Netscape SuiteSpot Internet UNIX AlphaServer 800 DIGITAL

This document, published in September 1997 by Digital Equipment Corporation, provides an overview of the DIGITAL HiTest Suite for Netscape SuiteSpot Internet UNIX on the AlphaServer 800. It details the interoperability test results and serves as a guide for configuring systems for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Intranet users.

The suite comprises Netscape SuiteSpot (including Enterprise, News, Mail, Proxy Servers, and LiveWire) and DIGITAL UNIX V4.0B. Key aspects covered include:

• Configuration Data: Specifies the range of hardware (e.g., 128-384 MB memory, 2-4 x 4.3 GB disks) and software components, their revision levels, and special configuration rules like mandatory AdvsFS and specific disk partitioning for minimum and maximum configurations.
• System Installation and Setup: Provides guidelines for hardware installation, disk storage configuration (e.g., root, swap, /usr, /var partitions), DIGITAL UNIX 4.0B operating system installation (all kernel options and subsets, lazy swap), and Netscape SuiteSpot application setup.
• Interoperability Tests and Results: Confirms successful testing of the Netscape SuiteSpot Internet UNIX AlphaServer 800 HiTest Suite. Tests involved load generation using multiple AlphaStation 600s, Fast Ethernet connections, and tools such as WebTest, NNTP (News), and MailTest. All processes ran successfully for both minimum and maximum hardware configurations.
• System Limits and Characterization Data: Presents performance metrics from 12-hour tests. WebTest processed over 1 million pages with throughputs of 1 MB/s (min config) and 2.95 MB/s (max config). Mail Testing showed sender throughputs of 2830 msgs/s (min) and 3127 msgs/s (max), and receiver throughputs of 16 msgs/s (min) and 25 msgs/s (max). NNTP Testing achieved reader throughputs of 52,292 articles/min (min) and 73,941 articles/min (max), and poster throughputs of 56.4 articles/min (min) and 142.06 articles/min (max).
• Problems and Resolutions: No hardware problems were identified. Installation issues where root or /usr partitions filled up were resolved by adhering to the recommended disk partitioning tables provided in the document.

The document is intended for sales representatives, technical support, product managers, customers, and personnel involved in installing, setting up, and operating a DIGITAL HiTest Suite. It also includes a detailed hardware configuration appendix with system diagrams, motherboard layouts, PCI slot usage, and disk architecture.