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Obsolete Releases => SME Server 7.x => Topic started by: smeerbartje on November 24, 2008, 10:46:49 AM

Title: New server components
Post by: smeerbartje on November 24, 2008, 10:46:49 AM
I'm planning to buy a new home server with the specifications below. Do you guys think SME 7.3 is currently supports the hardware? In other words: do I need additional drivers or will everything be detected automatically? And what do you guys think of the components?

Chassis: Noah CRS3988B-80 (http://www.hardware.info/nl-NL/productdb/bGNkZJiXmJrKZcg/viewproduct/Procase_Noah/) or the Silverstone LC06 (http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents.php?pno=lc06).

What about energy consumption?
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: David Harper on November 24, 2008, 11:38:20 AM
I think some Intel PCI cards don't work, from memory. You also need a custom parameter for booting on most Intel motherboards.

I actually think that for just file serving for a few users and low-volume traffic for emails and maybe a website, that the configuration might be overkill. I have a couple of customers using 3Ghz/1Gb machines very happily with 3-4 client computers. The only important thing is hard drive capacity and backup availability.
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: smeerbartje on November 24, 2008, 11:41:35 AM
I also want to install VMware server on it, including two virtual machines running an oracle database and Apex (just for hobby) and a Windows XP machine for downloading purposes.

So you think SME 7.3 will not recognize the hardware itself?
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: David Harper on November 24, 2008, 12:15:15 PM
The motherboard should be fine once you specify the right kernel parameter. I'm unsure about the network card, but cheap PCI NICs abound, so don't worry about this too much.
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: smeerbartje on November 24, 2008, 12:17:54 PM
The motherboard should be fine once you specify the right kernel parameter. I'm unsure about the network card, but cheap PCI NICs abound, so don't worry about this too much.
Allright, thanks! What kernel parameters do I have to specify? Where can I find them? And the onboard NIC will be recognized you think? The chassis only allows small PCI-e NICS.
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: Stefano on November 24, 2008, 12:19:05 PM
I'm planning to buy a new home server with the specifications below. Do you guys think SME 7.3 is currently supports the hardware? In other words: do I need additional drivers or will everything be detected automatically? And what do you guys think of the components?

  • Intel DG45FC (http://www.intel.com/Products/Desktop/Motherboards/DG45FC/DG45FC-overview.htm)
  • Intel Core 2 Duo E5200 (http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SLAY7)
  • 4 GB DDRII
  • Western Digital Caviar Green 500 gb
  • Intel PCI-e netwerkkaartje (http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/adapters/pro1000pt/pro1000pt-overview.htm)

Chassis: Noah CRS3988B-80 (http://www.hardware.info/nl-NL/productdb/bGNkZJiXmJrKZcg/viewproduct/Procase_Noah/) or the Silverstone LC06 (http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents.php?pno=lc06).

What about energy consumption?

Hi

please remember that SME is CEntOS that is RedHat..

so, please, check CentOS and RH HCL..

Ciao
Stefano
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: janet on November 24, 2008, 01:13:23 PM
smeerbartje

http://redhatonintel.com/technology/hardware.htm

Intel DQ35JO or DQ35JOE works OK.
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: smeerbartje on November 24, 2008, 02:03:48 PM
smeerbartje

http://redhatonintel.com/technology/hardware.htm

Intel DQ35JO or DQ35JOE works OK.

Cool, thanks man woman!  :wink:
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: David Harper on November 24, 2008, 02:55:36 PM
Somehow I suspect mary is not a man (although you never know on the Internet...).

Anyhow, don't forget, that page refers to RHEL 5.1, whereas SME Server 7.4 is based on RHEL 4.7.
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: smeerbartje on November 24, 2008, 07:03:40 PM
Somehow I suspect mary is not a man (although you never know on the Internet...).

Anyhow, don't forget, that page refers to RHEL 5.1, whereas SME Server 7.4 is based on RHEL 4.7.

