New server

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

So, as you all know the hard drive in the server has issues.  I've determined that the entire hardware platform is slowly failing, and that I can replace the whole thing for only about $150 extra.  So, in the next couple weeks the server will be replaced by the following box.  It might be longer if there are teething problems, as I intend to set up the system before I take down the old server.

APEX MI-008 Black Steel Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case
Intel BOXD945GCLF2D Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo
Crucial 2GB DDR2 SDRAM (PC2 5300)
Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB SATA Hard Drive

Feel free to compliment/mock my decisions.

[Grey Fox]

Why so low on memory?

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Why so low on memory?

That board only supports one DIMM up to 2GB.

Neither server has ever had more than 2GB, and 2GB of DDR2 should be more than enough for the board and database.

[Vricklund]

Cute. What's the power consumption on something like that?

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

The board should be around 20W and the drive between 10W and 30W.  That's a fraction of what the current box uses.

I found a heavier-duty ECS board to use as a workstation, which I am going to use to replace the Sun that was the original server and is now my workstation.  The two boxes together should take less power than just the server did.  I might actually be able to forgo my auxiliary cooling system this summer.

[derspiess]

I built a home server using this mobo/CPU combo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135247

I have to say I'm pretty impressed with what the dual-core/hyper-threaded Atom can do.  I used the same RAM you have listed, and actually bought that case not realizing it was ITX (it was a steal at $29 w/ free shipping so I'm keeping it for a future ITX project). 

The RAM does what it's supposed to do, and the case is tiny & rather well made.  The way you fit the hard drive is a bit odd but I guess it works.  Only thing I don't like about the case is how it says "Compact Disc" on the flip-down cover for the optical drive.  It can probably be removed easily enough.

At any rate, the build is right up my alley: small & cheap

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

I built a home server using this mobo/CPU combo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135247

That's actually the board I'm buying for the workstation.  I'm normally leery of ECS, but this seems like a good product.

Also, I went to Fry's today and browsed the motherboards.  I've decided to go with the Intel D510M0 board instead, which will allow me to go with 4GB of RAM.  The mini PCI Express connection has promise, but I don't know what I'm going to do with that yet.

[MadImmortalMan]

Install ESX on it, virtualize the forum server and use it for your own workstation too. But add more ram.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Install ESX on it, virtualize the forum server and use it for your own workstation too. But add more ram.

My longer term plan is to build a high-end workstation and run the forum server as a virtual machine on it via KVM, though that is subject to change depending on how the Atom experiment turns out.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

derspicey's donated case has arrived and the new server has been assembled.  I won't have time this morning to load the OS.  If it wasn't for the LED on the front panel I wouldn't know the thing was on.

With the release of Ubuntu 10.04, the next long-term support release, just six weeks away I'm going to wait to put this box into production.  That way I can upgrade without the down time.  In the meantime I'm going to test run SMF 2.0 RC3.

[derspiess]

  I was wondering how quiet that tiny PSU would be. 

I forget my home server is even there, until I hear its loud hard drive start chugging from time to time.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Cool.  How OS are you using?

[grumbler]

How OS are you using?

[derspiess]

Answer: *very* OS

[Vricklund]

derspicey's donated case has arrived and the new server has been assembled.  I won't have time this morning to load the OS.  If it wasn't for the LED on the front panel I wouldn't know the thing was on.

With the release of Ubuntu 10.04, the next long-term support release, just six weeks away I'm going to wait to put this box into production.  That way I can upgrade without the down time.  In the meantime I'm going to test run SMF 2.0 RC3.

You're a bigger man than me. Not sure I could wait that long. I want something new to tinker with too.