Category: Hardware

Netfinity 8500R "DragonMother" (23.08.2008)

DragonMother is the latest addition to my little PC farm.

Its an IBM Netfinity 8500R X-Series Server.

At the moment it contains 2 Pentium III Xeon 700 Mhz Processors and 2 GB of 100 Mhz ECC Sdram.

Additionally it makes use of an IBM ServeRaid (SCSI) and an Fastrak Promise Ultra 100 (IDE) Controller to support multiple Harddisk Drives and an 3Com 10/100 XT Fast Ethernet Card.

It is powered by 3 redundant, hotplugable Power Supply Units - but acutally I use only one ( I don't need redundance at the moment, so I only use one for less power consumption).

It is planed to buy an additional Daughterboard to support another 4 Cpus and fill up the 2 open Cpus Slots on Board A. So - six IBM Xeon 700 Mhz Proccessors and one Daughterboard- please.

At the moment it uses Ubuntu Server Edition and Knoppix - but in futher we may upgrade to an Windows 2000 Advanced Server to use multiple Cpus.

Blutdrache 01 Version 1.0 (26.11.2005)

One year after the Hilfsdrache Project, I wanted to build an new server.

While an traineeship at an IT Systems firm, I got an 19'' Inch Rackpiece with (about 3 HE) - so I wanted to use that as "Case" for that project.

That server here should be different from the Hilfsdrache in serval points.

First, it should run an specialized linux distribution called "Eisfair" (www.eisfair.org) - which had been created to work as secure and easily configurable server system.

Second, this server should be absolutly quiet - and work with low power consumption.

Third, this server shouldn't host big game servers - only applications. (So it does need neither high CPU power nor an large HDD).

In the end, I used an Acer V66 Motherbord (it was quite thin and long - so it fitted the Case perfectly), an AMD K6-2 400 Mhz which I underclocked to 250 Mhz (and took down the Vcore from 2,2 V to 1,75V - so it did run passive - just needed an heat sink), and 256 MB of Sdram.

For the Powersupply, I modded an 250 Watts PSU, so that it fitted the case and rewired the security groundings to serval parts of the case. Additionally, i added some cooling sinks to the powersupply and tested it serval times with the new server: It never exceded room temperature. The same thing with the cpu.

Therefore the only mechanical thing on this server was the HDD - and that I took away from it aswell.

In the beginning, I used an 1 Gigabyte Mircodrive - but I thought of it as beeing too loud. So I changed to an 1 Gigabyte Compactflash Drive and changed Eisfair in that way, that it wrote the log files into Ramdrives - so that the Flashdrive didn't needed to endure so many write/read operations as an normal drive.

The Blutdrache nowadays uses an 100 Mbit Network Interface Card, an PCI Soundcard and an 56kbit Modem (which ain't used at the moment).

Nowadays this Server is mostly used for Teamspeak and as Personal Backup Webserver.

Also its used to provide an Secure Internet Connection for me while I'm on Work or "Outside" of my own Network. I do use the SSHD to Tunnel my Internettransfer from the Firefox of my Tablet into the Blutdrache - and use Squid as Proxy to gain Access to my own Internetconnection at Home - so my Data can't be monitored from the Outside.

So - this Server is important and nearly on daily use - and... as I planed - absolutly silent!

It hosts these Services:

- Apache

- Php

- Mysql

- FTP

- SSHD

- Squid

- Minicom (to work onto the serial Line of my WGT634U)

- Samba (for Files and Printer)

- Teamspeak RC2

- Player versus Player Gaming Network (PvPGN)

- Streamripper (in addition to an NAS or attached USB HDD)

- Webradio Client

Hilfsdrache 01 Version 1.2 (18.07.2004)

On 18.07.2004, the third Version of the Hilfsdrache was finalized.

The CPU Cooler was replaced through an selfbuild Watercooling System.

The coolant radiator used was from an Ford or Opel Automobile. The other parts were an small 12 Volt pump, and selfbuild copper water cooling unit for the CPU, and an water tank (made out of an plastic tube with cover).

To get an better airflow through the main 120 mm fan, the back of the Server got 2 coverplates with holes and - for better optic - an lighted perspex plate like the one I made in large for the mousepad.

The parts of the watercooling - like radiator and water tank, were lighted with blue leds, too.

To switch the light on and off, the display holder got an additional switch.

What is not seen is the relais I build into the MiniATX Powersupply AFTER I made these pictures: From the moment the PSU starts delivering power (the Pc is powered on) - the pump also starts and therefore the waterciruculation and coolant of the CPU.

NOTE: The Server is disassembled at the moment, as it needs more work on the watercooling system (it worked one year flawlessly, but there are some weak points where it has to be redesigned).

Hilfsdrache 01 Version 1.1 (24.05.2004)

Over 5 Months later, I did update the Design.

The Server worked flawlessly so far, but there was space for some additions.

First I did mod the MiniATX Powersupply and build in an Switch to put the Powersupply Fan into 12 Volt (Fast and Loud) or 7 Volt (Slow and Silent - but enough throughput) Mode. From that on, the server was a LOT more silent.

Also, the HDD Cage connection to the ground of the Case was damped by screwing it through a thumbsize layer of rubber. That helped.

But the biggest change in this revision was the attachement of an LCD Display.

It was connected through the LTP Port of the Mainboard and with an special piece of Software, it was able to display Live Data like CPU and Ram Load, Network Interface Load and a lot more.

The display holder was created out of metal and did not only hold the display, but also the display controlls (brightness, contrast and display on (backlight on), display off, display on (backlight off)) and an 12 Volt / 7 Volt Mode switch for the big 120 mm Fan.

And after that,.. there was silence 😉

Hilfsdrache 01 Version 1 (31.12.2003)

Hilfsdrache01 should be my first standalone server for Lan Partys and such.

As for that reason, I decided to do a bit more than "only" build up the pc and get it running: I tried to built the pc into an big attache case. The benefits were clearly: An easily transportable pc with an solid and small case.

Because I didn't have much space, I used MiniATX components for this project.

An Intel Pentium II with 450 Mhz and 256 MB of Sdram Ram (100 Mhz FSB) and two 20 Gb HDDs, as well as an 10 Mbit and an 100 Mbit Networking Interface Card were the "startup". As the pc didn't boot up without an Graphics Card, I decided to use an old ATI Rage, as that AGP Card was quite solid, drained not much power and needed not even an heat sink on its GPU.

As for the overall cooling, I used an 120mm Fan in 7 Volt Mode (quite silent and much throughput).

The project started on 29.12.2003 and was completed on the morning of the 31.12.2003.

At the same night, it was already tested on an lan party with 4 clients, running an Freelancer, Counterstrike and Fileserver (for Patches). It worked.

The Dragon Mousepad

So, in 2003 / 04 I weren't only working on the "Hilfsdrache", but also on an special Mousepad.

That Mousepad was created out of perspex, an aluminium rail and serval ultra-bright blue leds and an usb connector.

To really make that pad special and "one of a kind", I created an carving with an Dremel Multitool into the upper one of the two perspex layers.

The light of the leds is shining directly into the uper layer and is broken on the positions, where the material is carved.

As result of that, the Carving itself shines out blue - while the rest of the perspex is still translucent.

Power for the LEDs is delievered by an USB Connector that can be plugged into any USB Port on any PC with an Standard USB Type A to Type A Cable.