Oh that's bad news. Is it possible to check if the chipset/motherboard is compatible with RHEL 4.7?
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: Stefano on November 24, 2008, 07:34:17 PM
Oh that's bad news. Is it possible to check if the chipset/motherboard is compatible with RHEL 4.7?

what about checking RH 4.7 HCL? :-)

Ciao
Stefano
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: smeerbartje on November 24, 2008, 07:45:42 PM
what about checking RH 4.7 HCL? :-)

Ciao
Stefano
But where to find it? This list (https://hardware.redhat.com/) does not contain specific motherboard, isnt it?
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: janet on November 25, 2008, 01:17:03 AM
smeerbartje

Quote
Is it possible to check if the chipset/motherboard is compatible with RHEL 4.7?

That motherboard works OK with sme7.3 (Centos4.6) or sme 7.4 (Centos4.7) or sme8 (Centos5.1).

On sme7 versions you need to use the sme pci=nommconf switch as per
http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,40524.msg187889.html#msg187889
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: smeerbartje on November 25, 2008, 08:16:13 AM
smeerbartje

That motherboard works OK with sme7.3 (Centos4.6) or sme 7.4 (Centos4.7) or sme8 (Centos5.1).

On sme7 versions you need to use the sme pci=nommconf switch as per
http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,40524.msg187889.html#msg187889

Allright! Thank you mary! Thank you very much! This saturday I will order the components.
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: janet on November 25, 2008, 10:34:02 AM
smeerbartje

Quote
That motherboard works OK with sme7.3 (Centos4.6) or sme 7.4 (Centos4.7) or sme8 (Centos5.1).

Quote
This saturday I will order the components.

Careful, the motherboard I was referring to was the Intel DQ35JO or DQ35JOE. It is listed here
https://hardware.redhat.com/list.cgi?product=Red%20Hat%20Hardware%20Certification&quicksearch=Intel&offset=100
as certfied for Centos5.1

Also see
https://hardware.redhat.com/show.cgi?id=383941


Backwards compatibility from Centos5.1/sme8 is not guaranteed, but from experience is does work with sme7.3 (for nearly 9 months) and now sme7.4 since the upgrade a few days ago.

So you can buy that motherboard knowing it will be OK now and OK when sme 8 final is released.

It appears to be the only desktop motherboard fully certified (for Centos5.1).
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: smeerbartje on November 25, 2008, 11:47:39 AM
smeerbartje

Careful, the motherboard I was referring to was the Intel DQ35JO or DQ35JOE. It is listed here
https://hardware.redhat.com/list.cgi?product=Red%20Hat%20Hardware%20Certification&quicksearch=Intel&offset=100
as certfied for Centos5.1

Also see
https://hardware.redhat.com/show.cgi?id=383941


Backwards compatibility from Centos5.1/sme8 is not guaranteed, but from experience is does work with sme7.3 (for nearly 9 months) and now sme7.4 since the upgrade a few days ago.

So you can buy that motherboard knowing it will be OK now and OK when sme 8 final is released.

It appears to be the only desktop motherboard fully certified (for Centos5.1).

Hi Mary,

Yes, I'm also referring to the DQ35JOE :) You really helped me out, thanks.
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: smeerbartje on December 01, 2008, 02:32:49 PM
Hi all,

Here is my (almost definitive) configuration:

Anyone ideas for improvements. And will this machine need a lot of power?
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: David Harper on December 02, 2008, 12:52:39 AM
If you buy two hard drives SME automatically will set up RAID 1 mirroring, which has saved lots of people's bacon (including mine) over the years.

According to the Intel support site, the driver for the PRO/1000 GT card is supported by all versions of the 2.6.x kernel, so you should be with this choice.

Also, if you are running VMWare in a production environment, 4Gb of RAM might be appropriate, especially given the fact that the RAM appears to be pretty cheap.
Title: Re: New server components
Post by: smeerbartje on December 02, 2008, 08:54:37 AM
If you buy two hard drives SME automatically will set up RAID 1 mirroring, which has saved lots of people's bacon (including mine) over the years.

According to the Intel support site, the driver for the PRO/1000 GT card is supported by all versions of the 2.6.x kernel, so you should be with this choice.

Also, if you are running VMWare in a production environment, 4Gb of RAM might be appropriate, especially given the fact that the RAM appears to be pretty cheap.

Thanks for your reply, exactly my thoughts. The server will not be a production server, just a home server running NAT, FTP, Squeezebox server and two vmware images (Oracle 10g database just for fun/learning and an Windows XP image)