30 day build, suggestions?

[SiegeTheDay]

I plan on completing the hardware in the next 30, and just want some direction or suggestions from experience before I go digging any more.

Of course, coming under budget is preferable.

Budget: $700ish

Physical environment: A home office, in a half-height rack (24U) so heat, noise, and power consumption are issues.

Goal: Be able to run a dozen VMs that wont have much load on each for most of the time.

This is for primarily home use/lab, doesn't need HA.

I have a network ZFS box, but it has a PCI-X board, so bus speed limited. I want to say I remember the max throughput that the board can handle was around 1.5Gbs

Guesses/variables: I would want 12+GB RAM ECC, 4 cores(or threads?) to keep 3 VMs per core max, I want a single disk to store VMs while network storage is down, or redundant to run VMs locally, and backup to network storage?


I have a 4U rackmount case with rails, and a 450 watt PS that I can use, but a glance at newegg puts just a board and proc at about $600 in any of the 'server' category hardware

I saw
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816110048
on another thread roughly $580 shipped, doesn't look like it has a proc or RAM.


If this isn't doable, the budget can be broken, it just extends the timeline.

 

[drake3]

In my lab at work and my home machine I am using the older SuperMicro X8SIL-F. It is entry level server/workstation, but has IPMI KVM which is awesome. I think it and and Lynnfield Xeon like the X3440 and 16GB of ECC should be less than $700.

The MB has three PCIe slots and a single PCI, but it is mATX, so make sure your 4U case can support that.

Hope this helps.

 

[SiegeTheDay]

Thanks, that looks good, heres my shopping list:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182211
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139931
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117225

Total is $578+ shipping. well under budget

8x2 for 16GB, leaving me 2 empty slots if I need to add more (unlikely, but possible)

With all the NewEgg comments on that proc, I may have to get a big honking heatsink and OC it.

I will likely install to a thumbdrive, and a single disk for VM storage to get started, then migrate to network storage, with the single disk as a backup plan for if network is lost.


I noticed a lot of comments about flaky java IPMI, that isn't a dealbreaker at all for me, but have you experienced it?

 

[dashpuppy]

I plan on completing the hardware in the next 30, and just want some direction or suggestions from experience before I go digging any more.

Of course, coming under budget is preferable.

Budget: $700ish

Physical environment: A home office, in a half-height rack (24U) so heat, noise, and power consumption are issues.

Goal: Be able to run a dozen VMs that wont have much load on each for most of the time.

This is for primarily home use/lab, doesn't need HA.

I have a network ZFS box, but it has a PCI-X board, so bus speed limited. I want to say I remember the max throughput that the board can handle was around 1.5Gbs

Guesses/variables: I would want 12+GB RAM ECC, 4 cores(or threads?) to keep 3 VMs per core max, I want a single disk to store VMs while network storage is down, or redundant to run VMs locally, and backup to network storage?


I have a 4U rackmount case with rails, and a 450 watt PS that I can use, but a glance at newegg puts just a board and proc at about $600 in any of the 'server' category hardware

I saw
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816110048
on another thread roughly $580 shipped, doesn't look like it has a proc or RAM.


If this isn't doable, the budget can be broken, it just extends the timeline.

I have the brother to this server, ( only 2 hot swap drives ) the one you linked has 4. I have to say, i love my asus server, its fast VERY VERY VERY must say again VERY quiet, I have soon to be 32 gigs ecc memory in it after boxing day, and a quad core xeon in it. VERY happy with it. Has 3 year warrantee, and for 500$ where do you go wrong. It works very well. Would i buy another one, HELLS YESS!!

 

[drake3]

I have not experienced any of the IPMI issues. I have four SuperMicro boards running the same IPMI chip (built-in) and they are all solid. I think they are actually better than the Dell iDRACs I have in my R610 servers.

Anyway, IPMI KVM is based on Java, and you can have problems any time you use a browser as your interface. So you have to make sure you have your Java runtime updated and run a compatible browser. I found IE9 and chrome does not work. I have to use either IE8 or Firefox to get the Java KVM working OK. Also, I have a console open on my left screen right now that has been opened for over a week. Now, the only thing it displays is an ESXi console, so very little traffic is being passed. And, add the complexity of the KVM/Java IPMI interface to those who like to call themselves "tech experts" on NewEgg - well, you will have issues.

With that being said, once you get used to IPMI and remote media you will never want to go back to a server without IPMI capabilities. It is VERY nice.

Hope the build goes well, keep us posted.

 

[dashpuppy]

I have not experienced any of the IPMI issues. I have four SuperMicro boards running the same IPMI chip (built-in) and they are all solid. I think they are actually better than the Dell iDRACs I have in my R610 servers.

Anyway, IPMI KVM is based on Java, and you can have problems any time you use a browser as your interface. So you have to make sure you have your Java runtime updated and run a compatible browser. I found IE9 and chrome does not work. I have to use either IE8 or Firefox to get the Java KVM working OK. Also, I have a console open on my left screen right now that has been opened for over a week. Now, the only thing it displays is an ESXi console, so very little traffic is being passed. And, add the complexity of the KVM/Java IPMI interface to those who like to call themselves "tech experts" on NewEgg - well, you will have issues.

With that being said, once you get used to IPMI and remote media you will never want to go back to a server without IPMI capabilities. It is VERY nice.

Hope the build goes well, keep us posted.

its a awesome thing, i need to buy the module for mine still..

 

[SiegeTheDay]

I had the 4U rack case and 450watt PSU already. Received RAM and mobo, Still waiting on the proc, But I had a thought.

I should probably stick in a big honking heatsink from the beginning, so I can assemble, and not need to pull the mobo, when (not if) I OC the proc.

So, requirements is that it will fit in a 4U (looks about standard tower width) case and not raise the overall noise level. The case has a central devider with a row of fans, so it will have positive flow across the board.

My plan is to just look at heatsinks on newegg and go for one that is on the low side of the noise. I'm not asking for someone to engineer cooling for me, but if anyone has good experience with a hoss efficient but somewhat quiet heatsink, or there is a standard known good one that everyone uses, I am all ears.

 

[dashpuppy]

I had the 4U rack case and 450watt PSU already. Received RAM and mobo, Still waiting on the proc, But I had a thought.

I should probably stick in a big honking heatsink from the beginning, so I can assemble, and not need to pull the mobo, when (not if) I OC the proc.

So, requirements is that it will fit in a 4U (looks about standard tower width) case and not raise the overall noise level. The case has a central devider with a row of fans, so it will have positive flow across the board.

My plan is to just look at heatsinks on newegg and go for one that is on the low side of the noise. I'm not asking for someone to engineer cooling for me, but if anyone has good experience with a hoss efficient but somewhat quiet heatsink, or there is a standard known good one that everyone uses, I am all ears.

put motherboard into the case, them measure from the processor to the top of the case ( or side ) that covers it, when looking for a heatsink look for one that fits inside between top[/side cover.

the bigger the heatsink, the quieter, ( some brands )

 

[SiegeTheDay]

Just an update with the other parts that I already had onhand:

Norco 4U case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811219020&Tpk=N82E16811219020

Norco rails (non ball bearing)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811997301
I had to drill out a hole for each rail towards the front of the rack, as it lacked any at all in the area.

450 watt PS
[URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104162"]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104162
[/URL]

I'll put up pictures at some point.

There is just a tad under 6" of space for a heatsink/fan, ordering that next.

 

[adi]

its a awesome thing, i need to buy the module for mine still..

Which one? I have a SIMLC and SIMLC+ sitting around.

For my Supermicro IPMI I installed the Supermicro IPMIView client. Allows me to access all my Sm stuff from one window. It is still Java based, but I haven't had any issues with it.

 

[dashpuppy]

Which one? I have a SIMLC and SIMLC+ sitting around.

For my Supermicro IPMI I installed the Supermicro IPMIView client. Allows me to access all my Sm stuff from one window. It is still Java based, but I haven't had any issues with it.

My server is a asus server, it's a 99$ module you can buy on ebay and it just plugs in and enables the 3rd nic for ipmi..

 

[adi]

My server is a asus server, it's a 99$ module you can buy on ebay and it just plugs in and enables the 3rd nic for ipmi..

Ahh sorry, you quoted someone talking about Supermicro .

For OP Supermicro doesn't have much, if any overclocking options.

 

[SiegeTheDay]

Ahh sorry, you quoted someone talking about Supermicro .

For OP Supermicro doesn't have much, if any overclocking options.

I havn't fired it up yet, finished test-fitting, measuring, and looking at heatsinks last night. It was looking like a 90mm Cooler Master unit was the way to go. I was reading that this proc is stable at extremely high temps, so there might not be any benefit (performance or OC-wise) to get one. Looks like I should look at what exactly the board can do before I make a purchase.