The Server Project...
... deep in the basement of SC, our crack programmers are working on the prototype for PS-'X', a new generation of Super Computer.
"Don't knock it; it's the best there is - designed by them fellas who make the washin' machines and brake pads for GM. Yup, you're starin' down the business end of 180 vacuum tubes, 300 diodes, and 2160 words of 29 bit memory; all wrapped in a featherweight 950 pound case. Better button up your collar son, this baby will perform single digit multiplication in under 3 seconds flat!"
Cultural Meaning
You may very well be wondering what the meaning of the above 'trip down memory lane', or direct chaffing of the now defunct Bendix was meant to convey. Quite simply, for 50 years now, we as a society have been buying and using computation / data storage / and serving devices ('computers' and their forefathers) from corporations and vendors who more than likely care less about us than they do the equipment -- and most of them really don't care about the equipment (in case you were wondering). The Bendix G-15 was marketed by Bendix's Computer Division, which was an ill fated venture all on its own -- you remember Bendix; they've been making brake systems / pads / and other hydraulic gear (as OEM for GM, and for the US Military and aftermarket) for nearly a century. From around 1940 through 1960 they meandered through everything from car radios to missile systems... if it could make a dollar, they'd make it and sell it to you. And if they couldn't make it, they'd at least put their name on it and sell it to you (ala the washing machines). That said, I don't see much difference between this ridiculous charade and the psuedo-love that modern hardware and software manufacturers try to impose upon us and, inturn, extract from us. It is this (and not the price tag) that has lead to my understanding, appreciation, and endorsement of the Open Source Software Movement. In the same breadth, I'd rather build my own terminals, workstations, mediacenters, and servers from the ground up, knowing full well the benefits and pitfalls of the components I've chosen to use and how I've chosen to design the units. The fact that I am now able to expand as I see fit, am not limited by proprietary hardware or software restrictions, and have saved a gross of money along the way is only icing on the cake.
Disclaimer: this is not a 'how-to' on server construction. Rather, it is a record of this server's evolution (it's actually a small cluster now); where it has been, where it is going. To discuss its construction, even of only a single build, would require more time and effort than is feasible in this medium. Any questions or comments regarding tips-n-tricks or general help with such an effort should be submitted via email, and a response will be forthcoming -- provided you are direct and clear in your question.
Ancient History
In the fall of 2004, the idea of putting together a central machine for storing local data and handling email came to front. A quick phone call, Thanksgiving break, and a couple hours later -- the SpinelliCreations Server Project was born.
Initially, the scope was quite small...
Scope aside, within a week, the first machine was doing its job quite well. Let it be known that between that time and now (Apr. of 2009) it has suffered only one unscheduled down period (we don't talk about that day). Over the last couple years, the project has evolved from a simple 'neat idea' into a full blown, continuous duty, almost 'self-aware' entity.
A Litany of Builds
Rather than meander through each and every step of this project's life (as the page once did), let's focus on the more noteable and finer points. There exist three primary 'safe points' of any given project -- Alpha, Beta, and Launch (our software friends call it 'Release').
After a few test platforms, a floating -working- model was christened nearly nine months after conception (no pun intended).
Navigator
To navigate this page more quickly, you may use the following jump-to links... or simply scroll through the entire page, if you like.
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v.1.2 NAS: 05,'09
storageslayer.spinellicreations
Hardware:
-- JetWay JATOM-GM1-330-LF (mini-ITX board with integrated dual-core Intel Atom processor)
-- 2,000 MB GSkill PC2 4200 DDR2 533 MHz Memory
-- (1) 480w TopPower supply
-- (2) Silicon Image 3124 4-port SATA II soft-RAID PCI cards
-- (1) Gigabit Ethernet PCI-Express
-- [OS drive] 2x Western Digital 250 GB SE SATA HDD
-- -- soft Raid Mirror via mdAdm
-- [Core Backbone Data Storage] 6x Western Digital Raid Edition III 1 TB SATA HDD
-- -- soft Raid Level 6 'plus 1' (5 active drives plus 1 hot spare)
-- -- useable capacity = 3 TB
-- Storage Capacity...
