[geeks] Cluster in a box? Interesting item on offer at eBay

[Lionel Peterson]

Update:

Had some time today, and after some difficulty I created a bootable USB
flash drive with the install bits for Windows  Server 2012 R2 (my SanDisk
Cruzer Fit wasn't seen as a viable drive by MS tool for making install USB
keys, but I really like it for this server because it's SOOO freaking
tiny!) and I installed the OS. The server blade MB has a USB Jack suitable
for installing a USB flash drive, but it stands straight up - the Cruzer
Fit it really about 1/8th inch taller than the USB Jack it plugs into (I
got three, one for each blade, as Best Buy had them on sale for $12.99/ea
for 16 Gig devices - an 8 Gig would have sufficed, but they were
$8.99/ea)...

It (Windows Server 2012 R2) installed without a hitch, identified all
hardware (but the video card has the generic MS video display
adapter driver), and booted up fine.

I'll try a Linux install as well, to test for compatibility - probably
Ubuntu Server 13.10.

I imagine ESXi would install fine as well, maybe I'll try it out as well.

I have it 'smoke testing' by running a twelve-thread SETI at Home client on
just one blade, once I make up two more bootable USB drives I'll bring the
other two blades on-line. The SETi at Home 'packets' are estimated to take 8
hours each... Does anyone have a burn-in tool they like better? I use
SETI at Home because it hammers the CPU - I could try running the MS SQL
Server Load Test tool to exercise the I/O subsystem, and I guess an HD
Performance exercise tool might be interesting (the MB has a a Promise SATA
RAID controller on-board).

I haven't put it on a kill-a-watt power meter yet, but the current draw for
one blade seems quite reasonable.

I'm either losing my hearing OR the noise out of this server isn't as bad
as it first seemed. I think I could have this server running in my office
and it wouldn't drive me crazy - assuming there was 5-10 foot gap between
me and the box.

The processors are AMD 2419EE CPUs.

That's it for now,

Lionel


-- 
Lionel Peterson
lionel4287 at gmail.com