Help with Equipment

Fri Mar 29 10:05:58 PST 2002

Quoting Madhu Konety (mkonety at yahoo.com):
> We are a startup in the low burn mode and I am looking to buy some equipment
> to get started.  Need a Sun Netra, an F5 load balancer and a couple linux
> servers. Any help appreciated.

If I may rephrase:
We're trying to save money, but we want a 1U Solaris box -
from one of the most over-priced manufacturers, a high end
load balancer designed for high end work, and some linux boxes.

Perhaps I didn't hear "we're looking for an EMC, cheap"
They just don't exist.

Well, I've built a number of Linux boxes for well < $400 -
decent MoBo, decent disk, extra fans and GOOD ram and GOOD
powersupplies (debugging cheap RAM and power is timeconsuming
and WILL cost far, far more than you tried to save).

Perhaps there is FUNCTIONALITY you seek, rather than specific
(expensive) product?  If you're bound to Sparc, then the X1
is adequate for what it is - an non-expandable 1U with a slow
CPU and expensive RAM.  Older Ultras can be had more cheaply
(300MHz or so).  Intel 1U and 2U's will give you more oomph
for the $$$.

Load balancing can be done by software until you have the funds
to by a dedicated turnkey system like the F5 or Local Director.

chuck