We can do all of these complex configurations with virtual switches within Xen and other environments. However. I would not be against obtaining two of these
<a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157247">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157247</a> and some ram for them. Low power, they have VT and up to 16gb of ram along with a PCI slot and usb 3.0! CHEAP! They would be perfect for learning. <br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 11:39 AM, Gopiballava Flaherty <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:gopiballava@gmail.com">gopiballava@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
What about laptops? I'll bet laptops with broken screens are readily available. They could be used for configurations that need lots of slower devices. I can probably donate a dozen or more USB 1.1 to Ethernet converters so we could have low speed but complex configurations.<br>
<br>
I'd love a resource like this to play with.<br>
<br>
Thanks,<br>
<br>
gopi@iPhone<br>
<div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
On Mar 1, 2012, at 11:17, jim <<a href="mailto:jim@systemateka.com">jim@systemateka.com</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>
><br>
> One of the considerations that we in turing have<br>
> discussed is electrical power: our plan is to have<br>
> equipment available but not always on, rather mostly<br>
> off, to be used for a few hours each week as part of<br>
> a regularly scheduled class.<br>
> We've also looked at low-power machines such as<br>
> ARM- or Atom-based systems. It seems good to have<br>
> one machine capable of supporting VMs (Linux KVM)<br>
> and one or two other machines that can serve as<br>
> hosts on "other" LANs.<br>
><br>
> Note that working in a classroom allows more<br>
> people to participate in the physical aspects of<br>
> learning along with the convenience of the use of<br>
> a projector and whiteboard at hand.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> On Thu, 2012-03-01 at 10:28 -0800, Ben Kochie wrote:<br>
>> We've done most of the work to isolate the "important" networking away<br>
>> from the main rack. There are still a few things that people rely on<br>
>> in the rack so it's not exactly safe.<br>
>><br>
>> A few of us in the noiseops group have talked about replacing the<br>
>> existing rack wtih a smaller 9U cabinet mounted above the closet<br>
>> instead of the 20U rack on the floor. The only thing stopping us is a<br>
>> bit of budget money to buy the rack and a few related items to reduce<br>
>> our server footprint to this smaller rack.<br>
>><br>
>> The other issue with setting up a dedicated experimental network rack<br>
>> is the power cost. Running a rack of servers/networking gear would be<br>
>> 1000-1500 watts of power. That's another $120-180/month in power<br>
>> costs.<br>
>><br>
>> On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 09:37, jim <<a href="mailto:jim@systemateka.com">jim@systemateka.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>>><br>
>>><br>
>>> (Summarizing prior discussions: ) The argument against<br>
>>> using the existing rack is that it subjects the noisebridge<br>
>>> LAN to people screwing up. Having a separate "lab" space<br>
>>> lets people configure multiple LANs and subnets and learn<br>
>>> not only the physical aspect but the logical aspect<br>
>>> (configuration and use of various software tools) without<br>
>>> risking screwing up the LAN that everybody else in the<br>
>>> space uses for internet access.<br>
>>><br>
>>> I believe that we as a community should isolate the<br>
>>> elements of infrastructure and respect the maintenance<br>
>>> (hard work by a few) and not feel like we can turn<br>
>>> anything and everything into a robot. This is on the order<br>
>>> of cleaning toilets, maintaining saw blades and drill<br>
>>> bits, the LAN, the electronic tools, the sewing machines,<br>
>>> and so on so that people can use them to do interesting<br>
>>> things.<br>
>>><br>
>>><br>
>>><br>
>>> On Wed, 2012-02-29 at 23:31 -0800, Ronald Cotoni wrote:<br>
>>>> Hmm. I like the idea of a place to learn how to properly rack servers<br>
>>>> and even moreso of proper cabling. Now, I am wondering if we could<br>
>>>> use the rack in the electric closet as an example or something like<br>
>>>> that. I mean it would be just like working with live stuff. Would<br>
>>>> breaking something in the electrical closet break internet for<br>
>>>> everyone?<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> On Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 10:25 PM, jim <<a href="mailto:jim@systemateka.com">jim@systemateka.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>>>> On Wed, 2012-02-29 at 22:16 -0800, Brian Morris wrote:<br>
>>>>> I'd sort of reconciled myself to laptops, somebody gave an<br>
>>>> ancient one<br>
>>>>> (900mhz) but I need a 15volt 4 amp powerbrick. I already<br>
>>>> went through<br>
>>>>> the bins on Tuesday afternoon. It could use a stick of pc100<br>
>>>> 256mB or<br>
>>>>> two as well. The main problem is parts are expensiver and<br>
>>>> hard to find<br>
>>>>> and graphics cannot be updated.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> JS: seems to me easy enough to make a power supply that's 15V<br>
>>>> at 4A<br>
>>>> with what's lying around. Not pretty, only clumsily portable,<br>
>>>> but<br>
>>>> do-able. Finding the RAM is a matter of luck, I'm guessing.<br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>> If there is space in an electrical closet for storage,<br>
>>>> perhaps we<br>
>>>>> could establish some basic policy and post it where people<br>
