Hey there,

For starters, cloud computing is still somewhat new to me. While I understand the basics, its something I have no personal experience with. With that said, bear with me here.


First question is in regards to the actual physical servers used within the cloud. Should the cloud be filled with servers utilizing DUAL cpu Xeons, or would there be any difference in performance using more Quad2Cores? It seems like at a certain price, I may be able to use more Quad2Cores and have more processing power than using less DUAL cpu Xeons at the same price, but in regards to the actual power I can't say.

Second question: In my cloud scenario, I want to run a centralized MySQL storage server that utilizes SSDs. What RAID array should I consider for SSDs in a cloud environment?

Third question: Local storage VS centralized storage server. Should I have storage arrays in every server or just have one centralized storage server? Which would offer the best performance? Would 15k RPM SAS drives be overkill for basic storage? (Keep in mind, MySQL resources would be stored on MySQL server with SSD array, not on the storage server itself).



I think this is a good place to start. Nothing is set in stone, but i'm currently working on some plans so I just need to obtain a clearer picture of what I need for this.

Since it's a private Cloud and for your use (or a customers) it's more or less what is necessary to fit the application. Some processors do perform better in virtualized environments but what is necessary for this customer?

Don't think of the SSD's so much as the Cloud environment, but for your application. If you want it to handle MySQL then what is necessary for a stand-alone app? Depending on your Cloud software you may or may not be able to use locally based storage and may need to do it in a SAN (and a redundant one at that!).

AppLogic is the only technology that offers true Cloud using local storage (it pools the data into redundant virtual IP SANs).

The scenario is so we can offer all of our services on our own private cloud.

For example, it would require 2 cPanel server instances (Shared & Semi-Dedicated) and a main VPS node.

The MySQL server will utilize a SSD array(s?) to serve MySQL processes for Semi-Dedicated and VPS clients. Shared hosting clients will have their MySQL processed locally, stored on whatever storage device we decide with (local or SAN).

Obviously, there will be a backup server, etc. I'm just trying to figure out what is required for this cloud to perform acceptably and house our services redundantly.

I'm aware of the expensive initial cost, but I feel that this may be more suitable for long term growth. I'm just figuring out options, crunching numbers, and seeing how it could benefit us.

Would anyone else like to chime in and provide some insight?

What are providers that would allow me to design my own private cloud network? I know of Hivelocity, name some more.

I'd suggest contacting some providers that you see and asking if it's possible. Not all providers may even publish this but are fully capable of doing it. We're in the process of building out several right now.