-- -- Gross = 6.5 TB
-- -- Net = 3.25 TB
-- Other...
-- -- LG Slim DVD RW
-- -- CyberPower 1500 AVR Battery Backup
-- Chassis...
-- -- Norco 2U Rackmount Case with 8x hotswap SATA/SAS bays
-- Cooling...
-- -- 4x 80mm intake.
-- -- Intel OEM heatsink.
-- -- (runs a little hot, on the upper end of acceptable - looking into additional cooling)
Software:
-- Oracle Unbreakable Linux version 5.3
-- Linux Kernel...
-- -- 2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.centos.plus
-- Security...
-- -- Clam Antivirus and ClamAV Milter
-- -- Open SSL 0.98
-- Services...
-- -- NFS local file share (Core [Backbone])
-- System Monitor...
-- -- Smart Tools [SmartCTL]
v.1.2 NAS Component Part Highlights & Reference
Use of information contained within datasheets
and implementation of software is at own risk.
No warranty stated or implied.
Jetway JATOM-GM1-330-LF |
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CyberPower CPS-1500-AVR |
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Western Digital HDD's |
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Norco 2U Case |
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G.Skill DDR2 |
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|
v.1.2 NAS Software Highlights & Reference
Use of scripts, conf files, etc. is at own
risk. No warranty stated or implied.
Item: |
Link(s): |
Notes: |
conf + scripts: |
Oracle Unbreakable Linux x86_64 |
http://www.oracle.com/technologies/linux/index.html |
In spite of our love for the Fedora Project, FC-9 and 10 have issues. While I'm sure they'll clear up, they haven't yet. It would be nice to still be able to revert back to FC-6 or the 'brothers grim' (FC-7 and FC-8), but lack of repository support for these 'ancient' (6 months = ancient) versions leaves us in a bit of a pickle. We're working on 'squishing' the CentOS and other RHEL compatible ones with the spliced-genes of Fedora, if only to avoid this problem in the future. Until then (since we aren't generally friendly with CentOS), we'll use Oracle's Unbreakable Linux, which is a dead on clone of RHEL 5.x. Oracle 5.3 gives us RHEL without the word 'RHEL' on it. Admittedly, there are no repositories whatsoever without paid support, but that's where all the existing RHEL compatible ones come in... |
Here's a yum.conf file that incorporates compatible repositories from... |
Linux Kernel |
... the main 'hub' of Linux kernel development. An archive of past kernels as well as the latest stable and test versions. |
SC Running kernel: |
|
Clam Antivirus |
... the world's answer to $40 bucks a year for 'brand name' antivirus software that usually doesn't even work. |
Info: |
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mdAdm |
... Raid, it's not just for roaches anymore. Software Raid providing levels 0,1,4,5, and 6. |
SC Running Version: |
v.1.2 Re-Loaded: 05,'09
pentiumslayer1.spinellicreations
Hardware:
-- SuperMicro MBD-H8SMi-2-O motherboard
-- AMD Opteron 1354 Budapest (Quad Core 2.2 GHz / 2GHz HyperTransport / 4x 64kB L1 / 4x 512kB L2 / 2MB L3)
-- 8,000 MB GSkill PC2 6400 DDR2 800 MHz Memory
-- (1) iStar 550W supply
-- onboard ATI video
-- (1) KWorld - Philips saa7134 (7134) Analog TV Tuner PCI card
-- (1) Sabrent 'el-cheapo' 16 bit Analog PCI sound card (gives us the hardwired line in to support the TV-Card)
-- [OS drive] 3x Western Digital 250 GB SE SATA HDD
-- -- soft Raid Triple-Mirror via mdAdm
-- [Core Backbone Data Storage] ... see StorageSlayer.SpinelliCreations (NAS)
-- Storage Capacity...
-- -- Gross = 750 GB
-- -- Net = 250 GB
-- Other...
