro can use 2 quad core CPUs
MS uses socket count

but you can't use 4 dual core on XP pro

and as for the xeon/pentium issue
the xeon is like the top of the line pentium just a little better than the best pentium

as for the one thats a departure your thinking Itanium

 

[panic mode]

correct but one of the differences between Workstation and Server version of same operating system
is licence/support for certain number of processors (chips or sockets, not CPU cores,
one processor can have multiple cores). Server version can use more processors (chips, not cores)
and that is what 1_1_1 was refering to.

 

[surferb]

You guys are correct. The MS licence is based on "processors" not "cores". XP pro supports 2 physical processors with any number of cores. In theory it should work with 2 quad core CPUs.

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/highlights/multicore.mspx

Q. How does this licensing policy affect products such as Microsoft Windows XP Professional?

A. Microsoft Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Windows XP Home are not affected by this policy as they are licensed per installation and not per processor. Windows XP Professional can support up to two processors regardless of the number of cores on the processor. Microsoft Windows XP Home supports one processor.

 

[JesperMP]

Thanks guys.

It seems that I can purchase a rackbased server PC, and expect that it will work with my software.
If it does not work I will cast a curse on you all !!!