[Beowulf] recommandation search for 64 bits tools for video/raid

[Andrew M.A. Cater]

On Mon, Jan 23, 2006 at 04:53:11AM +0100, Vincent Diepeveen wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> Simple question, i've set up a new dual opteron (tyan S2881UG2NR board) and 
> stumbled into some problems in windows 64 bits.
> 
Go and talk to Microsoft - if this is really Windows XP 64 bit edition.
If it's X.org we may be able to help: CLUE - this is mostly a Unix and
Linux speaking list.

> 
> First of all there seems a big lack of support in form of tools. ATI tools 
> seem to not be capable of put
> videocards in > 75Hz vertical. This is kind of a problem. 

Talk to ATI - if it's  a Windows XP driver.

> I'll need at least 100Hz vertical here as there is a
> pretty big electro magnetic field where the machines is located (around 4+ 
> microtesla at 50Hz),
> which means at 75Hz the display looks like an interlaced clockswing. An 
> XP64 driver i could not find, perhaps server2003 x64
> solves this issue?
> 

Have you considered metal screening? LCD screens may help rather than
traditional CRT monitors but mu metal screens would be best :)
Run an X Windows server under Windows and serve the display to a remote
CRT? Drop to the equivalent of the old DOS prompt and use putty and SSH?

> As this card is in many system boards perhaps someone in this mailing list 
> knows the solution.
> 
> Secondly i'm searching for a tool to monitor the raid10 array.
> I like to know when a drive breaks down and needs to be replaced.
> The silicon image tool isn't working. Can't even detect that i'm booting off
> a silican image 3114 raid controller.
> 
There are lots of RAID monitoring tools under Linux of various sorts.
Silicon Image tend to have a slightly bad press - they have hardware
that is not true hardware raid but relies on software drivers a great
deal. A good hardware RAID card from someone like 3ware will help
enormously.

> I probably do something incredible simple wrong here, but i'm unable to 
> detect what. Suggestions?
> 

Assuming that (Microsoft) Windows is fully ready for 64 bit is probably 
wrong at this stage. It may not be ready until Vista, if then. Install
32 bit Windows XP / Server and see if that is more stable OR
do the most sensible thing and install Linux. Debian, SuSE/Novell,
Ubuntu and Mandriva will all probably work with relatively few problems.

> Many thanks in advance for answerring,
> Vincent
> 
> 
> 
> 
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