-- -- Good Ol' 3.5" Floppy
-- -- Asus CD/DVD Rom
-- -- CyberPower 1500 AVR Battery Backup
-- Chassis...
-- -- Eagle Tech 4U Rackmount
-- -- 2x iStar single SATA/SAS hot-swap cradle (empty)
-- -- 1x iStar triple SATA/SAS hot-swap cradle (OS Drive)
-- Cooling...
-- -- hot-swap cradle built-in turbines on intake side.
-- -- 2x 80mm circulation.
-- -- AMD OEM heatsink.
-- -- 2 x 60 mm / 1x 130mm exhaust.
-- -- (runs a smidge warmer than I'd like, but well within acceptable range)
.
Software:
-- Oracle Unbreakable Linux version 5.3
-- Linux Kernel...
-- -- 2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.centos.plus
-- Security...
-- -- ASSP Anti Spam SMTP Proxy
-- -- Clam Antivirus and ClamAV Milter
-- -- Open SSL 0.98
-- Services...
-- -- SSHD + SFTP over SSHD
-- -- Apache HTTPD / HTTPS server
-- -- -- PHP 5.1, Perl 5.8
-- -- Sendmail MTA
-- -- -- Dovecot IMAP
-- -- -- SquirrelMail webmail
-- -- NFS local file share (temporary files, recorded file, etc...)
-- -- -- the actual 'Core' array share is handled by StorageSlayer's NAS
-- -- VPN virtual networking via OpenVPN through an SSH tunnel with 1024 keys and assigned IP addressing
-- -- -- moved away from 4096 keys for 2 reasons, first, it's highly unlikely anyone would even get through a 1024 key, second, handling 4096 keys between client and server eats up bandwidth and cpu on both ends. We have cpu to spare here, but many client machines do not.
-- Backbone...
-- -- see StorageSlayer
-- System Monitor...
-- -- lm_sensors
-- -- Smart Tools [SmartCTL]
-- -- phpSysInfo
-- Multimedia...
-- -- video4linux (v4l) 2
-- -- libdvd_ css/read/play/nav, courtesy Livna
-- -- LAME, Ain't an MPEG-3 Encoder
-- -- FFMPEG
-- -- MEncoder (MPlayer) Subversion 4.1.1 snapshot
-- -- ALSA
-- -- TV Encode v.1.3.r
-- -- YAMS v.2.0_r3
v.1.2 Component Part Highlights & Reference
Use of information contained within datasheets
and implementation of software is at own risk.
No warranty stated or implied.
AMD Opteron Budapest Quad Core |
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SuperMicro MDB-H8SMi-2-O |
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CyberPower CPS-1500-AVR |
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Western Digital HDD's |
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G.Skill DDR2 |
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Eagle Tech 4U |
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KWorld PlusTV (Philips saa7134) |
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v.1.2 Software Highlights & Reference
Use of scripts, conf files, etc. is at own
risk. No warranty stated or implied.
