NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: NEAL WEINBERG ON PRODUCT REVIEWS 08/24/04 Today's focus: RLX blade server
Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED], In this issue: * The Reviewmeister takes a look at the RLX 600ex * Links related to Product Reviews * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Xerox Manage Your Output Devices and Reduce Costs Learn the key steps to building a document output strategy that will enhance productivity and save money for your organization. Download the Xerox "Optimizing Document Output ROI" white paper today. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=77378 _______________________________________________________________ CONTEMPLATING A CAREER MOVE? For many of us, it is time to contemplate a change. You're great at managing networks, but what about your career? Get information and advice for managing and developing your career and guiding your staff's career choices at NW Fusion's Career Research Center. Click here: http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=73215 _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: RLX blade server By Neal Weinberg Last week, we reviewed blade servers from IBM and HP. This week, the Reviewmeister takes on the RLX 600ex. RLX uses three 208V AC 10-amp connections from the RLX 600ex chassis to an optional power-distribution unit. In turn, the connections feed the 6U high chassis' three power supplies. An optional RLX Control Tower XT management blade module can be installed - we tested the blade servers with this option. Control Tower XT is the best management interface that we've seen for Linux, but it's an almost $4,000 option, and also costs an extra $199 per managed node. However, rapid provisioning, a free feature contained in Control Tower XT, costs extra in the IBM and HP offerings. A management LCD is used to initially configure the RLX 600ex chassis. Each RLX 2800i blade starts with an IP address coded to the slot where it resides. With the Control Tower XT software, an HTTP logon is used to start Control Tower XT. Red Hat Linux Advanced Server was shipped on the blades we received - this is done for free, although a license key must be subsequently introduced to the installation. Control Tower XT is the rough equivalent of the IBM Management Module and Director software, as a hardware/software combination chassis administrator. It tracks faults based on SNMP, and the Intelligent Platform Management Interface specification. Like HP's Insight Manager/iLO and IBM's Director, Control Tower XT is used to administer, manage and provision HPC 2800i, 2.8-GHz server blades. RLX blades also can PXE boot, and the process takes about the same time to load an operating system image. Control Tower XT manages each blade and its chassis characteristics. An initial loading of blade server information is input to Control Tower XT - there's an auto-discovery feature that finds blades and its IP addresses automatically. Blade servers talk to the Control Tower XT management blade via a third Ethernet port on each blade server over SSL from a Control Tower Blade Agent, which must be manually activated (once) on each blade server. The management network must be kept private, as SNMP monitoring requires the use of the unsecure "public" community name. Once devices are discovered or descriptions manually input, they must be registered before they can be managed. Control Tower XT makes it possible to control blades and components remotely, once the devices are registered. We found that Lightweight Directory Access Protocol user and group information can be successfully used to import usernames/groups quickly, simply by pointing to the LDAP server with correct credentials. For the full report, go to <http://www.nwfusion.com/techinsider/2004/0816techinsiderrev.html RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS RLX enforces blade server management software Network World, 06/21/04 http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0621rlx.html RLX introduces Linux clusters Network World Servers Newsletter, 02/05/04 http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/servers/2004/0202server2.html _______________________________________________________________ To contact: Neal Weinberg Neal Weinberg is features editor at Network World, in charge of product reviews, Buyer's Guides, technology primers, how-tos, issue-oriented feature stories and the Technology Insider series. You can reach him at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Xerox Manage Your Output Devices and Reduce Costs Learn the key steps to building a document output strategy that will enhance productivity and save money for your organization. Download the Xerox "Optimizing Document Output ROI" white paper today. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=77377 _______________________________________________________________ ARCHIVE LINKS Reviews archive: http://www.nwfusion.com/reviews/index.html _______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE WONDERING IF YOUR PAY IS UP TO SNUFF? Check out Network World's 2004 Salary Calculator to see if you're getting paid what you're worth. Using data collected in the 2004 Network World Salary Survey, we've programmed this calculator with several categories that could affect your pay. Answer the questions and find out what the average salary is for your job category. Click here: <http://www.nwfusion.com/salary/2004/calculator.html> _______________________________________________________________ May We Send You a Free Print Subscription? You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered at your fingertips each day. Now, extend your knowledge by receiving 51 FREE issues to our print publication. Apply today at http://www.subscribenw.com/nl2 International subscribers click here: http://nww1.com/go/circ_promo.html _______________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World e-mail newsletters, go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Changes.aspx> To unsubscribe from promotional e-mail go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Preferences.aspx> To change your e-mail address, go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/ChangeMail.aspx> Subscription questions? Contact Customer Service by replying to this message. This message was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please use this address when modifying your subscription. _______________________________________________________________ Have editorial comments? Write Jeff Caruso, Newsletter Editor, at: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Inquiries to: NL Customer Service, Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 For advertising information, write Kevin Normandeau, V.P. of Online Development, at: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Copyright Network World, Inc., 2004 ------------------------ This message was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/BCfwlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kumpulan/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
