From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Jun 13 19:54:54 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 491721065677 for ; Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:54:54 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from cliftonr@lava.net) Received: from outgoing02.lava.net (pie.lava.net [IPv6:2001:1888:0:1:230:48ff:fe5b:3b8c]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id ED8258FC14 for ; Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:54:53 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from cliftonr@lava.net) Received: from malasada.lava.net (malasada.lava.net [64.65.64.17]) by outgoing02.lava.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2AA16172C80; Sat, 13 Jun 2009 09:54:52 -1000 (HST) Received: by malasada.lava.net (Postfix, from userid 102) id 57686153882; Sat, 13 Jun 2009 09:54:52 -1000 (HST) Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 09:54:52 -1000 From: Clifton Royston To: Pete French Message-ID: <20090613195451.GA15509@lava.net> Mail-Followup-To: Pete French , freebsd-stable@freebsd.org References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.2i Cc: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Subject: Re: reecommendations for an 'appliance" platform ? X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:54:54 -0000 On Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 05:45:49PM +0100, Pete French wrote: > I am looking to deploy a couple of hundered system, which are supposed > to attach to a network and be plug-in-and-go. I am thinking of doing > this with a FreeBSD installation, duplicated onto flash cards, and > dumped into some off-the-sheelt hardware. The questions I, what hardware ? > > I've done some research, and come up with boxes like this: > > http://www.icp-epia.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=434 > > But I was wondering if anyone knew of any alternatives, preferably > featuring a processor which can run amd64. The rest of thats pec > is fine, and I dont need wifi. I'm not 100% sure, but fairly sure that you'll have a hard time finding something that combines the low-power standalone type spec with a 64-bit capable processor. Once you get the higher-end processor, that draws higher power, and so demands active cooling, a motherboard chipset which also draws higher power, a bigger power supply which becomes a more likely failure point, and so on. Can you elaborate a bit more on which parts of that system spec you really need - do you need the GigE? Two ethernets? The external SATA? > Any suggestions, or words of wisdom from anyone who has done someething > similar themselevs in the past ? Not specifically this, though I've done other embedded work in the past. Several years ago I did research some appliance type setups for a possible spam-filtering appliance based on the VIA Nehemiah CPU; I won't bother you with that info because nowadays the Atom or AMD Geode seem to win in that niche. Besides the frequently mentioned Soekris these guys seem to make some pretty nice low-power systems: http://www.compulab.co.il/all-products/html/products.htm I bought one of these from them last year: http://www.fit-pc.com/new/fit-pc-1-0-specifications.html due to the two Ethernet ports and low power consumption, and put the pfSense package on it (FreeBSD 7.1-based) for a firewall; it runs a packet filtering bridge with DHCP service, Squid, etc. This particular model is out of production now, but the site implies they could do a new run of them for 100 or more units, and there's a newer upgraded model here: http://www.fit-pc.com/new/fit-pc-1-0-specifications.html Note these are both passively cooled and draw around 5w; I think they also come in at about half the price of what you were looking at, if they'll do. -- Clifton -- Clifton Royston -- cliftonr@iandicomputing.com / cliftonr@lava.net President - I and I Computing * http://www.iandicomputing.com/ Custom programming, network design, systems and network consulting services