Item: |
Link(s): |
Notes: |
conf + scripts: |
Oracle Unbreakable Linux x86_64 |
http://www.oracle.com/technologies/linux/index.html |
In spite of our love for the Fedora Project, FC-9 and 10 have issues. While I'm sure they'll clear up, they haven't yet. It would be nice to still be able to revert back to FC-6 or the 'brothers grim' (FC-7 and FC-8), but lack of repository support for these 'ancient' (6 months = ancient) versions leaves us in a bit of a pickle. We're working on 'squishing' the CentOS and other RHEL compatible ones with the spliced-genes of Fedora, if only to avoid this problem in the future. Until then (since we aren't generally friendly with CentOS), we'll use Oracle's Unbreakable Linux, which is a dead on clone of RHEL 5.x. Oracle 5.3 gives us RHEL without the word 'RHEL' on it. Admittedly, there are no repositories whatsoever without paid support, but that's where all the existing RHEL compatible ones come in... |
Here's a yum.conf file that incorporates compatible repositories from... |
Linux Kernel |
... the main 'hub' of Linux kernel development. An archive of past kernels as well as the latest stable and test versions. |
SC Running kernel: |
|
Sendmail MTA |
... "25 years of trusted messaging", and they're not kidding; Sendmail is highly configurable and wildly stable. |
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Dovecot POP3/IMAP |
... between the Mail Transfer Agent and the end user Client (Thunderbird, Outlook, Webmail, other), sits an IMAP or POP3 (or both) server, to negotiate communication. Of those available, Dovecot is simple, effective, and reliable. That's about all anyone can ask. |
Example Config: |
|
Clam Antivirus |
... the world's answer to $40 bucks a year for 'brand name' antivirus software that usually doesn't even work. |
Info: |
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Squirrelmail |
... highly configurable webmail interface written in php. Easy to learn, fun to use. |
Current SC Theme: |
|
Open SSL |
... allows anyone to generate the strongest encryption keys (4096) for free, at their whim. |
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Open SSH, SSHD(aemon) |
... a virtually impenetrable fortress, SSH communications are encrypted with SSL keys, such that random internet 'sniffers' cannot pick up the scent of your sensitive data tramsmissions. SSH can be used to remote admin an entire server (that's what we do), or simply to gain remote access at your whim. |
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OpenVPN |
... the absolute most secure Virtual Private Network solution, developed out of necessity. IPSEC be damned with its holes and incompatabilities. OpenVPN paves new roads toward a world where communication is a bash script away. |
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Apache |
... that which makes IIS obsolete, the finest web-server on the planet. |
Example Config: |
|
php |
... embedded scripting language, allows us to write and run webmail, blogs, and other 'neat-o' gizmos. |
Example Config: |
|
mdAdm |
... Raid, it's not just for roaches anymore. Software Raid providing levels 0,1,4,5, and 6. |
SC Running Version: |
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phpSysInfo |
... widely used system monitoring tool written in php. Utilizes various executables to retrieve system information (we choose to employ lm_sensors). |
SC Running Version: |
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lm_sensors |
... the quick-n-dirty for reading motherboard embedded thermal / voltage sensors. Think of it as Speed Fan for Linux. |
Setup Script: |
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v4l |
... if some people had their way, we would still be stuck in terminal prompts. The good people at linuxtv.org have developed various drivers, including video4linux (v4l and v4l2) which allow us to utilize capture cards and video input devices with Conexant CX2388x, Brooktree BT8x8, and Philips SAA713x chipsets. |
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libdvdcss |
... in 1999, DVD Jon reverse engineered (for the purpose of compatability - to allow us to watch our DVD videos under Linux) CSS encryption, creating DeCSS. The evolution of that project has become libdvdcss, which is delivered both as a part of the team effort VideoLan Project and simple source code. Contrary to popular belief, this program is not illegal in the U.S.A. Rather, it is illegal to use it for the purpose of making illegal copies of copyrighted work. Using this program to make legal backups of copyrighted work (for which you own a licence) or to simply view copyrighted work (for which you own a licence) under Linux is legal and permissable in the U.S.A. |
Final Release: |
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LAME |
... while Blade Encoder (aka Blade Enc, formerly of http://bladeenc.mp3.no) is first choice of SpinelliCreations, it is no longer developed (not that it needed to be, but it's not even maintained), so we've settled for LAME (which is no slouch by any stretch). If you'd like to give Blade a shot, go ahead, we're probably one of the few places you can still download the program. |
LAME 3.97: |
|
MPlayer |
... the all-in-one user-friendly multimedia client for Linux. Playback and Recording (Transcoding as well) are easily executed from the command line. Various GUI implementations exist to allow users to take advantage of MPlayer on the Desktop. However, many more textual tools exist that allow the user to emply MEncoder as a premium multimedia creation tool. |
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TV ENCODE! |
... a front end (well, a text based front end) for MEncoder. TV ENCODE! pulls together LAME, MEncoder, v4l(2), ALSA, and the libav_codec to provide an easy to configure, simple to use (just issue the command followed by the channel you'd like to record, how long you want to record for, and what you'd like to call it), efficient tool. |
SC Running Version: |
|
YAMS |
... a text front end (yes, another) for MEncoder. YAMS stands for "Yet Another set of MEncoder Scripts". Formerly known as 'MENC MOVIE', YAMS pulls together LAME, MEncoder, and the libav_codec to provide a 'quick and dirty' method for ripping DVD video (or VCD) to an AVI file. Highly configurable, and preset for industry standard MPEG4 encoding, YAMS makes batch encoding, and now transcoding, easy for even the novice. |
SC Running Version: |
v.1.1 Launch: 10,'07
pentiumslayer1.spinellicreations
Hardware:
-- Gigabyte GA-M61P-S3 r.1 motherboard
-- AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor (Dual Core 3.01 GHz / 1 GHz HT / 2x 128kB L1 / 2x 1MB L2)
-- 4,000 MB GSkill PC2 6400 DDR2 800 MHz Memory
-- (1) NSpire 61160 1kW severe duty supply
-- -- 4x 12V rails, synchronized and paralleled.
