[KLUG Members] Server recommendations?
Robert Roye
members@kalamazoolinux.org
Tue, 18 May 2004 08:16:03 -0500
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Message: 9
Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 14:14:20 -0400
From: Adam Tauno Williams <adam@morrison-ind.com>
To: members@kalamazoolinux.org
Subject: Re: [KLUG Members] Server recommendations?
Reply-To: members@kalamazoolinux.org
> >We are looking at upgrading some old (Linux/x86) servers here and
> >would like some hardware recommendations.
> >The IBM Blade Centers look interesting. Anyone run Linux on them?
> What about this? http://www.aberdeeninc.com/abcatg/Stirling-S10.htm
That looks like a nice box, but for servers I recommend to avoid assemble-it
shops (which Aberdeen is). Go here for this driver, there for that driver,
over yonder for your BIOS or flash update, etc... What permutations of
these are happy with each other? "Not our problem." Also my experience is
that assemble-it shops also tend to have problems getting things like
cooling and cable routing right, resulting in hotter and noticably LOUDER
boxes. Buy a server class machine from IBM, HP, or even Dell, and all
relavent information is at URL XYZ along with updates and part information.
Upgrading an assemble-it box, after the assemble-it shop has moved on to the
next model (about every 15 minutes:) and you can find yourself descending
into stepping and rev-level hell. Whereas IBM says "this FRU# works"; and
then you head over to E-bay, search by FRU#, buy.
____________________________________________
I disagree, but that's hardly surprising as I work in an "assemble-it" shop.
If you go to a place that has competent people running it you will not have
those issues. HP or Dell or Gateway or even IBM assemble their drivers and
then locate them in a single place. So do I. It isn't on my website
unfortunately, but that's a step I plan to take later. I'll also put my
cabling skills against theirs any time. Our Mac guy that just quite was a
genius at running cabling and I learned well. We always called his jobs
"stealth wiring" and it was accurate.
What I have found is that I'd rather get an "assemble-it" box any day over
"stamp out 500 of these before lunch" shops that churn out machines on a
conveyor belt and have little to no care in their production. Once they move
to another model, your only support for them is either in India or a
website. Anything needs fixed - ship it off for 2 or 3 weeks and hope it
actually works when you get it back. Oh, and forget about that data thing,
it's all gone. I think I'll stick with my little "assemble-it" shop and get
personal service from people who know my name and actually care about my
business.
-Robert Roye
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<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'>Message: 9</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'>Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 14:14:20 -0400</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'>From: Adam Tauno Williams =
<adam@morrison-ind.com></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'>To: members@kalamazoolinux.org</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'>Subject: Re: [KLUG Members] Server =
recommendations?</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'>Reply-To: members@kalamazoolinux.org</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'>> >We are looking at upgrading some old (Linux/x86) =
servers here
and </span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'>> >would like some hardware =
recommendations.</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'>> >The IBM Blade Centers look interesting. Anyone =
run Linux
on them?</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'>> What about this?
http://www.aberdeeninc.com/abcatg/Stirling-S10.htm</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 face=3D"Courier New"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt'>That looks like a nice box, but for servers I recommend to avoid
assemble-it shops (which Aberdeen is). Go here for this driver, =
there for
that driver, over yonder for your BIOS or flash update, etc... =
What
permutations of these are happy with each other? "Not our
problem." Also my experience is that assemble-it shops also =
tend to
have problems getting things like cooling and cable routing right,
resulting in hotter and noticably LOUDER boxes. Buy a server class
machine from IBM, HP, or even Dell, and all relavent information is at =
URL XYZ
along with updates and part information. Upgrading an assemble-it =
box,
after the assemble-it shop has moved on to the next model (about every =
15
minutes:) and you can find yourself descending into stepping and =
rev-level
hell. Whereas IBM says "this FRU# works"; and then you =
head
over to E-bay, search by FRU#, buy.</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Courier =
New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Courier =
New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>__________________________________=
__________</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Courier =
New"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack =
face=3DVerdana><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>I disagree, =
but that's
hardly surprising as I work in an "assemble-it" shop. If you =
go to a
place that has competent people running it you will not have those =
issues. HP
or Dell or Gateway or even IBM assemble their drivers and then locate =
them in a
single place. So do I. It isn't on my website unfortunately, but that's =
a step
I plan to take later. I'll also put my cabling skills against theirs any =
time. Our
Mac guy that just quite was a genius at running cabling and I learned =
well. We
always called his jobs "stealth wiring" and it was =
accurate.</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack =
face=3DVerdana><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'> </span><=
/font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack =
face=3DVerdana><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>What I have =
found is
that I'd rather get an "assemble-it" box any day over =
"stamp out
500 of these before lunch" shops that churn out machines on a =
conveyor belt
and have little to no care in their production. Once they move to =
another
model, your only support for them is either in India or a website. =
Anything
needs fixed - ship it off for 2 or 3 weeks and hope it actually works =
when you
get it back. Oh, and forget about that data thing, it's all gone. I =
think I'll
stick with my little "assemble-it" shop and get personal =
service from
people who know my name and actually care about my =
business.</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack =
face=3DVerdana><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'> </span><=
/font></p>
<p class=3DMsoPlainText><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack =
face=3DVerdana><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>-Robert =
Roye</span></font></p>
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