>>>> can see it.<br>
>>>>> Labels including a recent date and contact info - or else<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> JS: I'm confused. why an electrical closet? to store what?<br>
>>>> The bins and shelves around the electronic equipment<br>
>>>> have various hackable gizmos. I think the policy is to grab<br>
>>>> something and tear it apart, use what you like, then put<br>
>>>> what you've built in some safe place (like your house or,<br>
>>>> if you're brave, "your member shelf"). I'm guessing you<br>
>>>> have something different in mind.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>> On Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 9:44 PM, jim <<a href="mailto:jim@systemateka.com">jim@systemateka.com</a>><br>
>>>> wrote:<br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>> What I would like a lot is that we all stop being<br>
>>>>> hasty. It's easy to get off on doing stuff and<br>
>>>> making<br>
>>>>> things better and fighting evil-doers and making<br>
>>>> things<br>
>>>>> more in our images and so on.<br>
>>>>> Take it easier, don't take things too seriously,<br>
>>>>> relax, accept, focus on a personal creation, even if<br>
>>>>> the FBI or Salvadore Dali Lama or some pornographers<br>
>>>>> show up....<br>
>>>>> I like that the place gets clean and cleaned of a<br>
>>>>> bunch of crap that piles up, but in the fervor to<br>
>>>>> accomplish goodness a bunch of people have been hurt<br>
>>>>> and there's been toxic division. How about making a<br>
>>>>> point to take more time, not one week but one month.<br>
>>>>> Sure it takes more time to get less done, but it's<br>
>>>>> worth protecting the things that matter most--each<br>
>>>>> others' reasons to be here, no matter how wacky.<br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>> On Wed, 2012-02-29 at 20:33 -0800, Ben Kochie wrote:<br>
>>>>>> I talked to jim and it is likely the 1U computer<br>
>>>> was put in<br>
>>>>> ewaste.<br>
>>>>>> This is my fault for not reviewing things more<br>
>>>> closely. My<br>
>>>>> criteria<br>
>>>>>> for ewaste is fairly harsh. I have already<br>
>>>> offered to<br>
>>>>> replace the<br>
>>>>>> machine.<br>
>>>>>><br>
>>>>>> On Feb 28, 2012 5:57 PM, "maestro"<br>
>>>> <<a href="mailto:maestro415@gmail.com">maestro415@gmail.com</a>><br>
>>>>> wrote:<br>
>>>>>> # in the bullshit taking shit out of<br>
>>>> turing the tote<br>
>>>>> has been<br>
>>>>>> found and seems to have things in tact,<br>
>>>> however...<br>
>>>>>> # the pc tower that was with it has NOT<br>
>>>> been found<br>
>>>>> and was<br>
>>>>>> clearly tagged turing and had cardboard<br>
>>>> taped over<br>
>>>>> that...<br>
>>>>>> # where is this computer?...<br>
>>>>>> # jim has a single unit computer that<br>
>>>> belongs to his<br>
>>>>> friend<br>
>>>>>> that was in the "rack" room adjacent to<br>
>>>> the library<br>
>>>>> where the<br>
>>>>>> house rack(s) are...<br>
>>>>>> # where is this computer?<br>
>>>>>><br>
>>>>>> end comments<br>
>>>>>><br>
>>>>>><br>
>>>>>><br>
>>>> _______________________________________________<br>
>>>>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list<br>
>>>>>> <a href="mailto:Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net">Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net</a><br>
>>>>>><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>> <a href="https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss" target="_blank">https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss</a><br>
>>>>>><br>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________<br>
>>>>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list<br>
>>>>>> <a href="mailto:Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net">Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net</a><br>
>>>>>><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>> <a href="https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss" target="_blank">https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss</a><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>> _______________________________________________<br>
>>>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list<br>
>>>>> <a href="mailto:Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net">Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net</a><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>> <a href="https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss" target="_blank">https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss</a><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>>> _______________________________________________<br>
>>>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list<br>
>>>>> <a href="mailto:Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net">Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net</a><br>
>>>>><br>
>>>> <a href="https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss" target="_blank">https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss</a><br>
>>>><br>
>>>><br>
>>>> _______________________________________________<br>
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>>>> <a href="mailto:Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net">Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net</a><br>
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>>>><br>
>>>><br>
>>>><br>
>>>><br>
>>>> --<br>
>>>> Ronald Cotoni<br>
>>>> Systems Engineer<br>
>>>><br>
>>><br>
>>><br>
>>> _______________________________________________<br>
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><br>
><br>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br>Ronald Cotoni<div>Systems Engineer</div><br>