[geeks] Rackmount server recommendations

[Mike Parson]

On Thu, May 20, 2004 at 08:55:15AM -0500, Bill Bradford wrote:
> I need recommendations for rackmount servers.
> 
> I'm in need (well, helping a friend look actually) of a couple of rackmount
> machines, 1/2/3U, preferrably around 1Ghz (but not essential), 512M RAM,
> 10/100 ethernet, IDE disks, CD-ROM.  Need to be able to run RedHat.
> 
> His projected budget is around $500 each.  Unfortunately, eBay is *not* an
> option - I need to be able to point him at a web page and say "buy this and
> that".
> 
> I've looked at Dell, Gateway, HP, IBM, and Penguin Computing.  Any other
> vendors I should be aware of?

I built up this host (bl.org) from random parts bought from random
vendors on the net.  A friend and I spent half a day on google
price-watch to piece it together.

In the end, I wound up with a 1U box, Intel i810E MB, Celeron 533, 128MB
RAM, 13G HD for ~$750. (this was May 2000).

The most expensive part there was the case, $268, + $7 for the
rear-mount ears, and another $7 for the low-profile CPU fan.

You can probably get 1U cases for cheaper these days, in fact, quick search 
on froogle gives us:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=244274

$108.

1Ghz processors and slower mean you can probably get by with PC100/PC133
RAM, cheaper than DDR.  My 1U case had 2 3.5" drive bays and 1 5.25"
bay, which now are filled with a floppy and two HDs (no CDROM, though
arguably, I might get more use out of a CDROM than a floppy in a colo-ed
system).  I've seen cases that have 3 3.5" bays, one of them internal,
and still have the 5.25" external for the CD.  Pay a little more and you
can find systems with a lap-top style floppy/CD combo.

I'm sure it can be done, just gonna take some shopping around.  Probably
not gonna find it in a one-stop shop and almost definatley not gonna
find it with a name-brand logo on the front.

-- 
Michael Parson
mparson at bl.org