Quick fundraiser for SETI's new server

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Profile soft^spirit
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Message 1034071 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 16:06:42 UTC

SETI@home - $200.00

Your confirmation number is:
62996


Janice
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Message 1034074 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 16:10:38 UTC - in response to Message 1034071.  

SETI@home - $200.00

Your confirmation number is:
62996


Thank you, oh great kitty spirit...

$873 left to go for the hefty processor upgrade.
"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

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Message 1034076 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 16:16:10 UTC

Not sure where this one gets counted...
14 Sep 2010 $150 62901

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Message 1034077 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 16:19:58 UTC - in response to Message 1034076.  

until the lab folks wake up.. we really have no idea.

In notes like my previous donation I noted "hardware". Let the guys at the lab figure out the best use. Some are more specific.. but someone will look here and see what we are up to.
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Message 1034079 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 16:23:17 UTC - in response to Message 1034076.  

Not sure where this one gets counted...
14 Sep 2010 $150 62901

Well, Gary.....
As I don't see that you posted anything about it when making the donation, it was not noted here. Correct me if I am wrong.

So, I shall count it towards the current processor upgrade challenge.

$723.00 to go for 6 core Xeons!!



"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

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Message 1034163 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 19:43:43 UTC - in response to Message 1034035.  

Uuhm - yesterday SETI got a big Donation from a single Person:

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/donation_history.php?month=09&year=2010

Helli

Oh my!!! $4000.00!! I wonder who it was from.....
If it was not earmarked for anything else, that would certainly cover the rest of the server cost itself. But it might have been intended for general operating expenses. Unless they wish to tell us, we don't know.

Dear Josef Segur,

Thank you for your gift to the SETI@home.
...
We received your gift
of $4000.00 via Mastercard on 09/17/2010.

It was not earmarked, I trust the staff to apply it where needed.

If they choose to consider it a donation toward the new server, that would make $14000.00 donated and since they get to spend "more than 89%" of cash donations it would be effectively about $12500.00, close to what they had decided on.

I salute those of you trying to provide enough donations to allow purchase of spares, upgraded processors, and upgraded hard drives. The Silicon Mechanics Configurator for the system certainly provides enough options. I am not competent to judge what would be the most effective enhancement, but the staff may have compromised some choices because of limited funding.
                                                                Joe
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Message 1034168 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 19:59:06 UTC - in response to Message 1034163.  

Uuhm - yesterday SETI got a big Donation from a single Person:

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/donation_history.php?month=09&year=2010

Helli

Oh my!!! $4000.00!! I wonder who it was from.....
If it was not earmarked for anything else, that would certainly cover the rest of the server cost itself. But it might have been intended for general operating expenses. Unless they wish to tell us, we don't know.

Dear Josef Segur,

Thank you for your gift to the SETI@home.
...
We received your gift
of $4000.00 via Mastercard on 09/17/2010.

It was not earmarked, I trust the staff to apply it where needed.

If they choose to consider it a donation toward the new server, that would make $14000.00 donated and since they get to spend "more than 89%" of cash donations it would be effectively about $12500.00, close to what they had decided on.

I salute those of you trying to provide enough donations to allow purchase of spares, upgraded processors, and upgraded hard drives. The Silicon Mechanics Configurator for the system certainly provides enough options. I am not competent to judge what would be the most effective enhancement, but the staff may have compromised some choices because of limited funding.
                                                                Joe


For you to give so much in money, development, and assistance to all is astounding! I can't say thank you enough!

Steve
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Message 1034171 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 20:08:06 UTC

a bit more guidance.. it was pointed out to me I was comparing SATA and not high speed SAS drives.

However, from generally available drives the 1T seagates were running approx 200 each, and the 2T were running approx 300 each.

So there is still an over all cost savings if they decide to go to 2T drives over 1T and still install 12T total drive space. This would also leave more room for future expansion.

The 5620 xeon chips they are looking at could most likely be chip upgraded to 5680 in the future after prices drop, and still cost less than buying higher end chips now. For memory, I believe they have the absolute right idea on the 8G ram. I was unaware 16G modules were available, 4G is fairly standard and 8G is towards the high end. If it requires more memory than that, then a different motherboard might be in order.

