Re: Broadcom/Serverworks chipsets (was Re: a few simple questions about AMD64 version of Debian)
On Thu, Dec 21, 2006 at 09:14:07AM -0800, Freddie Cash wrote: > > > > Has someone experience with k8 Broadcom/Serverworks chips? > > > > > > Excellent question. I'd be interested in hearing from people that > > > have used/tried motherboards using this chipset. It appears to be > > > the only other choice in server boards if once avoids nForce boards. > > > > You're supposedly talking about HT1000 and the like? SuperMicro's H8SSL > > motherboard series is based on this chipset, and there's a 640+ node > > cluster based on this board at U Wisconsin Milwaukee (and soon here > > too). What do you want to know? > > Yes, the HT1000 and similar ServerWords chipsets. These are the only > other non-nForce server chipsets out there (other than Intel, but we > prefer Opterons to Xeons). > > How's the Linux support, Debian specifically? We're using Tyan boards for For Linux support, look at http://lsc-group.phys.uwm.edu and proceed to the Nemo cluster. They have set up quite a lot of documentation. While Nemo is running FC4, we @AEI decided to install Debian (Etch) onto our cluster which is still in an early test phase (only about 1/8 of the hardware being delivered). Basically, if you build your own kernels (we had to to have support for Areca RAID controllers, and the Gilgal eth chip on one of the headnodes [purchased separately]) you're fine. We've been using FAI to diagnose and install three different types of hardware, and it went smoothly (OK, three years of FAI experience before...) > all our servers, but have been notified that the S2882 boards we love may > be phased out in 2007, so we're looking for possible replacements. Are Everything that works will soon be end-of-life. > all the onboard devices detected and usable? Starting with which version > of the kernel? Specifically, the NICs. Also, how is the hardware > management (SMBus, I2C, temperature monitoring, etc)? Is there remote > management (inband or out-of-band) available for the motherboard? NICs are tg3, kernel 2.6.17 has recent drivers. For health monitoring, we use IPMI (which conflicts with lm_sensors). Also IPMI can do remote power on/off/whatever, serial-over-LAN etc. > And, finally, does all of the above work with the 64-bit version of > Debian? We never tried i386 :-) S -- Steffen Grunewald * MPI Grav.Phys.(AEI) * Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam Cluster Admin * http://pandora.aei.mpg.de/merlin/ * http://www.aei.mpg.de/ * e-mail: steffen.grunewald(*)aei.mpg.de * +49-331-567-{fon:7233,fax:7298} No Word/PPT mails - http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Broadcom/Serverworks chipsets (was Re: a few simple questions about AMD64 version of Debian)
On Thursday 21 December 2006 03:37 am, Steffen Grunewald wrote: > On Wed, Dec 20, 2006 at 01:47:51PM -0800, Freddie Cash wrote: > > On Wednesday 20 December 2006 12:44 pm, Marco Maske wrote: > > > Has someone experience with k8 Broadcom/Serverworks chips? > > > > Excellent question. I'd be interested in hearing from people that > > have used/tried motherboards using this chipset. It appears to be > > the only other choice in server boards if once avoids nForce boards. > > You're supposedly talking about HT1000 and the like? SuperMicro's H8SSL > motherboard series is based on this chipset, and there's a 640+ node > cluster based on this board at U Wisconsin Milwaukee (and soon here > too). What do you want to know? Yes, the HT1000 and similar ServerWords chipsets. These are the only other non-nForce server chipsets out there (other than Intel, but we prefer Opterons to Xeons). How's the Linux support, Debian specifically? We're using Tyan boards for all our servers, but have been notified that the S2882 boards we love may be phased out in 2007, so we're looking for possible replacements. Are all the onboard devices detected and usable? Starting with which version of the kernel? Specifically, the NICs. Also, how is the hardware management (SMBus, I2C, temperature monitoring, etc)? Is there remote management (inband or out-of-band) available for the motherboard? And, finally, does all of the above work with the 64-bit version of Debian? -- Freddie Cash, LPIC-2 CCNT CCLP Network Support Technician School District 73 (250) 377-HELP [377-4357] [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Broadcom/Serverworks chipsets (was Re: a few simple questions about AMD64 version of Debian)
On Wed, Dec 20, 2006 at 01:47:51PM -0800, Freddie Cash wrote: > > Has someone experience with k8 Broadcom/Serverworks chips? > > Excellent question. I'd be interested in hearing from people that have > used/tried motherboards using this chipset. It appears to be the only > other choice in server boards if once avoids nForce boards. I'm running a K8SSA (S3870), it is completely supported by the kernel but it is not as stable as I hoped. There are occasional lockups that appear to be related to the (s)ata controller (still running 2.6.16.x) I specifically got this board for it's legacy PCI slots, but not all PCI cards will work (can't get firewire or cardbus to work). I have no idea if that is a kernel problem (most likely for the cardbus controller) or with the systemboard (IOMMU related I guess). The TARO/SAS expansion is kind of supported since 2.6.19, but the rc releases didn't have support for SATA on the SAS controller (AIC9140). I hoped to use this relatively cheap controller to drive lots of disks. -- When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all. Daniel Tryba -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Broadcom/Serverworks chipsets (was Re: a few simple questions about AMD64 version of Debian)
On Wed, Dec 20, 2006 at 01:47:51PM -0800, Freddie Cash wrote: > On Wednesday 20 December 2006 12:44 pm, Marco Maske wrote: > > Has someone experience with k8 Broadcom/Serverworks chips? > > Excellent question. I'd be interested in hearing from people that have > used/tried motherboards using this chipset. It appears to be the only > other choice in server boards if once avoids nForce boards. You're supposedly talking about HT1000 and the like? SuperMicro's H8SSL motherboard series is based on this chipset, and there's a 640+ node cluster based on this board at U Wisconsin Milwaukee (and soon here too). What do you want to know? S -- Steffen Grunewald * MPI Grav.Phys.(AEI) * Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam Cluster Admin * http://pandora.aei.mpg.de/merlin/ * http://www.aei.mpg.de/ * e-mail: steffen.grunewald(*)aei.mpg.de * +49-331-567-{fon:7233,fax:7298} No Word/PPT mails - http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Broadcom/Serverworks chipsets (was Re: a few simple questions about AMD64 version of Debian)
On Wednesday 20 December 2006 12:44 pm, Marco Maske wrote: > Has someone experience with k8 Broadcom/Serverworks chips? Excellent question. I'd be interested in hearing from people that have used/tried motherboards using this chipset. It appears to be the only other choice in server boards if once avoids nForce boards. -- Freddie Cash, LPIC-2 CCNT CCLP Network Support Technician School District 73 (250) 377-HELP [377-4357] [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]