Re: ECC RAM failure data - jre
On Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 03:19:56AM -0800, john_re wrote:
> Do you use ECC RAM? Do you have any data about failure rates?
>
> I'm evaluating this for a system with 8GB DRAM, &
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_random_access_memory#Errors_and_error_correction
> says
> "Tests[ecc]give widely varying error rates, but about 10-12upset/bit-hr
> is typical, roughly one bit error, per month, per gigabyte of memory.
>
> In most computers used for serious scientific or financial computing and
> as servers, ECC is the rule rather than the exception, as can be seen by
> examining manufacturers' specifications."
>
>
> So, for that data 8GB DRAM is about 8 errors per month, ie about
> one per 3-4 days.
>
> What rates do you have?
I don't know. Does a box with ECC tell you?
A non-ECC box that has an error may just show up as a random
non-reproducable error of a range of severity. A piece of software may
crash, a comma turn into a period in a letter you're writing, who knows.
I think its the "who knows" factor that makes ECC worth it in some
applications.
Doug.
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