As this thread was about Sun's new x64 servers, the comments all relate to the products intended use - in professional server installations.
It totally depends on your use, but I'd suggest you skip the rack for at-home use unless you are going to use six or more physical servers there. Instead, consider the inexpensive Sun Ultra 20, a W1100z, or the dual-Opteron W2100z. Besides, these all have USB 2.0 for your external LaCie HDD.
I should confess that my home personal workstation is one of the W2100z units and its some serious hardware and exceptionally well engineered and built; I'd highly recommend one. As for server use, my W2100z is employed as a file and web server and it works like a champ! If you go with one with a SCSI disk solution, like the W2100z, the disks are built well enough that I would feel totally safe with an external USB backup and skip the real-time redundancy for home use.
In fact, I personally own one of the 250 GB F.A. Porsche designed USB LaCie drives myself and it is a good backup device for desktops - and that is what I use it for. However, I have already illustrated many better ways of accomplishing the same thing for servers.
Do yourself a favor and run a large backup to your USB external HDD, then run the same backup sequence over 100MBps, 1000MBps, or fiber LAN and let me know what you think. The choice is clear.
To expand upon the other replies, a true server would use some form of redundant RAID (RAID 1, RAID 5, etc.) where you simply toss in another disk [assuming you don't already have a hot spare] and you're done.
If an external backup was desired to be used, it would likely be copied via the gigabit network which is several magnitudes faster than even USB 2.0.
Strange. I've got a W2100z myself (dual 246's) and have been nothing but impressed by the hardware. I've run Solaris 10, Linux, and Windows XP on the hardware and each performed as good as can be expected for each OS; as each OS has it's own characteristics.
Perhaps, but eBay could have simply integrated a new Skype-like eBay product on eBay/PayPayl and drawn some of Skype's customers and created new customers. Ideally the simplicity of the integrated product would have drawn Skype's existing customers at a fraction of the cost. Either way, being a cash/stock deal, the out-of-pocket cash price to purchase the customers is only about half of what other/. posters suggest [~$650/user] and reasonable to purchase an existing customer base and eliminate the competition at the same time.
For that kind of cash, eBay could have developed an in-house solution at a fraction of the price. Oh well, time to raise the Buyer's and Seller's rates on eBay, again...
You might give Darwine a try. However, if you already use VirtualPC, you may not have any great motivation to change now...until the next $400 [VirtualPC w/ Win XP Pro] requirement to upgrade.
How soon until we see Google scouting local university playing "fields" for the up and coming talent? Or, will Google simply continue buying and trading the top talent around like professional athletes?
Odd, this seems to be the first real reason to have "professional" in the same sentence as "athlete."
Slashdot Mirror
See Inside Jack now.
You have to like Jack's T-shirt - "No, I will not fix your computer"!
Where can I get one of those?
You must be new here. It's always Windows fault.
Only ONE post and their server is toast!
Oh, I forgot to shamelessly plug my older workstation as for sale in the link on my signature. I suppose I can consider that done now. 8)
As this thread was about Sun's new x64 servers, the comments all relate to the products intended use - in professional server installations.
It totally depends on your use, but I'd suggest you skip the rack for at-home use unless you are going to use six or more physical servers there. Instead, consider the inexpensive Sun Ultra 20, a W1100z, or the dual-Opteron W2100z. Besides, these all have USB 2.0 for your external LaCie HDD.
I should confess that my home personal workstation is one of the W2100z units and its some serious hardware and exceptionally well engineered and built; I'd highly recommend one. As for server use, my W2100z is employed as a file and web server and it works like a champ! If you go with one with a SCSI disk solution, like the W2100z, the disks are built well enough that I would feel totally safe with an external USB backup and skip the real-time redundancy for home use.
In fact, I personally own one of the 250 GB F.A. Porsche designed USB LaCie drives myself and it is a good backup device for desktops - and that is what I use it for. However, I have already illustrated many better ways of accomplishing the same thing for servers.
Do yourself a favor and run a large backup to your USB external HDD, then run the same backup sequence over 100MBps, 1000MBps, or fiber LAN and let me know what you think. The choice is clear.
To expand upon the other replies, a true server would use some form of redundant RAID (RAID 1, RAID 5, etc.) where you simply toss in another disk [assuming you don't already have a hot spare] and you're done.
If an external backup was desired to be used, it would likely be copied via the gigabit network which is several magnitudes faster than even USB 2.0.
" A quick glance at the specs shows no USB 2.0, just 1.1
That's fine for kbd and mouse, but nothing else. On a server what are they good for?"
You seem to have answered your own question, exactly. Of what need is there for USB 2.0 on a server?
Had the network interface only been 10/100 you would have a valid point, but on a server, USB isn't terribly important.
Strange. I've got a W2100z myself (dual 246's) and have been nothing but impressed by the hardware. I've run Solaris 10, Linux, and Windows XP on the hardware and each performed as good as can be expected for each OS; as each OS has it's own characteristics.
" Should we take this as the final sign that Sun is giving up on Sparc?"
Hardly! See Rich Teer's blog for more information on Niagra or The Register. Apparently the GHz ware is finally is over.
Perhaps, but eBay could have simply integrated a new Skype-like eBay product on eBay/PayPayl and drawn some of Skype's customers and created new customers. Ideally the simplicity of the integrated product would have drawn Skype's existing customers at a fraction of the cost. Either way, being a cash/stock deal, the out-of-pocket cash price to purchase the customers is only about half of what other /. posters suggest [~$650/user] and reasonable to purchase an existing customer base and eliminate the competition at the same time.
Oh well, if you can't join 'em, buy 'em.
For that kind of cash, eBay could have developed an in-house solution at a fraction of the price. Oh well, time to raise the Buyer's and Seller's rates on eBay, again...
Skype...the new Napster. At least after eBay gets done with it.
All hail iTunes...and iChat?
Or just install XAMPP
You might give Darwine a try. However, if you already use VirtualPC, you may not have any great motivation to change now...until the next $400 [VirtualPC w/ Win XP Pro] requirement to upgrade.
NSA Guide to Securing Mac OS X (10.3.x)
Although not necessary for very good overall security, the security processes discussed are an interesting read nonetheless.
Pssssssst.
If you use VirtualPC, you do use Windows.
...even though you are smarter than most and bought a Mac - save for some equally smart Solaris/BSD/Linux users.
Relax, you have a Mac.
Be at peace with your inner BSD.
Just Get it.
Thanks to all the contributors!
"How could he tell if the audio signal was crystal clear if he was 'going 70 mph in a convertible with the top down'?"
Perhaps he was being accelerated through a vacuum at -9.81 m/s^2 with an instantaneous velocity of 31.3 m/s?
How soon until we see Google scouting local university playing "fields" for the up and coming talent? Or, will Google simply continue buying and trading the top talent around like professional athletes?
Odd, this seems to be the first real reason to have "professional" in the same sentence as "athlete."
Indeed. Those drives were essentially Hitachi drives with IBM's name on them.
Now about the other post, "How do you backup 500Gb of data?" Anyone owning one of these drives had better figure this out quick.
"Ten buttons...on a Mouse?"
Don't worry, only three buttons will even work in Solaris/BSD/Linux!
Mark my words;
"1TB of RAM should be enough for anyone!"
...that's not my bag baby. Honestly.