-- onboard nVidia Geforce 6100 video
-- (3) Silicon Image 3114 4-port SATA soft-RAID PCI card
-- (1) ASUS EZTVFM - Philips saa7134 (7133/5) Analog TV Tuner PCI card
-- [OS drive] 1x Western Digital 36 GB Raptor 10krpm SATA HDD
-- [Flux Temporary / Workspace Data] 1x Western Digital 500 GB Cavier SE SATA HDD
-- [Core Backbone Data Storage] 10x Western Digital 250 GB Cavier SE SATA HDD [RAID-6]
-- Storage Capacity...
-- -- Gross = 3.04 TB
-- -- Net = 2.00 TB + 500 GB reserved for Workspace
-- Other...
-- -- Asus CD/DVD Rom
-- Chassis...
-- -- Eagle Tech 5U Rackmount
-- -- 4x iStarUSA iStorm7 Heat Terminator 3-hdd mount cradle
-- Cooling...
-- -- 4x 80mm forced air intake.
-- -- 2x 80mm circulation.
-- -- AMD OEM heatsink.
-- -- 2x 80mm / 2 x 60 mm / 1x 130mm exhaust.
Software:
-- Linux Fedora Core 6 - Zod
-- Linux Kernel...
-- -- 2.6.22.9-61 optimized for x86_64
-- Security...
-- -- ASSP Anti Spam SMTP Proxy
-- -- Clam Antivirus and ClamAV Milter
-- -- Open SSL 0.98
-- Services...
-- -- SSHD + SFTP over SSHD
-- -- Apache HTTPD / HTTPS server
-- -- -- PHP 5.1, Perl 5.8
-- -- Sendmail MTA
-- -- -- Dovecot IMAP
-- -- -- SquirrelMail webmail
-- -- NFS local file share
-- -- VPN virtual networking via OpenVPN through an SSH tunnel with 4096 strong keys and assigned IP addressing
-- Backbone...
-- -- mdAdm Raid
-- System Monitor...
-- -- lm_sensors
-- -- Smart Tools [SmartCTL]
-- -- phpSysInfo
-- Multimedia...
-- -- video4linux (v4l) 2
-- -- libdvd_ css/read/play/nav, courtesy Livna
-- -- LAME, Ain't an MPEG-3 Encoder
-- -- FFMPEG
-- -- MEncoder (MPlayer) Subversion 4.1.1 snapshot
-- -- ALSA
-- -- TV Encode v.1.3.r
v.1.1 Component Part Highlights & Reference
Use of information contained within datasheets
and implementation of software is at own risk.
No warranty stated or implied.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Windsor |
|
Gigabyte GA-M61P-S3 r.1 |
|
Silicon Image 3114 SATA |
|
Western Digital HDD's |
|
NSpire 61160 PSU |
|
G.Skill DDR2 |
|
ASUS saa7133 |
|
Eagle Tech 5U |
|
v.1.1 Software Highlights & Reference
Use of scripts, conf files, etc. is at own
risk. No warranty stated or implied.
