f/fgeorge wrote:
[...]

The old system was a dual cpu Sun 450mhz machine, the newest is a
2.4ghz machine. It is not a Sun, Sun seems to think that their systems
can keep up even though their speeds are much lower than the newer
machines on the market. Berkeley, and others, seem to think otherwise.

The performance question is all a balance of CPU 'speed' and IO bandwidths for the CPU and peripherals. With that comes a balance of how 'CPU intensive' various jobs are that are to be run.

Note that servers usually just move data around and so must have higher performance IO rather than a 'fast' CPU.

Desktops machines get marketed on silly numbers for the CPU...


Maybe Berkeley's database bashing is more CPU intensive than what is normal for just 'file server' operations?

Its all a balance of where you want to spend your money on what aspects of performance.

Regards,
Martin


ps: mHz = milli-Hertz (as opposed to MHz for Mega-Hertz (:-P)