[geeks] I know it's really just an Intel server, but...

[Lionel Peterson]

>From: Patrick Giagnocavo <patrick at zill.net>
>Date: 2008/06/26 Thu AM 10:58:52 EDT
>To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
>Subject: Re: [geeks] I know it's really just an Intel server, but...

>Lionel Peterson wrote:
>>> From: Lionel Peterson <lionel4287 at verizon.net>
>>> Date: 2008/06/26 Thu AM 09:53:25 EDT
>>> To: geeks at sunhelp.org
>>> Subject: [geeks] I know it's really just an Intel server, but...
>> 
>Personally I have found a far better deal is the V20z with dual 
>Opterons, and ***a real LOM*** is integrated into it.  They go for 
>anywhere from about $200 bare with dual CPUs on up.  Used instead of new 
>old stock, but they are pretty solidly built systems.

The Intel MB-based V60x and V65x offer Serial over Lan (for some reason abbreviated as SOL), console re-direction, and some sort of Intel remote management interface (IPMI? Not sure of the name).

The V20z does look like a nice deal, but one of the appealing things (to me) is the 6 hot-swap bays on the front of the V65x. The ones I linked to have single PS (not redundant) and CD-ROM (not the optional DVD-ROM), but as New-Old-Stock, I think they are a pretty good value (since all the rack hardware is included, for instance - that can run you $75-150 depending on how badly you need the rails NOW vs. waiting for a deal)...

Both are fine machines, the V65x has more room for storage, the V20z is 1U and has only two HD trays. If the V20z had SATA storage support internally, it would be very appealing, but as a two-bay SCSI server, I like the 6-bay V65x.

Anyone have any hands-on exp. with the V65x? I'm curious about known problems or gotcha's with that box. I've got a Dell PowerEdge 2650 that was pimped-out with 6x 2 Gig DIMMs, 3x 146 Gig SCSI and 2x 33 Gig HDs that got abused in transit... I could pull all the RAM/HDs, install them in proper sleds, and transfer them all to a V65x, giving me a 12 Gig, dual prog server with a big dallop of local SCSI storage... And eBay the PE2650 with the 2 Gigs of RAM left-over from the Sun V65x...

Of course, the Sun logo on the facia is nice too. ;^)

Lionel