Hardware and Network Requirements
Overview
As well as supplying leading edge software, Mott MacDonald can meet all your hardware and networking needs. From a standalone server to a full LAN, your CDMF solution can include a full range of hardware options:
- single server, hosting application and database
- twin server solution, with dedicated database server and application server
- replicated architecture, with various cold/warm/hot standby options
- versatile adapter architecture, allowing load balancing for high throughput systems
We supply industry standard HP Proliant servers. These can be supplied in a number of different configurations of memory, CPU and disk storage.
Whichever hardware architecture is chosen, Mott MacDonald can provide a cost effective migration path for your system as your business requirements grow.
Hardware requirements
Server requirements
The server requirements vary depending on the expected system load attributable to number of data sources and volume of data, as well as the number of users. The suggested requirements for a moderate system are:
- Intel Xeon 3.06Ghz
- 512MB RAM
- Approximately 100Gb disk space, configured as RAID 1 OS partition (10Gb), RAID 1 application partition (5Gb), RAID 5 data partition (85Gb)
- SDLT/DLT/Ultrium tape drive
- Windows 2003 Server
We would also recommend that the server is equipped with redundant fans, redundant power supplies and lights-out management capability. Our team can advise on more specific requirements when your business requirements have been analysed
Workstation requirements
The Viewer application should be deployed on PC hardware that meets the following minimum specification:
- Intel Pentium 4 1.5Ghz processor
- 256MB RAM
- 20GB Hard disk
- 16MB Graphics card
- Mouse, keyboard
- 19” screen with minimum resolution of 1024x768 (recommended 1280x1024)
- Windows 2000 Professional with the latest service packs and security patches from Microsoft
Network requirements
The GUI requires a continuously available Internet connection to receive updates. A non-dedicated leased line or ADSL service with fixed IP address is suitable for these purposes.
The GUI will make outgoing connections on a known port to the Central Server. Control of connections will remain entirely within the client's network.
For security reasons, the Central Server only accepts connections from known IP addresses. This requires the GUI to present a fixed registered IP address when it makes connections to the Central Server. If necessary, it is possible for the discrimination by IP address to be by a known subnet rather than a single fixed address. Network Address Translation does not normally cause a problem.
The bandwidth requirements of the GUI are modest. In certain circumstances, during start-up, it may be necessary to download a significant amount of data. In normal operation, it is possible to run 3 or 4 GUIs on the equivalent of a single 56k modem.
It is eminently possible to use the GUI using an ISDN or modem dial-up connection to an ISP. The only points to note are that the ISP must offer a fixed IP address service and that the connection must be continuous if updates are to be received. If the dial-up connection is allowed to drop then it will be necessary to log back into the system.