The type of processor and the amount of RAM you choose for your system can affect the performance of your server. For example, in laboratory conditions an 80486DX/50 computer with 52 MB of RAM running Microsoft Windows NT Server and Internet Information Server can handle more than 100 simultaneous users or sessions.
The number of simultaneous users your server can handle varies according to the type of session that is open and other factors. A server is able to accommodate more users when they are running sessions that are not processor-intensive, such as electronic mail (e-mail), Telnet, and FTP. Sessions that are processor-intensive include those that run Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts, make database queries, and download Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) files.
Table 2.3 lists the minimum and recommended hardware needed to run Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 and Internet Information Server.
Table 2.3 Hardware Requirements and Recommendations
Hardware requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
Processor | 50 MHz 486 | 90 MHz Pentium® |
RAM | 16 MB | 32 to 64 MB |
Free hard disk space | 50 | 200 |
Monitor | VGA | Super VGA |
CD-ROM drive | 3X | 6X |
The amount of RAM needed by your server is dependent on a number of factors, including:
Taking into consideration all of these variables, a general guideline is to allow about 256K of RAM per simultaneous user.
The Web site for Microsoft, www.microsoft.com, handles three million requests a day. In a 24-hour time period, this averages more than 2,000 hits per minute.
The www.microsoft.com Web site consists of two computers running Internet Information Server on Microsoft Windows NT Server. Each computer has multiple 66-MHz Intel Pentium processors, 8 GB of usable hard disk space, and 128 MB of RAM. One computer uses four Pentium processors and the other uses two.