About to pick up some workstation/server goodies. Have no idea what to do with them.

[iMpathetic]

So, I've been dabbling in computers for quite a long while now. Well, like three years. But that's since I was 12. So to me, that's a long time.

I have not, however, dabbled in servers, workstations, or boring enterprise stuff like that. Ever.

I have the opportunity to pick up some cool stuff for almost nothing though, and here it is:

-- Dell Precision 650 workstation

- Dual 3.06GHz Xeons with hyperthreading
- Some RAM
- dual 80GB HDDs
- nVidia Quadro 1000 or something

-- IBM xSeries 335 1U rackmount server

- Dual 2.7GHz Xeons with hyperthreading
- 4GB RAM
- some HDDs

So with all this hardware to play with, what do I do with it? I understand knowledge of servers, etc is imperative if you want to make a living in computers. I want to learn how to do stuff.

Server:

Precision:

 

[steve2112]

Well, you can box them up and and send them to: Steve's Server Collection, PO BOX 2112...

OK, here is the thing. Unless you have some other machines around, you won't learn too much about server admin stuff. Windows Server 2003, for example, looks a lot like XP. What makes it different is functioning as a server in a networked client/server environment.

If you have a switch or a router with multiple ports, you can setup a small network to play with. I would recommend you get a copy of a server OS, such as Windows Server 2003 or some flavor of Linux, and put it on the server. Then load up your favorite workstation OS on the Precision. (I would not recommend OSX, though. I don't think that model would make a good Hackintosh ) After that, try to make your own small network. Then you can do fun stuff like file shares, creating domains, etc. Depending on HDD space on the server, I would also use it for something like a media storage server.

Wow, I wish I had been able to get my hands on stuff like this when I was 15. I would have been an even bigger computer geek! Oh wait...maybe that is a good thing.

 

[iMpathetic]

Yeah, thanks for the advice. The problem is, I keep thinking of stuff I COULD do, but then I remember that I have 25GB of stuff to serve. Not a lot.

I do change computers a lot though, and it always sucks to have to redownload everything. Maybe that's what I'll do with the server -- store my files and my dad's important work stuff. RAID 1.

That could work.

I might stick Server 2008 on the IBM and Ubuntu Pro or Plus or whatever you call it on the Dell. Don't care about OS X.

 

[steve2112]

You don't need a bunch of stuff to load on a server. It just makes things much easier. It may feel like you are wasting the server, but it will be a good learning opportunity. Just load up Server 2008 and setup a RAID and some file shares. If you want to get really crazy, load XP/Vista/Windows 7 on the Dell, and create an Active Directory domain on the server, and join the Dell to the domain.

 

[iMpathetic]

Well, I figure I'll put 7 RC on the Dell then.

Should be a fun weekend.

Pity I can't put XP on the server, I only have Home....

 

[Eyedn]

Well, I figure I'll put 7 RC on the Dell then.

Should be a fun weekend.

Pity I can't put XP on the server, I only have Home....

Good luck and have fun, win 7 is awesome.

 

[iMpathetic]

Good luck and have fun, win 7 is awesome.

Now that I have them, I have a few observations:

- If I replace the sh*tbucket of a GPU on the Precision it's plenty fast, I'll bet, and it's really quiet. (I'm not allowed to turn them on. )
- The server is so loud. I'm scarred for life.
- I can install OS X on the Precision. There's a guide on Insanelymac.

 

[steve2112]

Now that I have them, I have a few observations:

- If I replace the sh*tbucket of a GPU on the Precision it's plenty fast, I'll bet, and it's really quiet. (I'm not allowed to turn them on. )
- The server is so loud. I'm scarred for life.
- I can install OS X on the Precision. There's a guide on Insanelymac.

Yeah, I forgot to warn you that the server would be really loud. I hope you weren't planning on putting them in a room where you will be trying to sleep. Now imagine trying to work in a room full of them. I swear, between working in a server room, and listening to my iPod, I am going to be deaf in a couple of years.

I find it amusing that there is a guide to load OSX on the Precision. It seems Hackintosh is becoming the new Linux. Install OSX on your toaster!

 

[Consultant]

Yeah dedicated servers are loud, I got PowerMac G4 and that sits in another room.

Yeah, I forgot to warn you that the server would be really loud. I hope you weren't planning on putting them in a room where you will be trying to sleep. Now imagine trying to work in a room full of them. I swear, between working in a server room, and listening to my iPod, I am going to be deaf in a couple of years.

I find it amusing that there is a guide to load OSX on the Precision. It seems Hackintosh is becoming the new Linux. Install OSX on your toaster!

You need a closed cup headphone for the server room.
Sennheiser HD 280 headphones are not too pricy.

 

[iMpathetic]

It's not TERRIBLE once the fans spin down, but it's really bad.

As for the Precision: It's got 512MB PC2700 in it now. There's PC2100 from the server, to the rune of 2.5GB, that I tried to put in there, but it won't work! It gives a series of agonizing beeps and refuses to boot. That's weird because it shipped with PC2100!!!

Due to the low memory amount, Geekbench score is only about 1900 with HT on.

 

[toolbox]

You could turn that it into a FreeBSD firewall with mail / spam filtering. Man i am jealous i never got my hands on anything like that when people were upgrading