AnandTech Upgrade

To keep up with the AnandTech tradition, we'll open the covers on the latest upgrade performed at the AnandTech NOC Facility a few months ago. This latest upgrade focused on an enterprise database platform change, and a security infrastructure upgrade. We apologize for the delay, but there has been so much going on after the upgrade that this article took a bit of a back seat.

Planning for the upgrade started back in October of 2003. Our planning involved a review of the storage requirements of the databases, and growth predictions for the next 2-3 years. Next, we started research on a Firewall for the network. If you can believe it, we had been running Windows 2000 servers on the public internet with no firewall. Were we lucky? Probably, but we were meticulous in applying security updates as they came out and made good use of local security policies in Windows (especially after SQL Slammer hit us one morning).

It seems that all of our trips to the NOC to perform the various upgrades over the years have always been eventful to say the least. This upgrade actually went extremely well, which is attributed to some careful planning and the excellent staff at Elite Internet Communications (our ISP).

The Database Upgrade
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  • ariafrost - Sunday, August 22, 2004 - link

    Impressive upgrades :) Nice work, AT! BTW, I'm going to have to be a spelling nazi and recommend that "NOC factility" be corrected to "NOC facility" on the home page...
  • Ecmaster76 - Sunday, August 22, 2004 - link

    #1 Just a guess, but that could be a memory expansion slot for the raid controller or some other integrated device.
  • sprockkets - Sunday, August 22, 2004 - link

    Windows 2003 Enterprise Edition? Isn't that alone cost thousands of dollars? Is it 64 bit, or more importantly, can it support 8GB on a 32 bit mode processor?

    Around $3700 time four for processors, around what $1000 for the board, $300 time 8 for the hdds, around what $100 ? for the raid controller, $1800 for Windows Server 2003 with 25 CALs, around $250 times 8 for PC3200 1GB ECC Registered ram sticks, assuming $300 for other stuff, that's what close to $20,000 HOLY $$$$ and that's not including the firewall and other stuff!!!

    How much did it cost you, really?
  • Reflex - Sunday, August 22, 2004 - link

    #2: A lot. This is the type of equipment you install in a temperature controlled server room, not a bedroom. It is not designed with heat or noise as primary concerns. Reliabilty is the number one issue, the number two is performance. Chances are it sounds similiar to a jet taking off but at a bit lower a level, I have a Compaq Proliant Xeon quad proc system at my house just for messing around and WOW is it loud.
  • Jeff7181 - Sunday, August 22, 2004 - link

    I love these articles... too bad we probably won't see one for quite some time now that you've got all this brand new stuff :)
  • skunkbuster - Sunday, August 22, 2004 - link

    i'm curious how much heat and noise does all of this produce?
  • Chuckles - Sunday, August 22, 2004 - link

    In this picture;
    http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/it/behindscene...
    (Page 1 top image)
    The forward right RAM bank appears to have an extra slot just forward of the main bank. Given its slot configuration it kinda looks like a 168-pin SDRAM slot. What is it, and what is its purpose?
  • gmailsupport - Monday, March 19, 2018 - link

    Firewall is just like a wall which protects your PC from external useless things. You can restrict the website if you want to not to open on your PC. Hardware and Software firewall do same work but in a different manner. I also have a website which provides <a href=" https://mailhelp.net/"> Amazon Webmail Support </a> to solve your email related problems.
  • gmailsupport - Monday, March 19, 2018 - link

    Firewall is just like a wall which protects your PC from external useless things. You can restrict the website if you want to not to open on your PC. Hardware and Software firewall do same work but in a different manner. I also have a website which provides Amazon Webmail Support to solve your email related problems.
    https://mailhelp.net/

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