Re: [ubuntu-uk] Micro-ATX server advice
Hi Tim, On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 05:51:29PM +, Tim Dobson wrote: > So we are looking at putting together a custom server in a micro-ATX > sized case with the provisio that it needs to be able to accomodate a > full height PCI/PCI-E card. > > Who does one go to for Micro-ATX server-grade motherboards? I'd be interested in knowing too, as every micro-atx / mini-itx board I've seen so far has been unsuitable because they have no out of band management features (e.g. serial port with BIOS redirection, or IPMI, or full LOM). Never seen ECC RAM either but then that's unusual on any embedded sort of board and is not a dealbreaker. This won't help you because of your full height PCI-E requirement, but personally for low power low performance server requirements I've been really happy with the Soekris (http://www.soekris.com/) range of equipment, but they are not cheap. Your full height PCI-E requirement is odd as of course that rules out most rackmount cases too. Perhaps you would be best off buying a normal server motherboard and putting it in a conventional case with some low power components? Cheers, Andy -- http://bitfolk.com/ -- No-nonsense VPS hosting signature.asc Description: Digital signature -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
Re: [ubuntu-uk] Micro-ATX server advice
On 17/11/09 17:51, Tim Dobson wrote: > Hey there, > > I wonder if anyone can help as this isn't exactly something I have a lot > of experience doing and I can either start off in the direction I think > looks best and possibly regret it later or I can ask for some pointers... > > So we are looking at putting together a custom server in a micro-ATX > sized case with the provisio that it needs to be able to accomodate a > full height PCI/PCI-E card. > > Who does one go to for Micro-ATX server-grade motherboards? > > Sorry, I'm slightly clueless in the land of putting *servers* together > and I wonder if anyone would be able to give me a few pointers in ther > right directions.. Hmmm, clearly the level of reliability you are looking for will dictate what and if you can get appropriate components. However, I have, at home, a VIA C7 based MiniITX mobo, with an X100p (PCI) line card for analogue telephony and a decent HDD. This has been running (24/7) for nearly 2 years now without incident. I use it for our home data store and our telephone system (Asterisk), and I also use it for hosting web development projects, e.g. Joomla!, Wordpress etc. It's running Ubuntu Server and is managed by Landscape. The vendors I have used for ITX based hardware include: http://linitx.com/ http://www.mini-itx.com/ FYI - I chose the following Mobo because of it's dual GigE LAN interfaces: http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=11212 and I have downclocked it to 1Ghz which is ample for what I need. HTH Al -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
Re: [ubuntu-uk] Micro-ATX server advice
On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:28:30 -, Tony Travis wrote: > Steve wrote: >>> >> Depends what you mean by a server and what you intend it to do. Any old >> PC can be a server. > > Not quite - Any old PC can indeed run server software, but 'commodity' > motherboards are not designed to be run continuously and most of the > motherboards designed for 'desktop' PC use don't have ECC memory. > > I built a Beowulf cluster with 88 'commodity' desktop systems and it has > been a difficult task to get them to run reliably 24/7/365. We got there > in the end, but only by replacing about 25% of the 'cheap' RAM using > brand-name RAM and testing it a lot using "memtest86+" and "memtester": > >http://www.memtest.org/ >http://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/ > > You should at the very least stress test your RAM for server use, but > it's better to use ECC memory instead on a motherboard that supports it. > > This site has quite a lot of info about SFF systems: > >http://www.sfftech.com/ > > HTH, > >Tony. Couldn’t agree more about memory if you’re running 24/7/365 and this recent report from google backs that up http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139161/Google_DRAM_error_rates_vastly_higher_than_previously_thought -- Steve -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
Re: [ubuntu-uk] Micro-ATX server advice