Item: |
Link(s): |
Notes: |
conf + scripts: |
Fedora Core x86_64 |
http://fedora.redhat.com |
SpinelliCreations is in 'computer-love' with the Fedora Project. FC6-Zod marks the last of the Fedora 'Core' releases, as Fedora 7 (F7-Moonshine) is an evolutionary step forward for the Project. |
|
Linux Kernel |
... the main 'hub' of Linux kernel development. An archive of past kernels as well as the latest stable and test versions. |
SC Running kernel: |
|
Lugdunum eServer |
... the eDonkey Network Server, reverse engineered from the eDonkey 2000 original server. It allows peer-to-peer users from all over the world to connect, together, sharing free and open software and information. It is also another distribution point for any SpinelliCreations 'brew' scripts/software as well as documentation and reference materials. |
SC Running Version: |
|
mdAdm |
... Raid, it's not just for roaches anymore. Software Raid providing levels 0,1,4,5, and 6. |
SC Running Version: |
|
YAMS |
... a text front end (yes, another) for MEncoder. YAMS stands for "Yet Another set of MEncoder Scripts". Formerly known as 'MENC MOVIE', YAMS pulls together LAME, MEncoder, and the libav_codec to provide a 'quick and dirty' method for ripping DVD video (or VCD) to an AVI file. Highly configurable, and preset for industry standard MPEG4 encoding, YAMS makes batch encoding, and now transcoding, easy for even the novice. |
SC Running Version: |
The Beta Builds: 10,'06 [I] & 05,'07 [II]
Hardware:
-- Soyo Dragon KT600 Plus v.2 motherboard
-- AMD Sempron 2400+ Thoroughbred (1.67 GHz / 333 MHz FSB)
-- 2,000 MB Corsair PC3200 DDR Memory
-- (2) JPac 550W supply
-- nVidia Riva TNT r.15 16 MB AGP video [very basic, low power]
-- Silicon Image 0680 2-port PATA soft-RAID PCI card
-- (2) Silicon Image 3114 4-port SATA soft-RAID PCI card
-- [OS drive] Western Digital 40 GB Caviar SE PATA HDD
-- [Mission Critical Data] (2) Western Digital 200 GB Cavier SE PATA HDD [RAID-1]
-- [Multimedia Data] (8) Western Digital 250 GB Cavier SE SATA HDD [RAID-6]
-- Storage Capacity...
-- -- Gross = 2.00 TB
-- -- Net = 1.7 TB + 40 GB reserved for OS
Software:
-- Linux Fedora Core 5
-- Livna Kernel...
-- -- 2.6.17-1.2187_FC5.stk16 optimized for i686
-- Security...
-- -- ASSP Anti Spam SMTP Proxy
-- -- Clam Antivirus and ClamAV Milter
-- -- Open SSL 0.98
-- Services...
-- -- SSHD + SFTP over SSHD
-- -- Apache HTTPD / HTTPS server
-- -- -- PHP 5.1, Perl 5.8
-- -- Sendmail MTA
-- -- -- Dovecot IMAP
-- -- -- SquirrelMail webmail
-- -- NFS local file share
-- -- Samba local file share
-- Backbone...
-- -- mdAdm Raid
-- System Monitor...
-- -- lm_sensors
-- -- Smart Tools [SmartCTL]
-- -- phpSysInfo
The result? A highly stable, very powerful, and torture tested weapon of internet bliss.
Beta [I]/[II] Component Part Highlights & Reference
Use of information contained within datasheets
and implementation of software is at own risk.
No warranty stated or implied.
AMD Sempron 2400+ Thoroughbred |
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Soyo Dragon KT600 Plus v.2 |
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Corsair TWINX-2048-3200c2 |
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Western Digital HDD's |
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Silicon Image 0680a PATA |
|
Silicon Image 3114 SATA |
|
nVidia Riva TNT |
|
JPac 550W PSU's |
|
Beta [I]/[II] Software Highlights & Reference
Use of scripts, conf files, etc. is at own
risk. No warranty stated or implied.
Item: |
Link(s): |
Notes: |
conf + scripts: |
Fedora Core |
http://fedora.redhat.com |
SpinelliCreations is in 'computer-love' with the Fedora Project. Although long past version 5 [Bordeaux], the saying goes, "If it ain't broke..." |
|
Livna Repository |
... a collection of RPM's and source code (SRPMS) for various distributions of Linux. Their home-brew drivers for both nVidia and ATI are something of legend. |
FC-5 i686 SC running Livna kernel: |
The Beta Builds mustered on for nearly a year, refining and tuning toward one end. October 2007... Core data drives transplanted into the Launch machine, and configuration proceeded in a manner that would draw the envy of Draco. Without a hitch, 10 days later, pentiumslayer1 was unveiled.
F.A.Q. I [Intro + General]
The question of whether to actually write a F.A.Q. is one that's plagued me for a good bit. Although it serves a sound purpose, yielding tangible ends, there is a bit of responsibility that comes with it. That being said, the potential gain outweighs the potential for someone putting a ratchet strap around two bargain desktop pc's and declaring it a 'Cluster'.
Q ... How is the current version of the project named 'pentiumslayer1. -----' if the Alpha version had the same name?
A ... Breaking with convention, I've chosen not to name each build, rather distinguish only by version numbers following a simple modus:
---- v.X.Y-Z(Z) STAGE
---- v. ; obviously stands for version
---- X ; indicates the version number
---- Y ; indicates the subversion number
---- Z(Z) ; optional, but idicates a STATE (a = alpha, b = beta, a2 = alpha-2 etc.)
Think of the name more as you would think of something tangible, say... Airforce1. Although various planes have been retired over the years, the flagship of the American Armed Forces --the President's Plane-- bears the name Airforce1. So it is fitting, with our love of open software and the 'underdog' (as AMD was for so many years against the empire that was Intel), pentiumslayer1.spinellicreations is our flagship.
Q ... What do you do with it [the server itself, the bandwidth, and/or the domain], and why isn't your site hosted by Google, Yahoo!, or [insert random 'flavor-of-the-week' solution]?
A ... Well, that's not exactly an easy question to answer. The domain, SpinelliCreations.com, is an all-encompassing capsule within which the personal / community / and business ventures of Vince Spinelli, present and future, reside. In plain speak, it's a nice little shell, something to give these individual ideas a home. The bandwith should go without saying. As far as this ~500 pound slab of concrete... er, 22 slot rack, it's a busy beaver. On the outside, it serves data, web content (pages, blogs, message boards), and mail... not such a monstrous task. On the inside, it records live television, radio, and web broadcasts (think 'TiVo on steroids'); serves as a data storage backend for multiple HTPC (home theatre personal computer) frontends; provides shared network backbone service (file, print, etc) to a small LAN with a handful of machines; runs a MySQL system database; hosts a secure Virtual Private Network; runs a File Sharing eDonkey Server (it used to -- no longer though); serves as the pilot machine of a small (~ 4 TeraByte) networked attached storage system; and does all of the above with redundancy. In short, this server is, as many servers are, an integrator. It brings together the tasks, resources, and policies of multiple machines that would otherwise clutter and likely cripple a network.
Q ... What is PS1's typical power usage?
A ... The Alpha machines were along the lines of a gaming-PC, 0.20 kWh. Beta II ran up, around 0.45 kWh.
-- The Launch build sat at around ~0.25 kWh at idle / ~0.9 kWh at peak load.
-- Launch_2 Re-Loaded is a completely different animal. It's a multi-server system at this point, and I don't even care to guess-timate its power usage, as it fluctuates so much. Measuring it in real time is pointless as well.
