Some thoughts on a Hyper-V Mini-Cluster

While working on a FreeBSD grid system many years ago we came across the following that we used as a model for our own designs:

• Mini-ITX.com: The “Mini-Cluster”

Mr. Gardner built a beautiful machine from the ground up.

The project we were working on at the time was scrapped due to a number of external factors.

However, the knowledge we gained in trying to create a grid based on FreeBSD helped to gain a grasp on how we were to go about building a Hyper-V cluster a number of years back when documentation was sadly lacking.

And that brings us to the point of this blog post:

Intel’s new Intel Server Board S1200KP in Mini-ITX form factor.

• Intel Support: Intel Server Board S1200KP
• Intel Product Site: Intel Server Board S1200KP

And, while searching for a quality image of the board we hit this gem:

• DV Industrial Computer LTD: DC91 19” Rackmount Cluster/16 Nodes

That is a really neat looking box and fits right in with some of the directions we were looking at. One catch though is that the box is made in the Ukraine! :(

It looks as though they really ran the gamut as far as the setup for a Mini-ITX based solution. Management and redundancy is built right in. Kewl!

In the end we may look at a low power cluster configuration for folks wanting some redundancy at an ultra-low entry price point. How that materializes is yet to be seen.

Born to tinker. ;)

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Intel DQ67EP and Antec ISK 300-150 or 300-65 Integration Notes

We have been building a number of Mini-ITX desktop systems in the Antec ISK 300-150 case. The unit is a great value for the money with good quality and construction built into the unit.

Protect The Finish

One of the things that we noticed right away was that the black finish scuffed _very_ easily relative to other Antec cases we have used in the past.

So, we make sure to take one of the box’s foam pads and use it as a pad to keep the case on while installing the system’s components. We use the other pad to store the case lid while building the system and installing the motherboard sticker on the lid.

Drive Height Caveat

Seagate’s new Constellation.2 1TB SATA drive is a lot taller (15.0mm) than a laptop standard height 2.5” drive (9.5mm). This must be kept in mind when integrating any enterprise class 2.5” drive at 15.0mm into a consumer class case or even USB enclosure.

Note that the drive tray has a lip on one side of it where the Intel 320 Series SSD is installed. So, we need to make sure to install the drive on the side of the tray that does not have a lip.

Also, the drive sits a little high relative to the case cover by about ~1.0mm. Given that some care needs to be taken to set the cover back in place. Once installed though, everything fits well together.

Intel DQ67EP and USB 3

We have had our fair share of struggles with the new USB 3.0 chipset made by Renesas found on the Intel motherboards.

In this case we had a Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 (DTU30G2/16GB) plugged into the USB 3.0 port on the Intel Desktop Board DQ67EPB3 (BOXDQ67EP) with all of the needed OS and driver files on it.

We managed to boot to the Kingston, though we had to change USB 3.0 ports once or twice during our initial run through to get it to be recognized as a boot device in the BIOS, load the Renesas driver as requested by WinPE, and try to move forward from there.

As soon as we clicked on the SSD for the OS to install to create a partition and move forward the setup routine failed with an error stating that it could not create a System Partition.

We ended up needing to use a USB 2.0 flash drive to install the Windows OS. In our opinion USB 3.0 has a ways to go before it will be “mainstream” and foolproof.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Intel Desktop Board DQ67EPB3 – First Look

We just received an Executive Series Intel Desktop Board DQ67EP that we will be using to build a small form factor system with.

It will be going into an Antec ISK 300-150 with an Intel Core i5-2400s CPU.

This board packs a lot in to a very small space. Because of this, depending on the case they are mounted in the units can be installed or mounted virtually anywhere a system with good power is required.

One of the interesting new features on this board is the following:

There is a black Mini PCI-e slot just to the left of the power connector. The two screws are installed in a pair of standoffs to allow for the install of a Mini PCI-e card.

When we have a look at the Tested Components for DQ67EP list we see the following:

We have the ability to install a wireless LAN card in this slot thus saving the full size PCI-e x16 slot for video or other add-in card. This is a pretty neat little feature.

One of the things to take note of is that the board itself is actually heavy relative to its size.

• Intel Desktop Board DQ67EP Support Page

Once we have the system together, updated the BIOS, installed the OS and drivers we will run a burn-in process. We will then test to see if those USB 3.0 ports and SATA 6Gb/s really do make a difference.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

AOpen S145A Mini-ITX Chassis Power Supply Fans Failing

We purchased quite a number of the AOpen S145A Mini-ITX chassis a while back as they were part of a promo by Intel.

• AOpen Blog Category

Now that they have been in production for a while at client sites, we are starting to hear complaints about a buzzing or rattling noise coming from the units.

The noise ends up being the power supply fan bearing, or lack thereof, giving way causing the fan blades to rattle about on their spindle.

