[SunRescue] Re: NetApps?

[Robert Novak]

I thought I heard a "Hatle, Steven J." say:
> 
> Later generations were Pentium machines, and currently I believe they are
> all Alphas. I've played with the current product, and while there have been
> many hardware and software improvements, a 2001 filer isn't _that_ different
> from my 1994 filer. The OS still comes on two floppies, and it takes about
> 10 minutes to configure a basic install. 

Actually, believe it or not, they're back to ia32/x86. The new machines
are Coppermine/P3 to allow for multiprocessor controllers (I guess they
couldn't hack the alpha smp on two floppies). The other big difference is
they've gone from SCSI to FC, although even the F8x0 will handle a limited
number of scsi drives.

The F230 was a Pentium 90. F520 was Alpha, and F8x0 is back to Pentium
3.There's more memory in the new ones, clustering features, and other
little things.

And the prices aren't *that* bad compared to other new stuff. I have been
considering them, Sun (not for long though, T3 isn't terribly
cost-effective), and a third-party hybrid LVD-internal/FC-external array.
I'd like them to be cheaper but they're not much higher than the noname
product.

The tech I met with at their facility for a demo last week has one at
home, but the sales rep didn't seem to like the thought of selling me an
outdated box for my home setting. Guess I'll have to keep my eyes out, or
just finish building one of my Mylex kits.

raidzone.com has some of the ATA/IDE arrays by the way--they advertise in
linux journal among others. However, their web site is unusable from
here... ymmv.

Rob

-- 
Robert Novak, Indyramp Consulting * rnovak at indyramp.com * indyramp.com/~rnovak
        "And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
           Maybe this year will be better than the last...." -- counting crows