[rescue] Cheapest Cray?

[Dave McGuire]

On Apr 26, 2004, at 4:08 AM, Bjvrn Ramqvist wrote:
>>   In some cases, yes.  The machines have backplanes, and CPU & memory
>> modules fit into slots.  You can snag those modules (be they boards
>> like in the EL or big metal "subchassis" like in the J90) from one
>> machine to put 'em in the other.  That's what I did with a J90 that I
>> bought a couple of years ago...used it to expand my existing one and
>> have some spare power supplies, backplane, and rack components.  I
>> don't like buying vendor maintenance contracts. :)
>
> Is your J90 anywhere close to beeing maxed out, and/or are you
> planning on expanding it?

   It is currently half-populated...eight CPUs, and it can take up to
sixteen.  I would love to expand it, but processor modules are
expensive.  It's a low priority for me right now, though, as the
machine is powered down.  When I build my income back up to a nice
respectable level again, I'll be able to run it full time.

> How do they interconnect these "subchassies" in the J90?

   Well they're modules that slide into a card cage of sorts.  Picture a
very thick PCB surrounded by a big, thick metal shield...sorta turning
it into a metal box about the size of a pizza box, with a shitload of
pins (really...THOUSANDS of pins) on the end.  This slides into a card
cage and plugs into the backplane.

   So they're basically cards which are very heavily individually
shielded.

          -Dave

--
Dave McGuire          "PC users only know two 'solutions'...
Cape Coral, FL          reboot and upgrade."    -Jonathan Patschke