# Uses for a Server?



## Kivaari (Jul 27, 2009)

Due to some shipping error, my dad's work gave him an IBM server, and were not exactly sure what to do with it. I was interested in using it, but it only has PCI slots, so I probably can't put a very good graphics card in it.

It has 2 Intel Xeon 2.8Ghz processors, and 2GB of DDR RAM.


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## Aurali (Jul 27, 2009)

If all else fails. Sell it or trade it for a computer you can use?


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## Raithah (Jul 27, 2009)

I'm ready to say file server, or media server, but ... it's _asking_ to be used for something better. That server has a higher calling, yet I just can't grasp what it could be. Are you into 3D art? I don't think many renderers support GPU acceleration (but I'm not an artist, so yeah) so it'd probably be nice for that; just set it up for remote boot and quadruple the memory if it's 64 bit, double if otherwise. Oooh: fractal art rendering is fairly processor intensive and, apparently, threads quite well. Same deal as above, but with that instead.

Do you have any old laptops with WiFi laying around? You could strip the HDD and the optical drive, make it a thin client and carry it around the house - with minimal lag, it'd be reasonably fast and quite capable (not for gaming, probably, but still). Plus, you could probably get a lot more out of that battery for even CPU intensive tasks (just conjecture, though) as it'd be offloaded to the server.

Worst comes to worst, though, and you're desperately looking for something to use it for; sell it or trade it as the smart woman above says :3.


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## pixthor (Jul 27, 2009)

You can also use it for running a dedicated server for a game. Like Half Life for example. Same thing with other games also. You can also use it to store all of your files on there. Other than that. It's all I can think of for now.


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## Carenath (Jul 27, 2009)

Post up the server's model number and specs.
Is it a standard tower (likely since you mentioned PCI cards) or is it a rackmount unit.

I cant help you more until I can see what type of system it is.


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## Kivaari (Jul 28, 2009)

It's a rack mount. It says it's a IBM 8670 - W1R. Like I said before, 2 2.8Ghz Intel Xeon Processors and 2GB RAM.

Some interesting ideas so far, though nothing I'd really use right now. In the future those are things I might be interested in though.


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## Raithah (Jul 28, 2009)

Congratulations on your new IBM System x3450 (or x345, apparently) 1U, rack mount server; in case you haven't identified it yet .


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## CryoScales (Jul 28, 2009)

Games like Jedi Academy have clans that would possibly pay you for use of your server. Though that game's online is dying slowly


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## Kivaari (Jul 28, 2009)

Mine isn't quite that new, it has PCI-X, not PCI-E, I think Single Core Processors (Don't see dual-core mentioned anywhere, but System Monitor in Ubuntu said there were 4 CPUs, even though there are 2) DDR RAM, plus the newest date I can find is 2004.

Don't really need to, but it is kind of tempting to set my Eee up as a thin client just to try it out.


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## ToeClaws (Jul 28, 2009)

Well the moral thing to do would first me to contact the company and inform them off the error - they might need that server back. If they don't, and just tell you to keep it, then honestly your best option is to just sell it.

Rack-mount servers are awesome in datacentres, but not in homes.  They are not designed to be quiet, non-intrusive machines like a desktop.  Once powered up (especially if working hard) they can roar like jet engines, which doesn't really sound all that great in an otherwise quiet house.  There's quite likely NOTHING you can run on it in a server sense that would push the box to it's limits.  Things like a HL2 or UT server actually don't need much power, neither does a file server, MP3/media server and so on.

If you sold it, you could put the money gained toward something like a NAS box or smaller (quieter) machine to use as a server.


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## Runefox (Jul 28, 2009)

Sponge Cat said:


> Mine isn't quite that new, it has PCI-X, not PCI-E


PCI-E isn't as common on server boards; PCI and PCI-X still have a lot more components available for them than PCI-E does. Newer boards (and more workstation boards) do have PCI-E slots, but those are mainly either x4/x8 for things like RAID controllers, or on a workstation board, multiple x16 slots (non-SLI/Crossfire).



> I think Single Core Processors (Don't see dual-core mentioned anywhere, but System Monitor in Ubuntu said there were 4 CPUs, even though there are 2) DDR RAM, plus the newest date I can find is 2004.


It could be dual core, or it could be Hyperthreading; If I'm not mistaken, Hyperthreading didn't have much of a place in the Xeon line, so it's more likely dual core. Note that the RAM in it is _probably_ FB-DIMM or at least ECC, so keep that in mind if you decide to upgrade it and try to match the specs.

As for what to do with it, well, you can do pretty much anything with it. Like has been said, use it as a file server, media server, a number cruncher (like folding@home), terminal server (thin clients!), web server, game server...


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## hitokage (Jul 28, 2009)

I agree with ToeClaws.

