--- On Fri, 10/9/09, Rahul Nabar <[email protected]> wrote:
> (it raises an interesting thought I had: I wish the sales
> guys sometimes gave me a "dummy" service tag while I am
> evaluating hardware options to buy a new cluster. Often
> times one doesn't really want to try-and-buy each option
> (then I would get a service tag!) but yet one
> has questions that are not answered in the spec sheets or
> the manuals are hazy. The support-engineers are often the most
> knowledgeable about these nuts-and-bolts aspects I've found.
> But in the absence of a service tag it's hard to get access
> to them. )
>
> Keeping the BIOS firmware up-to-date is a chore though. When
> we are choosing Linux distros in the interest of stability a
> frequently updated firmware gets irritating. I guess it's a
> tradeoff to enjoy bug-fixes feature-additions so maybe I shouldn't
> be cribbing......
IF you go through a vetting process like we do, it takes a while to vett
changes. We can't just jump to new firmware just so they will do the support
we paid them for.
When they come to give you the dog-and-pony show, that's when I jump in and ask
for things. They are here to solve your problems-that's the first thing they
will tell you. If they help you succeed, you will stay in bed with them.
That's a win-win situation.
A node on a pallet waiting for you do upgrade firmware is absolutely worthless.
1000 of them even more so.
_______________________________________________
Beowulf mailing list, [email protected] sponsored by Penguin Computing
To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit
http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf
