Supercomputers - Two of them

I've been documenting this over at the [H]ardForum.

I almost finished Dashcat and had bought my switch when a larger rack of the same brand I used for Dashcat came available. Couldn't pass that up. Dashcat is being expanded to 10 nodes from the original eight and will have UPSes and the master server installed in the rack, in addition to an LCD console and storage drawer. Atop the rack, since it came with an adaptable 5U shelf, I have affixed the ICEBox controller, switch and two Belkin Omniview Matrix 8-port KVMs.

Dashcat only requires eleven ports out of the sixteen total KVM ports available. One will be reserved, on a long cable, for computer repairs so I can use the LCD console as the interface and save space on the workdesk.

As mentioned, the KVMs are Omniview Matrix models. These units allow two consoles with the interface of any two connected machines being displayed at the same time. As I'll only have one console, the second console port is open. What to do? Easy. Run it out to a KVM repeater, through one of the UTP links into the house, into the repeater catcher and to one of the displays on my desk (neither of which I'm using the VGA ports on).

The Omniview Matrix 2x8 was a lucky buy. It supports control through the OSD, hotkey commands, and the front panel. It's interesting that I originally had two of them, sold one for $50, decided to use the remaining one, ended up short by one and bought one on eBay for $25 total.

As for the second supercomputer, it's really an experiment in condensing the computing power of the larger system. Same CPUs, same motherboards, smaller fans, passive channeled airflow. It's not going to be cooled with 100F air. I'm convinced that's impossible for this one. It will, however, be a guinea pig for practical use of the ICE protocol, monitoring CPU temperatures. To apply the same on the original machine, I would need more ICEcards and thermal sensors. I'm still keeping an eye out for them.