Servers!

Thoth Data Systems, LLC (my new company - more later) just received its servers. :-) Some enormous packing boxes, containing:

• A 2U, 12-drive storage box. It's an Intel Compass Creek (SSR212CC), currently with 8 500gb drives (maximum 12).
  
• A 1U, 2-servers in one box system called a Port Townsend. Pretty snazzy, two core 2 duo servers in one box, 4gb RAM each. Storage is a bit limited - but that's why we have the other server. :-)

So far, I've only worked on the storage box. Setup of the kit was very easy: follow the instructions, screw drives into holders, install RAM, and everything worked fine. Very little effort there. It takes a long time to POST (checking all the drives), but once it does it's pretty zippy. It doesn't have a CD-ROM, but can boot from a USB CD-ROM drive just fine. Drivers are proving to be a pain so far. Intel ship binary blobs for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.2 - and only 4.2. The kernel module has no source, and breaks immediately in 4.5! Of course, the RAID array works great in 4.5, but requires drivers for 4.2. Switching around thumbdrives (no floppy drive or connector on the motherboard!) is a pain, but I'm getting there.

So far, so good. I'll post more updates as I go - this is exciting.