Comments on: The Case For A Case http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/ Open Source, Open Standards Sat, 05 Oct 2013 13:48:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: jhearns http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/#comment-5823 jhearns Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/#comment-5823 Doug,<br /> a company called Workstations UK (in the UK, naturally),<br /> did preoduce cases just like that, and sold many Beowulf clusters built like this.<br /> They're still in business as far as I know, but no longer building clusters like this.<br /> <br /> As you say, some sort of case which racks up motherboards would be cool. Off the top of my head, hobby electronics types used Veroboard cases where PCBs simply slotted into plastic guides on the side of the case. I don't know if any of these are big enough to contain ATX motherboards. Doug,
a company called Workstations UK (in the UK, naturally),
did preoduce cases just like that, and sold many Beowulf clusters built like this.
They’re still in business as far as I know, but no longer building clusters like this.

As you say, some sort of case which racks up motherboards would be cool. Off the top of my head, hobby electronics types used Veroboard cases where PCBs simply slotted into plastic guides on the side of the case. I don’t know if any of these are big enough to contain ATX motherboards.

]]> By: bruno.santos http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/#comment-5824 bruno.santos Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/#comment-5824 Well, here's the thing: if you're going to go DIY, you've got to go all the way! Think outside of the box... necessity is commonly known as the mother of inventions.<br /> Ergo, if you want a DIY cluster, you've gotta make the case or do an overhaul to something else big, like <a href="http://helmer.sfe.se/" title="HELMER ATX" rel="nofollow">this</a> practical example!! And in this case, it uses multiple power supplies... but you can DIY the main power supply cables, as explained <a href="http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33884" rel="nofollow">here</a>.<br /> <br /> But, if you don't want to do it yourself, there is only two things that will drive the Multi-(mini-)ATX cases and gear into the mainstream: Games and Gamers!<br /> <br /> But going back to DIY, at least with computers, you don't need government approval to make your very own computer... when the same doesn't apply to some other <i>bigger</i> things... Well, here’s the thing: if you’re going to go DIY, you’ve got to go all the way! Think outside of the box… necessity is commonly known as the mother of inventions.
Ergo, if you want a DIY cluster, you’ve gotta make the case or do an overhaul to something else big, like this practical example!! And in this case, it uses multiple power supplies… but you can DIY the main power supply cables, as explained here.

But, if you don’t want to do it yourself, there is only two things that will drive the Multi-(mini-)ATX cases and gear into the mainstream: Games and Gamers!

But going back to DIY, at least with computers, you don’t need government approval to make your very own computer… when the same doesn’t apply to some other bigger things…

]]> By: alvaroafernandez http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/#comment-5825 alvaroafernandez Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/#comment-5825 There was a (now-defunct) company that sold a cluster made from Crusoe processors. Saw them in SC 06, I think. Wish I could remember their name. They had custom cases for their clusters. I think their motherboards were custom too. Maybe the case maker is still around, or kept the specs...? There was a (now-defunct) company that sold a cluster made from Crusoe processors. Saw them in SC 06, I think. Wish I could remember their name. They had custom cases for their clusters. I think their motherboards were custom too. Maybe the case maker is still around, or kept the specs…?

]]> By: dwilde1 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/#comment-5826 dwilde1 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/#comment-5826 Doug -<br /> <br /> Your desire to do this on the cheap is admirable. I just bought a Dell Inspiron mini-tower with a 4-core and installed a second drive with FreeBSD 7 on it. Virtually linear speedup on my web and MySQL apps. 4 cores == (0.95%) 4x one 2.4G core. The Intel 4c is really 2x 2c, so it's not quite clean, but damn close in the real world. The whole box with video and drives and 3G of DDR was $1000 incl display and UPS. I'm sure I could make a mini-cluster as you have and have a nice video wall to boot, not to mention a terabyte of drives.<br /> <br /> You don't really address <strong>why</strong> cheap is necessary. You get to play all day and toss and turn all night, but out here we live by value per GFLOP. If I put that much horsepower together, I better be making money from it. Yes, there were some pretty toys like yours at the Maker Faire in Austin this past week, but geeks with toys are just geeks with toys.<br /> <br /> A Dell M1000e half full of blades will cost $50G - $100G fully decked out, but any real app for that much horsepower should pay back that much and more in less than two years, not to mention salary for a geek or three. It'll still be running in five years, unlike your little homebrew. If you're one of the geeks your app pays for, then you get to play for real in the big app called "business". Doug -

Your desire to do this on the cheap is admirable. I just bought a Dell Inspiron mini-tower with a 4-core and installed a second drive with FreeBSD 7 on it. Virtually linear speedup on my web and MySQL apps. 4 cores == (0.95%) 4x one 2.4G core. The Intel 4c is really 2x 2c, so it’s not quite clean, but damn close in the real world. The whole box with video and drives and 3G of DDR was $1000 incl display and UPS. I’m sure I could make a mini-cluster as you have and have a nice video wall to boot, not to mention a terabyte of drives.

You don’t really address why cheap is necessary. You get to play all day and toss and turn all night, but out here we live by value per GFLOP. If I put that much horsepower together, I better be making money from it. Yes, there were some pretty toys like yours at the Maker Faire in Austin this past week, but geeks with toys are just geeks with toys.

A Dell M1000e half full of blades will cost $50G – $100G fully decked out, but any real app for that much horsepower should pay back that much and more in less than two years, not to mention salary for a geek or three. It’ll still be running in five years, unlike your little homebrew. If you’re one of the geeks your app pays for, then you get to play for real in the big app called “business”.

]]> By: jhearns http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/#comment-5827 jhearns Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/#comment-5827 dwilde mentions a video wall.<br /> Hmmmmm... I wonder if Chromium would work using open-mx? dwilde mentions a video wall.
Hmmmmm… I wonder if Chromium would work using open-mx?

]]> By: samhdaniel http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/#comment-5828 samhdaniel Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7164/#comment-5828 Doug,<br /> <br /> I assume that you have seen this by now, but just in case:<br /> <br /> http://helmer.sfe.se/<br /> <br /> and <br /> <br /> http://obscuredclarity.blogspot.com/2008/09/24-core-linux-cluster-in-2999-case-from.html<br /> <br /> A google search should turn up two or three other variations on this theme. These may not be what you have in mind, but they are cost-effective and very workable. Doug,

I assume that you have seen this by now, but just in case:

http://helmer.sfe.se/

and

http://obscuredclarity.blogspot.com/2008/09/24-core-linux-cluster-in-2999-case-from.html

A google search should turn up two or three other variations on this theme. These may not be what you have in mind, but they are cost-effective and very workable.

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