So my analysis and opinion is over all: keep the donations coming until seti staff says they have enough. We are certainly aimed at more server than they were initially talking about. I see this as a good thing.


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Message 1034174 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 20:11:40 UTC

I don't know who is keeping the tally on this effort
BUT
getting 1T drives vs 2T drives are over $120 a piece difference when it comes to hi speed server SAS type drives that are need

Yes 2T vs 1T drives are a better bang for the buck but $500 will not cover the cost
difference for 12 of the hard drives that are needed

Yes 6/2T are more cost effective than 12/1T for the same total

Maybe there is something not taken into account here
Maybe the raid controller or replacement/spare's cost or what they have

Just don't write it off as taken care of for $500
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Message 1034180 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 21:05:26 UTC - in response to Message 1034174.  

I don't know who is keeping the tally on this effort
BUT
getting 1T drives vs 2T drives are over $120 a piece difference when it comes to hi speed server SAS type drives that are need

Yes 2T vs 1T drives are a better bang for the buck but $500 will not cover the cost
difference for 12 of the hard drives that are needed

Yes 6/2T are more cost effective than 12/1T for the same total

Maybe there is something not taken into account here
Maybe the raid controller or replacement/spare's cost or what they have

Just don't write it off as taken care of for $500

The $500 would more than cover 8/2T versus 12/1T, an increase in raw storage and decrease in power usage.

But when a 2TB drive fails the RAID recovery takes longer, plus higher replacement cost for a new drive, etc. The project staff has mentioned advantages with larger number of spindles on more than one occasion, too.
                                                                Joe
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Message 1034181 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 21:05:30 UTC - in response to Message 1034171.  

So there is still an over all cost savings if they decide to go to 2T drives over 1T and still install 12T total drive space. This would also leave more room for future expansion.


Be reducing the number of physcial disks you reduce the options for RAID arrays - unless you want to establish arrays across logical partitions......
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Profile Gary Charpentier Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
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Message 1034190 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 21:32:04 UTC - in response to Message 1034079.  

Well, Gary.....
As I don't see that you posted anything about it when making the donation, it was not noted here. Correct me if I am wrong.

Server was playing yo-yo with the A/C then so no previous post.

Also, I'm told, coming from non-setizen at Trader Vic's is a check, amount unknown.

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Message 1034198 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 21:55:15 UTC - in response to Message 1034190.  

Well, Gary.....
As I don't see that you posted anything about it when making the donation, it was not noted here. Correct me if I am wrong.

Server was playing yo-yo with the A/C then so no previous post.

Also, I'm told, coming from non-setizen at Trader Vic's is a check, amount unknown.

I was wondering about that Gary. Once it happens, we know who to thank.
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Message 1034200 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 22:08:05 UTC - in response to Message 1034180.  

I don't know who is keeping the tally on this effort
BUT
getting 1T drives vs 2T drives are over $120 a piece difference when it comes to hi speed server SAS type drives that are need

Yes 2T vs 1T drives are a better bang for the buck but $500 will not cover the cost
difference for 12 of the hard drives that are needed

Yes 6/2T are more cost effective than 12/1T for the same total

Maybe there is something not taken into account here
Maybe the raid controller or replacement/spare's cost or what they have

Just don't write it off as taken care of for $500

The $500 would more than cover 8/2T versus 12/1T, an increase in raw storage and decrease in power usage.

But when a 2TB drive fails the RAID recovery takes longer, plus higher replacement cost for a new drive, etc. The project staff has mentioned advantages with larger number of spindles on more than one occasion, too.
                                                                Joe

So it would appear that the best option might be to add more 1T drives to maximize raid performance and fill the bays rather than make the 12 drive complement 2T units.

And, Joe......
Your unflagging support of this project not only with your pocketbook but your time as well is viewed with much admiration here.

Hopefully we can get a little more input from those who are making the decisions so we know if our choices are good ones.

I will continue to monitor the thread and will probably tally things up tomorrow morning to give another status report.

Thank you sooooooooooo much to all who have already donated and those who are going to (hint, hint).