We have spoken with AOpen but unfortunately we do not have an RMA option with our supplier nor with AOpen in Canada. Our supplier no longer carries the product.

So, what was originally a pretty good deal, is turning out to be not such a good one . . . at least for those of us in Canada.

We will probably end up getting a spec for the fan in the PSU and replace it with a better fan setup. Hopefully they will last a little longer than six months to a year.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Intel Next Generation Core i3-i5 DQ??xx vPro Mini-ITX Is Due When?

We put most of our local client systems together around the Intel Desktop Board DQ45EK Mini-ITX motherboard.

We do this because it offers dual DVI out along with Intel’s Active Management Technology (vPro designation).

It also gives us the flexibility to utilize an ultra small form factor case such as the A-Open S145A or In-Win BM639.

What has been puzzling has been the fact that the Micro-ATX DQ57TM board has been available for quite a while but its smaller Mini-ITX sibling has been conspicuously absent.

And, based on this we may not be seeing a newer generation Mini-ITX Executive Series board for a while:

 

• Intel® Desktop Board Extended Life Cycle Plan (North America only)

It seems that the DQ45EK is on extended life support at this time. As a result, a newer Mini-ITX board capable of supporting the new Core i5 or i3 series CPUs may not be available until sometime next year.

When that is exactly has yet to be made public.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

AOpen S145A Mini-ITX Integration Notes

This is one tight chassis to work with:

When putting a system together based on this chassis there are some considerations to keep in mind:

• The 3.5” SATA drive is upside down under the optical drive taking up most of the available space there.
• The optical drive should be lined up with the bezel once the hard drive has been mounted. Once lined up, then tighten up the mounting screws.
• The included slimline optical drive mounting screws may be too long and interfere with the tray mechanism on some models of slimline drives.
• The bezel needs to be off before inserting the optical drive or something may get scratched on the drive or bezel.
• The PSU to motherboard power adapter cable is huge. The best routing for the adapter cable is right behind the optical drive.

The chassis itself provides some good ventilation holes on the top to allow that small fan just “above” the optical drive in the above shot to breath.

In the initial rush of getting things together for the Intel special order that included the AOpen chassis it was initially overlooked that we could not install a 2.5” 7200RPM drive as part of the system configuration.

Keep this in mind when it comes to creating a system specification. Power wise this is not a problem since the chassis comes with the 160Watt PSU that should be more than powerful enough to handle even a Western Digital Raptor drive.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer

Order an Intel BOXDQ45EK Mini-ITX = Free AOpen S145A Mini-ITX Chassis 91.90G20.A010

Intel currently has a promotion on called Now’s the Time (Intel’s Promo Site). If we purchase an Intel vPro enabled BOXDQ45EK Mini-ITX motherboard then a freebie chassis will be thrown in at no cost to us.

Here are some of the promos available to us in Canada:

Here in Canada, no one has stock on any of the promo codes except Ingram Micro Canada.

• Ingram Micro SKU 11914L includes:
• Intel DQ45EK Mini-ITX vPro Enabled Motherboard
• AOpen S145A Mini-ITX Chassis

Finding an image of the S145A via search was not very easy to do.

The other distributors have In-Win or Winsis Mini-ITX chassis but no ETA on stock for either. Ingram happens to have a lot of the AOpen S145As so we took a risk.

Here is a side-by-side with an In-Win BM639 series Mini-ITX chassis we have been using to date on the left and the AOpen on the right:

The AOpen is slimmer but longer than the In-Win. Thus, we need to keep that in mind when it comes to the workstation’s desktop footprint.

Folks like the height of the In-Win because an LCD monitor sitting on top of it is actually at a pretty comfortable level for a broad spectrum of users.

The promotion is a good deal, but, for the cost conscious among us it is important to note that the AOpen chassis only accepts slimline optical drives. The AOpen, however, does include a slimline SATA to standard SATA adapter cable which is a nice touch.

The typical slimline DVDRW drive is about $60CA or so from our local sources. A quick check with the larger distributors may yield a much better price.

Another plus on the AOpen’s side is the larger power supply. At 160 Watts we can look at a 150GB or 300GB VelociRaptor (2.5” standalone version linked) for a more robust disk subsystem and not worry about taxing the PSU.

The Ingram promo SKU needed to be ordered via phone as the online card had the SKU listed under the motherboard’s SKU, but would not allow us to place it in the cart.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer

Reuse Laptop Slim DVD-ROM Drives With a SATA Adapter

We have a stack of slim IDE DVD-ROM drives that came out of old laptops that have since been recycled. Up to now, they were reused if a laptop came in out of warranty with a dead optical drive.

But, we have since found an adapter that enables us to take the stock drive and connect an IDE to SATA adapter for reuse in some of our server builds.