-- -- A 30 A and 20 A set of feeds off of 120 Vac Split Phase used to drive PS1 and associated hardware. (Launch)
-- -- A 40 A feed and 15 A auxilliary now run PS1, StorageSlayer1, associated peripherals, and PentiumSlayer2.
In reality, I have more problems keeping the Main Service on actually. (That's what batteries and a generator are for).
Q ... My home/small/medium business would greatly benefit from a backbone/backbone-upgrade, do you build and support inter/intra net servers for [insert specific need]? What would it cost me?
A ... SpinelliCreations would be happy to discuss your needs with you. Please click on the 'Services -- Consulting' tab, above, for more information on what we do, and our ballpark rates.
F.A.Q. II [Hardware]
Q ... (Re: Beta Build and Launch)Why did you choose a standard ATX form factor board? Why did you use a gaming/workstation board? (Why an Athlon X2 rather than an Opteron?)
A ... There is a very fine line between the characteristics that define an excellent gaming-PC/CAD-workstation board and an excellent server board. In the end, however, it all goes back to 'what the customer wants'. Provided your key design constraints are met, it really doesn't matter whether your board is classified as a 'Extreme Gaming' unit, 'Workstation' unit, or 'Server' unit... unless you're absolutely against neon colored cardbus slots.
F.A.Q. III [Software]
Q ... What is that 'php_Sys_Info' link? /OR/ Hey, that's pretty neat, how's that work?
A ... phpSysInfo. The program itself simply sits in a directory on your server and, when called upon, queries the machine for identification information, load levels, temperatures, and voltage levels. This information is then displayed to the reader, directly in the browser window. Of course, this interpreted program relies upon a an actual executable to retrieve much of this information. In true open-software fashion, phpSysInfo can 'play nice' with at least four such programs (all are also free and open), my choice being the tried-and-true lm_sensors.
Q ... What is so good about Software Raid under Linux? I had always heard bad things about Software Raid, how it bogged down CPU's and never actually worked properly.
A ... Software Raid was a myth -honestly- until mdAdm was launched. Neil Brown, a software junkie and University Professor in Australia, released the tool that turned Raid conceptualization on its head. From the same man who works so diligently on the code for the NFS Linux file server, mdAdm offers Raid 0, 1, 4, 5, and 6 array construction and administration. The daemon is directed, quite simply, by a *.conf file that can be as short as 3 lines of text (or grossly in depth, if you so desire). The beautiful part is this -- when the motherboard suffers a 'little Johnny wanted to try to overclock by jumpering out some pins on the CPU socket' fatal error, the host controller falls victim to a 'little Johnny's friend stuck a screwdriver through the back panel' sneak attack, or some other mayhem befalls you... you pull your drives, wire them up to a new board with ANY host controller (onboard, some PCI, some PCI-e, some SATA 150, some SATA 300, some SATA to PATA IDE adapters, whatever), write a new *.conf file (again, 3 lines, simply telling the program that drives 'a, b, c and d' are all part of a single array, and drives 'e, f, and g' are part of another array), and issue a single command to transparently and instantaneously rebuild the array(s). On a 1.66 GHz i686 machine, Software Raid 6 under mdAdm utilized approximately 12% CPU during write, and less than 5% during read instances. On a 3 GHz, dual core, x86_64, the same array registers less than a 3% 'blip' during writes, and some unreadable (less than 1%) load during reads. For the record, Raid 6 is the most processor intensive single layer Raid level, in that it executes two parity calculations, the second requiring a bit more horsepower than the first (but you can also lose two drives and not lose any data). Let the nay-sayers say 'nay', but as Neil's package grows in functionality (version 2.6.1 now allows resizing of Raid 5 and Raid 6 arrays on Kernels 2.6.20 and above), the benefits of hardware-raid become useful only in situations where the boot drive must be mirrored (as you cannot boot from a soft-array) ... and the pitfalls of trusting hardware become more and more apparent.
Maybe someone will port it for Windows. It's open source (obviously), but I've yet to see it function on a Microsoft machine.
Built: Jan. 3, 2007
Updated: May 31, 2009
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