Installation guide. Here's a few specs - it's an x345, 2U rack-mount case, supports up to two hyper-threaded Xeons, four DIMM slots (requires registered ECC DDR RAM - either PC2100 or PC1600 ~ installed in pairs), six hot-swap drive bays (Ultra320 - SCSI), two full height 133MHz/64-bit non-hot-plug PCI-X slots, two low profile 100MHz/64-bit non-hot-plug PCI-X slots, one full height non-hot-plug PCI slot, three USB 1.1 ports, dual gigabit NICs, and an ATI Rage XL graphics controller. The  installation guide states it comes with at least a 3.067GHz Xeon,  but that may be just for the single CPU configuration and duals probably had different options.


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## ToeClaws (Jul 28, 2009)

Hmm, with those stats, you might still be able to score $600 to $700 for it, more if you have decent drives with it.  It's not nearly cutting edge, but just the high-end components keep it's value up higher than if it were a desktop.   Heck, even if you get $400 for it, you're still $400 ahead of where you were before.


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## Irreverent (Jul 28, 2009)

If selling it is an option, you might also consider donating it to a school and getting a tax receipt....which goes on your tax refund and can be used to purchase something down the road.

Servers at home do tend to be noisy.


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## Carenath (Jul 28, 2009)

I'll buy it from you, though I would like you to double-check that it uses SAS/SATA and not SCSI. So far as I know, you cannot even buy SCSI hard drives anymore.. and those that I've still seen around tend to be 72GB at most, standard brownbox SATA drives I can buy range from 500-1500GB which when you stack a few of them into a RAID nets you some decent and reliable storage.

Those specs would be sufficient to replace my current server/firewall system and virtualise a bunch of additional servers to split things around.



Irreverent said:


> Servers at home do tend to be noisy.


So do 3U Rackmount UPS units


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## Irreverent (Jul 28, 2009)

Carenath said:


> So do 3U Rackmount UPS units



They can be.  But a  lifetime spent on gun ranges, driving convertibles and flying has left me somewhat tone-deaf at that frequency range.


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## Kivaari (Jul 28, 2009)

Hitokage got it, that describes it perfectly.

I'm thinking we probably should sell it, though I do remember my dad wanting a Media server. I'll see what he thinks when he gets home.

Carenath, it uses SCSI drives, and doesn't have any right now. How much would you be willing to offer? I'll bet it would cost quite a bit to ship it to Ireland too.

It is quite noisy when it starts up, but not too bad after that, although I wasn't doing anything to make it work hard. (Spider Solitaire)


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## Shino (Jul 28, 2009)

I've got a old re-tasked desktop acting as my house's primary server, and it does five things: Media Server (slaved to my personal tower, didn't see the point of buying _two_ TB drives), Network Attached Storage (basically network-access hard drive), print server, SFTP data server (for when I'm on the road), and home automation hub. (The last part doesn't work right now, I was tweaking it and I broke it. I've been too lazy to fix.)


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## Carenath (Jul 28, 2009)

Sponge Cat, it just depends on the type of SCSI drives the system uses.

Older servers, used Parallel SCSI hard drives, just as desktops and workstations used Parallel ATA (IDE) hard drives. Ultra320 was one of the latest P-SCSI standards being used, and on eBay there are no shortage of old servers using them being sold.

Newer servers are using Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) or SATA drives (they also tend to be the smaller 'laptop' drives). If the system uses Serial Attached SCSI, the drives will be readily available and I wont have any problems sourcing them. If they are the older Parallel type.. getting new drives will be tricky..

You wont need to ship it to Ireland, I'll be in the US for a month, and you can ship it to me there. I'll either pop it into a datacenter, or I'll bring it home with me when I fly back.


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## Kivaari (Jul 28, 2009)

Ok, it's Ultra320. We might be getting a 72GB hard drive sometime soon, although I really don't know when soon is.


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## hitokage (Jul 29, 2009)

Ultra320 is the older parallel SCSI. The drives go up to about 300GB, but they will cost a lot more then SATA drives (146GB drives are about $250). If you do decide to buy any drives you have to make sure you get the 80-pin variety. You'll also need the correct tray/sled/whatever you want to call it that's compatible with the x345. These drives are typically available in 10k and 15k RPM versions (and possibly 7200 RPM) - any will work.

I got a Dell PowerEdge 6650 that I scored from craigslist, but I haven't done anything with it yet as I'm broke and can't buy drives for it. My one idea is to set it up with external SATA drives for additional storage, and have the two SCSI drives that came with it configured as RAID 1 for the OS.


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## ZentratheFox (Jul 29, 2009)

If Carenath dosen't buy it from you, I will. :3

I've already got two identical desktop units on server duty in my wiring closet, I'd like to add something with a bit more oomph to my arsenal. Plus I can do something with all my ECC DDR RAM...


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## Kivaari (Aug 1, 2009)

Ok, my dad has decided to sell it. If either of you guys (Or anyone else) are still interested, let me know.


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## Carenath (Aug 2, 2009)

I am still interested, I'm leaving on Monday for SF, and I'll arrange with you to ship the machine to me there. On a side note.. I have a Macbook Pro that Im looking to sell if you (or anyone) is interested.


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