We ARE gonna make this happen...
Correct that, we ARE making this happen.
"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

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Message 1034202 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 22:15:44 UTC

Here is the current tally.

$100 Tim Norton
$500 MarkJ
$200 Helli
$100 Lupo
$400 SciManStev
$100 MSattler
$200 Soft^Spirit
$150 Gary Charpentier


$4,000 Joe Segur, for general purposes
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Message 1034205 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 22:32:49 UTC - in response to Message 1034202.  
Last modified: 18 Sep 2010, 22:35:36 UTC

Here is the current tally.

$100 Tim Norton
$500 MarkJ
$200 Helli
$100 Lupo
$400 SciManStev
$100 MSattler
$200 Soft^Spirit
$150 Gary Charpentier


$4,000 Joe Segur, for general purposes

Thank you Uli!

So, we have a total of $1750.00 earmarked for upgrades to the existing specs.

I would apply the first $637.00 for the warranty and spares that I started the fund drive with.

That would leave $1113.00 in the pot.

My own feeling is to work on the processor upgrade next, as right now the drive question is a wild card.......upgrade to 2T or more spindles of 1T.

The processor upgrade, as I stated before would give us the following.....
The current processors are 2 Xeon E5620s...
We could upgrade to 2 Xeon E5650s.

Takes us from 8 cores total to 12.
Raises core clock from 2.4GHz to 2.66GHz.
Increases QPI data bus rate from 5.86GT/s to 6.46GT/s.
And raises the RAM speed from 1066MHz to 1333MHz.

Would be a LOT more horsepower under the hood.

That upgrade is $1406.00, which would leave us $293.00 short of that goal, of which I have pledged $50.00 if we meet it. $243.00 left.
Unless MarkJ would not like his donation applied that way and would rather we wait to use his $500.00 when that issue is decided.
MarkJ, please advise your wishes.

So, let's work on the $243.00 whilst we are awaiting MarkJ's response and some additional input on the drive issue from the powers that be.

Meow meow.

EDIT....
Keep in mind that with the warranty upgrade we have 6 years of coverage, during which, I am sure we could not be mucking about upgrading processors at a later date. Hence I believe it is wise to do that upgrade now rather than try to wait out price declines on the processors later.
"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

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Message 1034211 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 22:48:02 UTC

I so wish I could do more, but my kitty bowl is empty. To me it is almost an addiction to give to SETI, and I get frustrated when I can't. Common,,,, lottery!

Steve
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Message 1034215 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 22:51:02 UTC - in response to Message 1034211.  
Last modified: 18 Sep 2010, 22:53:12 UTC

I so wish I could do more, but my kitty bowl is empty. To me it is almost an addiction to give to SETI, and I get frustrated when I can't. Common,,,, lottery!

Steve

No apologies from you, mister. Your donation was mighty fine.
But I know how ya feel....wish I was in a position to contribute at Joe's level as well.

But we all do what we can, and all is appreciated.

So, come on folks.....don't be shy. You don't have to have a c-note to be appreciated in this endeavor.
$10.00, $20.00, $50.00....whatever. We are happy to add it to the total, and it will all count.
"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

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Message 1034217 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 22:54:19 UTC

Jeff had written
"Except for a couple of minor details, we have decided on the new science database machine. We again want to thank the donors very much for making this purchase possible! We received $9K in donations earmarked for this server. We received another $1K during the donation drive period that was not earmarked. We're calling it $10K donated for the server. The machine we are getting is around $13K with tax and shipping.
"

This still appears to me as a 3K shortfall. If that is correct, then we are about $1,250 short of the original quote( not including the 4K.. which I am sure is desperately needed and an amazing donation).

I am all for getting them the best server possible. I do not favor spending more and more funds they do not have. So unless we get confirmation they HAVE the 13K.. I believe we have a bit of a ways to go. But not bad for a bunch of nerds on a saturday.


Janice
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Message 1034218 - Posted: 18 Sep 2010, 22:57:40 UTC - in response to Message 1034217.  

But not bad for a bunch of nerds on a saturday.


Darn straight, it's not.

Meow meeow!!!
"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

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Message boards : Number crunching : Quick fundraiser for SETI's new server


 
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