From: Farhan Anwar (farhan.anwar@gmail.com)
Date: Sun Oct 14 2007 - 13:48:16 ART
Dear BD and Scott,
I know you recommend MacMini due to its efficient BSD Related Kernel and its
resource utilization.
But can this One MacMini be enough?
I bought a Core2Duo 2.13 GHz System (supposed to be equivalent to
Athlon-X2-4400+) with 2 GB Ram some time ago when i read BMc's statement
that they were able to boot all Virtual Router Instances on an Athlon X2
4400+ somewhere on their site. I mostly run Windows, i used the 3640
12.4IOS, i also placed optimal idlepc values and the CPU Utilization
keeps under
10% when all Virtual Routers are idle but the problem comes when i start
doing IE Labs on it the system the utilization goes gradually to 100% and
when i finish the BGP Part it starts slowing typed commands. I have added my
old Pentium D 2.66 GHz System with 1 GB Ram to distribute the load, i have
tried several other IdlePC Values. but both PCs have almost 90 - 100%
utilization when i finish a lab.
Although I am able to complete the LAB with both PCs but i am more concerned
about High CPU Utilization at all times.
Is it an Issue related to my IdlePC Values?. Not being optimal.
or
Is it an Resource Utilization - OS (Windows) Issue. Shall i switch to Linux?
or
Is it just normal?
In this case i dont think i can try running 3725 or 2691, because i have
tried and it takes the utilization to 100% on both of the PCs at the end of
LAB.
Please comment.
On 10/14/07, Scott Vermillion <scott_ccie_list@it-ag.com> wrote:
>
> Hey Gary,
>
> The IEWB Brians are working on something to help folks get up and running
> quickly w/ Dynamips on a Mac Mini. Not sure where they stand on that,
> time-wise as far as a release goes.
>
> This is the basis of my own lab. Much time was invested in the initial
> setup, I admit. However, many lessons have been learned that can be
> shared.
> Also, I am in fairly routine contact with two other list members who have
> migrated to a Mini-based lab (we all three use physical switches
> integrated
> with our emulated routers). If you go this route, we'll patch you into
> our
> little group and I think you will find many of your questions answered
> quickly. Once the investment in time is behind you, it's reclaimed in
> very
> short order. Want a totally different topology than the one before you?
> Kill the current and launch the new with a few clicks of the mouse! Boot
> a
> 3640 in ~5 seconds and a 3725 in well under 10! It's killer.
>
> BTW, I ordered my Mini from the factory w/ 2 GB RAM but there are 3 and 4
> GB
> aftermarket upgrade options available. It's my understanding that if
> you'd
> like to pursue voice, 3 may be better than 2. As long as you stay away
> from
> a Windows-based Dynamips server, the Trendnet USB-Ethernet converters work
> great (they'll work OK on Windows too, except that you won't be able to do
> dot1q). My 3560-8PCs have been more than sufficient for lab prep and do
> work in the IEWB topology quite well. Having looked at IPExpert's
> topology,
> I can see that they would work perfectly well in that environment
> too. But
> you already have a full hardware lab, no? So that wouldn't be an issue
> anyway. I've personally not had any experience with the new IEWB
> Dynamips-specific labs, as I have hardware switches and prefer to keep it
> that way. This is not a problem from a noise perspective, as the -8PCs
> don't have fans (and besides that, everything is in a closet anyway - I
> run
> Dynagen from my Windows box and connect to the Mini remotely via
> WiFi). So
> I have a totally silent lab that consumes a minimum of space. I'll
> unicast
> you a few pics and feel free to fire away with any specific questions you
> may have.
>
> In parting, I think you inquired about this some weeks back as far as the
> time investment was concerned. If you don't know OS X well already, I
> would
> plan for this to take the better part of a week to get tweaked to your
> liking. Maybe not an entire week, but a handful of days anyway. I think
> our little group can help you to keep that to a minimum and if you wait
> for
> the Brians, it's likely to take you even less time to get up and running.
> Also, I'd be more than willing to share some stuff I built with
> ApppleScript
> that will likely save you some time here and there.
>
> Regards,
>
> Scott
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nobody@groupstudy.com [mailto:nobody@groupstudy.com] On Behalf Of
> Gary
> Duncanson
> Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2007 4:24 PM
> To: ccie candidate
> Cc: Brian Dennis; Radioactive Frog; WorkerBee; ccielab@groupstudy.com
> Subject: Re: OT: how to cope with home lab's NOISE
>
> Guys,
>
> I have an interest in this from a distance as I may very well invest in
> something like this in the future. I find the idea of having the lab on a
> PC
>
> at home rather appealing instead of the hulking great lab of equipment
> that
> presently noisily occupies a large corner of my spare room.
>
> My concern at the moment is making sure I buy the right things for the
> dynamips wotzit (Frog looks like to have bought something noisy as opposed
> to what Brian Dennis says he has) and also finding a cookbook so I dont
> spend as long trying to get the creature to do something useful as I do
> using labs.
>
> If anyone has any cookbooks about specs and how to set things up for
> different tracks I would be interested.
>
> Thanks
> Gary
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "ccie candidate" <ccie.candidate@securebytes.co.uk>
> To: "'Brian Dennis'" <bdennis@internetworkexpert.com>; "'WorkerBee'"
> <ciscobee@gmail.com>; "'Radioactive Frog'" <pbhatkoti@gmail.com>; "'Cisco
> certification'" <ccielab@groupstudy.com>; "'Cisco certification'"
> <cisco@groupstudy.com>
> Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2007 10:42 PM
> Subject: RE: OT: how to cope with home lab's NOISE
>
>
> > Brian,
> >
> > Sorry to bring this up but I just have to ask a question.
> > When you say a 3 gig mac mini with vmware will run a whole voice lab, do
> > you
> > mean absolutely everything? If not, what can it not run? As in what
> might
> > one have to rent online racks for? Also, any help with set up will be
> > appreciated (dynamips)
> > Thanks for your anticipated reply.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nobody@groupstudy.com [mailto:nobody@groupstudy.com] On Behalf Of
> > Brian Dennis
> > Sent: 07 September 2007 06:28
> > To: WorkerBee; Radioactive Frog; Cisco certification; Cisco
> certification
> > Subject: Re: OT: how to cope with home lab's NOISE
> >
> > http://www.123macmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13795
> >
> > Also www.macsales.com sells a 3 gig upgrade for the mac mini.
> >
> > HTH,
> >
> > Brian Dennis, CCIE4 #2210 (R&S/ISP-Dial/Security/SP)
> > bdennis@internetworkexpert.com
> >
> > Internetwork Expert, Inc.
> > http://www.InternetworkExpert.com
> > Toll Free: 877-224-8987
> > Direct: 775-745-6404 (Outside the US and Canada)
> >
> >
> >>----- Original Message -----
> > Subject: Re: OT: how to cope with home lab's NOISE
> > Date: Thu, September 6, 2007 22:13
> > From: "WorkerBee" <ciscobee@gmail.com>
> >
> >> Hi Brian,
> >>
> >> How do you make Mac Mini running with 3G RAM? The spec says only 2G.
> >>
> >> From Apple,
> >>
> >> 1GB (two 512MB) of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)
> >> Option: Up to 2GB
> >>
> >> The closest to Mac Mini lookalike is AOpen minipc which can support
> >> 4G ram. The problem which mini pc is, they need SO DIMM ram which
> >> is used in notebook, hence more expensive than PC ram.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On 9/7/07, Brian Dennis <bdennis@internetworkexpert.com> wrote:
> >> > VMware Fusion on a Mac Mini with 3 gigs of RAM will run a whole voice
> > lab
> >> > and its extremely compact plus nearly totally silent.
> >> >
> >> > As a side note I know someone who is doing about 70% of their CCIE
> >> > voice
> >> > lab preparation on a single computer running VMware and Dynamips. Of
> >> > course this person is extremely creative and resourceful. Kind of
> like
> > a
> >> > MacGyver of networking ;-)
> >> >
> >> > Brian Dennis, CCIE4 #2210 (R&S/ISP-Dial/Security/SP)
> >> > bdennis@internetworkexpert.com
> >> >
> >> > Internetwork Expert, Inc.
> >> > http://www.InternetworkExpert.com
> >> > Toll Free: 877-224-8987
> >> > Direct: 775-745-6404 (Outside the US and Canada)
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > >----- Original Message -----
> >> > Subject: OT: how to cope with home lab's NOISE
> >> > Date: Thu, September 6, 2007 20:14
> >> > From: "Radioactive Frog" <pbhatkoti@gmail.com>
> >> >
> >> > > Hi Gang,
> >> > >
> >> > > I just bought HP ML-580 server (Dual XEON 3.2 Ghz, 4Gigs ram) from
> > e-bay
> >> > and
> >> > > it's noisy in home environment not acceptable.
> >> > > Can someone guide me if there are ways around to reduce the noise.
> > It's
> >> > > normal noise which comes from the server (as usual).
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > This server has 6 fans. I took 2 fans out but still the XEON
> > processor's
> >> > > FAN's are making noise.
> >> > >
> >> > > How important it is to have VOICE home lab at home?
> >> > > I am thinking to put all lab gears at work and access it from home
> > using
> >> > > IPSEC tunnel.
> >> > > From home I can get 3-4 mbps connection to work.
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > Frog
> >> > >
> >> > >
> > _______________________________________________________________________
> >> > > Subscription information may be found at:
> >> > > http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
> >> >
> >> >
> _______________________________________________________________________
> >> > Subscription information may be found at:
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> >
> > _______________________________________________________________________
> > Subscription information may be found at:
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> >
> > _______________________________________________________________________
> > Subscription information may be found at:
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>
> _______________________________________________________________________
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>
> _______________________________________________________________________
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>
-- Farhan Anwar www.farhananwar.com
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