[NTLUG:Discuss] Transport tool - opinions

[kbrannen@gte.net]

Greg Edwards wrote:
> Kyle Davenport wrote:
> 
>> Hi Greg,
>>
>>       I have accumulated a bunch of links in anticipation of my own 
>> beowolf
>> cluster, but my threshold is <$200/node using the latest hardware.  (The
>> nForce2 all-in-one mb is close, but none have built-in Gbit ethernet like
>> my server)
>>
>> Kyle Davenport
>>
> 
> Can you get to $200/node with any CPU speed or system quality today? I'm 
> very interested in being able to add/drop nodes with consumer grade boxes.
> 
> I'd be happy with $800/node.  I'm looking at nforce2 MB, AMD Athlon, 4 
> 100M NICs (3 PCI plus onboard), 500M to 1G RAM, minimal HD, CDROM, 
> Floppy, low end AGP, ATX case.  Onboard nic for general network, one for 
> DB server, one for Farm, and one for web server.  The web server is the 
> client for the farm and the farm is the client for the DB server.  I've 
> considered a 5th NIC to do a sub-farm cluster like Beowolf uses but I'm 
> not sure that would buy me anything.

Opening up my Dell catalog I received the other day shows their 600SC server 
for $400.  It has a 2.4G P4 (free upgrade), 128M RAM, 40G HD, onboard 
10/100/1000 NIC.  Probably also has low-end video and a CDROM.  You can beef 
up the RAM to 4G and add more NICs on your own.  And I believe "no OS" is part 
of what gets you that price. :-)  I think I saw that $80 will get you RH8.0 
preinstalled.

If you get a Beowulf cluster going, please do give feedback. :-)  I don't 
think I'll build one, but dreaming is fun...

HTH,
Kevin