Steve wrote: > On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:51:29 -, Tim Dobson wrote: > >> Hey there, >> >> I wonder if anyone can help as this isn't exactly something I have a lot >> of experience doing and I can either start off in the direction I think >> looks best and possibly regret it later or I can ask for some pointers... >> >> So we are looking at putting together a custom server in a micro-ATX >> sized case with the provisio that it needs to be able to accomodate a >> full height PCI/PCI-E card. >> >> Who does one go to for Micro-ATX server-grade motherboards? Hello, Steve and Tim.. By 'server-grade' you normally mean designed for 24/7/365 operation and ECC memory, PCI-X slots and these days 64-bit CPU's. This is quite a lot to put on a Micro-ATX motherboard and cram into an SFF (Small Form Factor) case, but IWIll did exactly this with the Zmaxdp and Zmaxd2: http://www.flextronics.com/iwill/product_2.asp?p_id=36 http://www.flextronics.com/iwill/product_2.asp?p_id=105 I bought four Zmaxdp's and three Zmaxd2's, of which only two Zmaxd2's are still in use: The Zmaxdp's were impossible to keep cool with standard Opterons in them and the PSU's were overrun, eventually failing and now passing the point of economical repair. My reason for sharing this sad tale of woe with you is that SFF servers are notoriously difficult to build and even more difficult to keep cool. The Zmaxdp/d2 PSU's are impossible to obtain and mine can't be repaired now (most have already been repaired). I've now used the CPU's RAM and disks in standard 12x13 SuperMicro server motherboards instead... >> Sorry, I'm slightly clueless in the land of putting *servers* together >> and I wonder if anyone would be able to give me a few pointers in ther >> right directions.. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Tim >> > Depends what you mean by a server and what you intend it to do. Any old > PC can be a server. Not quite - Any old PC can indeed run server software, but 'commodity' motherboards are not designed to be run continuously and most of the motherboards designed for 'desktop' PC use don't have ECC memory. I built a Beowulf cluster with 88 'commodity' desktop systems and it has been a difficult task to get them to run reliably 24/7/365. We got there in the end, but only by replacing about 25% of the 'cheap' RAM using brand-name RAM and testing it a lot using "memtest86+" and "memtester": http://www.memtest.org/ http://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/ You should at the very least stress test your RAM for server use, but it's better to use ECC memory instead on a motherboard that supports it. This site has quite a lot of info about SFF systems: http://www.sfftech.com/ HTH, Tony. -- Dr. A.J.Travis, University of Aberdeen, Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, Scotland, UK tel +44(0)1224 712751, fax +44(0)1224 716687, http://www.rowett.ac.uk mailto:a.tra...@abdn.ac.uk, http://bioinformatics.rri.sari.ac.uk/~ajt -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
Re: [ubuntu-uk] Micro-ATX server advice
On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:51:29 -, Tim Dobson wrote: > Hey there, > > I wonder if anyone can help as this isn't exactly something I have a lot > of experience doing and I can either start off in the direction I think > looks best and possibly regret it later or I can ask for some pointers... > > So we are looking at putting together a custom server in a micro-ATX > sized case with the provisio that it needs to be able to accomodate a > full height PCI/PCI-E card. > > Who does one go to for Micro-ATX server-grade motherboards? > > Sorry, I'm slightly clueless in the land of putting *servers* together > and I wonder if anyone would be able to give me a few pointers in ther > right directions.. > > Cheers, > > Tim > Depends what you mean by a server and what you intend it to do. Any old PC can be a server. -- Steve -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
[ubuntu-uk] Micro-ATX server advice
Hey there, I wonder if anyone can help as this isn't exactly something I have a lot of experience doing and I can either start off in the direction I think looks best and possibly regret it later or I can ask for some pointers... So we are looking at putting together a custom server in a micro-ATX sized case with the provisio that it needs to be able to accomodate a full height PCI/PCI-E card. Who does one go to for Micro-ATX server-grade motherboards? Sorry, I'm slightly clueless in the land of putting *servers* together and I wonder if anyone would be able to give me a few pointers in ther right directions.. Cheers, Tim -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
