[Fwd: A small little survey]

[Jared Hodge]

Here's a brief summary of the responses.

> The questions:
> 
> What is your hardware setup (processor, motherboard, network, etc.)?

	Several different setups were given.  Most of the responders had AMD
chips and 100 Mbps ethernet, although several did not.

> Did you have any problems with the hardware or configuration?  What is
> your evaluation of the cause and solution?

	Most of these were already reported to the list.
 
> Are you pleased with the performance and reliability of your cluster?
> Please explain.

	I think everyone said they were pleased except for a few problems some
had.
 
> Assuming you have a limited budget (that should be everyone), what
> recommendations would you have concerning cluster hardware?

	Evaluate your application to determine what you need as far as
hardware.
 
> What has been your experience with the following hardware and financial
> tradeoffs (assuming you've had some experience with them)?
> Intel vs. AMD processors:

	A few people were die hard Intel or AMD fans, but most people just
wanted the most performance and reliability for the money.  In most
cases this was AMD.

> SCSI vs. EIDE disks:

	EIDE on the nodes.  If disk access speed is important SCSI on the
server.

> Myrinet vs. Ethernet only vs. other network technologies:

	Whatever you need for your application.

> Server level hardware (such as the supermicro 370DLE motherboard) vs
> workstation level hardware:

	No incredible endorsements or slams.  Some people suggested going the
cheaper route while others say to pay for the most stable hardware
(typically server level).
 
> Thanks for your help.
> --
> Jared Hodge
> Institute for Advanced Technology
> The University of Texas at Austin
> 3925 W. Braker Lane, Suite 400
> Austin, Texas 78759
> 
> Phone: 512-232-4460
> Fax: 512-471-9096
> Email: Jared_Hodge at iat.utexas.edu
> 
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-- 
Jared Hodge
Institute for Advanced Technology
The University of Texas at Austin
3925 W. Braker Lane, Suite 400
Austin, Texas 78759

Phone: 512-232-4460
Fax: 512-471-9096
Email: Jared_Hodge at iat.utexas.edu