DVD-RW or combo drives are not needed in servers in most cases. The optical drive may get used once or perhaps twice as a rule for the OS install and possibly a restore boot from the OS disk.

The adapter from StarTech’s Web site:

Shown in the above product shot is the IDE connector. The opposite side of the board has a standard SATA data connector along with a small Molex floppy style power connector.

StarTech’s Product site:

• StartTech: SATA to Slim Optical IDE Drive Adapter
• Part Number: OPT2SATA

The part is listed in our Canadian distribution channel and some distributers actually have stock on them.

Besides servers, we will have the occasional Mini-ITX based system (previous blog post) that will not require any read/write capabilities, so we will use them there and give the system price the appropriate price break as the slim optical drives are not inexpensive.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer

Intel And Mini-ITX Makes For Neat Little PCs

Now that Mini-ITX has become a mainstream form factor, it is so much easier to get the various components needed to build systems on it.

We used to do a fair amount of Mini-ITX systems based on the VIA EPIA series Mini-ITX platform. The big plus with the EPIA series was the ultra low power usage with some systems being completely fanless and thus ultra quiet. SSD was not common place, so a Compact Flash drive could be used as an alternate to a laptop hard drive.

Intel has a couple of Core 2 Duo/Quad based Mini-ITX form factor boards:

• Intel BOXDQ45EK
• Intel BOXDG45FC

To date, we have been using In-Win BM639 series chassis to put everything into. They are a very classy looking case in black.

We have professional services office such as doctors and dentists that have these little PCs strapped under a counter out of sight with only a keyboard and mouse on an articulating arm along with a wall mounted LCD providing folks in the room maximum desk space for charts and paperwork.

Currently, Intel has a promotion on for their vPro series IITX motherboard:

• Now’s the Time…... Buy an Intel® DQ45EK Board and receive a FREE mini-ITX Chassis

There are a number of chassis manufacturers that have their products involved in the offering, so this would be a good way to discover other Mini-ITX chassis manufacturer’s products without costing us a dime.

One promising chassis is made by a company we have never heard of is Winsis.

The Wi-02 chassis looks quite nice too (product shot from their Web site):

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer

Intel Mini-ITX DQ45EK System Integration

The new Intel DQ45EK vPro series Mini-ITX motherboard allows us to put together some pretty slick systems with really small footprints.

We do not, as a rule, build our own workstations. We have a phenomenal system builder local to us that we have been dealing with for 10 years now (through previous employers as well).

But, one of the things we like to do with new technologies is test out the system configuration we plan on selling to our clients.

This configuration will be set up as follows:

• Intel® Core™2 Duo Desktop Processor E8400 - SLB9J
• Intel® Desktop Board DQ45EK – Overview
• 4GB Kingston Non-ECC RAM (2x KVR800D2N9/2G)
• ST9320421AS Momentus 7200.3 SATA 3Gb/s 320-GB Hard Drive | Seagate
• In-Win BM639 Series Mini-ITX Chassis with 120Watt PSU

A Lite-On DVD-RW drive and Microsoft OEM keyboard/mouse combination kit rounds out the configuration.

Given the cramped conditions inside of the chassis, it is important to make sure all of the power and data cables are routed in such a way as to stay clear of the CPU cooling fan:

Intel DQ45EK Fan Power Cable Routing

As shown in the above image, we made sure to tuck the CPU fan’s power cable around the CPU cooling fan mounting posts and then remove any slack from the cable so that it stays under the posts.

This is especially important for systems that may be transported or shipped somewhere as the jostling about can cause cables to move within the chassis. We do not want to get a phone call with the user on the other end complaining about a fairly loud buzzing noise emanating from within the chassis.

Another small caveat has to do with the installation of a 2.5” or laptop sized SATA hard drive:

2.5” Seagate Momentus installed on the HDD Carrier

The drive needs to be installed on the backside of the drive cage when using 2.5” drives. The drive cage has a good sized breather hole that resides right under the middle of the drive. The edges of the hole are wrapped around towards to inside of the cage. Thus, they present a good sized raised obstacle for mounting a laptop drive there.

There are also four raised mounts that face towards the inside of the chassis, that is on the outside of the drive cage. If the drive was mounted on the inside of the drive cage instead of the way it is in the above image, the drive’s electronics would be grounded out on the breather hole lip and we would lose a hard drive very quickly.

And finally, since the system comes with only 1 SATA power connector from the power supply, a Molex to SATA power connector converter will be required to give the SATA optical drive power.

When it comes to putting systems together, a flash of the BIOS is necessary to bring things up to date once the motherboard is installed in the system. After the update, a check of the BIOS settings to make sure they are correct is the last step before installing an OS.

Once the system was put together, we were very impressed by how quite it was. Not only that, it installed Windows 7 in very short order and is quite snappy in its responses. Our client will be very happy with this configuration.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer