The Blue Bell, Pa., OEM and its key partner will demonstrate the forthcoming 64-bit OS Windows .Net Server 2003, Datacenter Edition and 64-bit SQL Server running on Unisys’ 32-way ES7000 SMP server at the Windows conference.
Unisys & Ms to Demonstrate the Most Powerful Windows Server Ever
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However, I feel that performance will degrade over time, much like it does with all other MS Windows based systems, as the Registry becomes bloated as normal operations are peformed with this server.
Talking about Registry back-ups is wonderful. The only problem with that is that the registry back-up from 6 months ago will not have all the software that was added, registry tweaks and configuration changes that were performed in the intervening months. Also, over time those back-ups will increase in size as the registry increases in size.
Until the registry is radically rewritten. I believe that Microsoft Windows simply will not be taken extremely seriously in mission critical applications.
Sure, a Binary Registry is much faster then the flat plain text files of UNIX. However, both can be used, like KDE does. If the Binary Registry of KDE is hosed, it is tossed away by KDE and regenerated by the flat plain text files that are sitting there waiting for that purpose. The nice thing is that those flat plain text files are fully up to date with the KDE binary registry.
All those wasted processors. Why would anyone buy a something that is a stop gap effort, is a first generation 64bit OS when so many platforms have mature offerings.
Also why not use the upcoming Hammer in the Unisys server. NO wasted processors not even a chance of wasting any capacity.
Lastly, please tell me what advantage a Windows 64 bit Server offers compared to any 64bit Unix. Is it the new .Net server?
Thanks, I am in great need of some education.
Unisys is working on new versions of the ES7000 that will scale up to 128 processors (running Windows), probably within another year or so.
RE: Windows Registry – On recent versions of Windows, the registry is backed up (just the delta, actually, so it is very fast) every single time any substantial change is made to the operating system (software installs, driver updates, etc.) as part of the “system restore” feature, so that painless rollbacks can be done at any time. Even Windows XP does this.
How does and will the cost compare with existing solutions?
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020718S0009
Some pricing info on ES7000s is at the above link, FWIW.
Thanks for the link.
// The only problem with that is that the registry back-up from 6 months ago will not have all the software that was added, registry tweaks and configuration changes that were performed in the intervening months//
Er…anybody who adds that much software to a server (*nix or Windows) within 180 days needs to have their head examined.
Most servers in this class run a handful of apps. So, the registry six months from now shouldn’t look all that different.
Only* $700,000 for the top model. Im puttin that on my discover!
Well, every so often, you do have a service pack, or two or three hotfixes to the OS and/or that “handful of applications” that do change important parts of the registry. This is not stupid or irresponsible, it’s just a fact of running servers. Now that that’s out of the way, I must say that the others were right — newer versions of Windows DO back up the registry MUCH more frequently and quickly. You can even do a little bit of scripting to set how often it does so and where it’s backed up to.
I just think it would be nice if the registry was split up more. Instead of just 2 or 3 “dat” files, you could have several in a simplified protected directory structure. It shouldn’t cause THAT much of a speed hit if their file system is fast enough, and they could cache the most used bits and pieces in memory. I mean, would a server really need all of its Outlook Express and Windows Media player settings cached in RAM with everything else all the time?
And, since the only OFFICIAL way to modify the registry is using regedit and regsvr32, they could do this transparently to the users.
–JM
Yaaawwwwwwwnnnnnnn.
Who cares.
>>I just think it would be nice if the registry was split up more. Instead of just 2 or 3 “dat” files, you could have several in a simplified protected directory structure.<<
What, you think NT/2k/XP/.Net have the same registry structure as Windows 9x?
The files used to construct the registry are located in the \%systemroot%system32config directory as follows:
%Systemroot%System32ConfigSam
%Systemroot%System32ConfigSecurity
%Systemroot%System32ConfigSoftware
%Systemroot%System32ConfigSystem
%Systemroot%System32ConfigSystem
%Systemroot%System32ConfigDefault
%Systemroot%System32ConfigUserdiff
%Systemroot%ProfilesNtuser.dat
Is eight enough for you?
The registry is constructed at boot time from these files, as well as from data received regarding the state of hardware from NTLDR, and held in memory (either physical or paged). Provided you have a decent amount of memory ( 256 MB should suffice), you get a fantastic improvement in application performance (IMHO)
Also, I think you meant regedt32 to edit the registry – as it is the preferred tool (according to MS) to edit the registry (and NOT regedit – go figure). Regsvr32 is supposed to be used for troubleshooting purposes to register and unregister OLE controls like dll’s or OCX controls that are self registerable, but have failed to register properly (or their entries have become corrupt).
For every other non-Microsoft goody good company, we give it to them. But right now…. noooooooo.
Let’s just wait till it comes out and see how good it is. Okay?