ClearCube's C3 Architecture manages enterprise PCs by moving them from the desktop to a central location, out of the reach of end users. Users keep their familiar desktop peripherals--monitors, keyboards, mice and speakers. They are connected through ClearCube's Command Port (C/Port) on the desktop; the port links to a CPU Blade in a Cage from up to 200 meters via Category 5 cable. ClearCube's solution maintains the high performance associated with local applications and multimedia while providing centralized management and a secure location. And, with UMT 1.0 and a Blade Switching BackPack, the company provides redundant desktop operations as long as end-user files are centrally stored.
ClearCube representatives came to our Syracuse University Real-World Labs® to demonstrate the C3 Architecture. Together we set up a Cage that housed up to eight CPU Blades in our computer center, and inserted two Intel Pentium III (700 MHz) blades. Each blade is 5.25 inches (3U) high and can be made to order from an Intel PC base (Celeron 600 MHz to Pentium III 933 MHz) that supports Microsoft Windows 98/Me/NT/2000 Professional or Linux. Up to 96 blades (12 Cages) fit into a standard 19-inch rack. Because each Cage uses approximately 500 watts of power, your power supply must be capable of 5 amps of current at 120 VAC per Cage; a fully loaded rack would require 6,000 watts of power (55 amps at 120 VAC). The rack should have a vented, rear-door panel to accommodate four fans per Cage that provide warm-air venting for approximately 1,500 BTUs of heat per Cage.
High Times With Uptime
I connected two USB C/ Ports to their respective blades through an optional Blade Switching BackPack panel strapped to the back of a Cage (see screen, above left). Without the Blade Switching BackPack, a standard BackPack brings together C/Ports, blades and Ethernet connections. The Blade Switching BackPack adds intelligent switching that lets the UMT switch C/Ports to multiple blades remotely. UMT is installed on a control PC connected to the BackPack through an RS-485 serial connection. Up to 64 BackPacks (512 CPU Blades) can be daisy-chained and managed through one control PC. BackPacks are hot-swappable and include latching relays that keep end users connected to desktops and the Ethernet in the event of a failure.
The UMT can be accessed directly from the control PC through a Windows GUI or remotely from a Web browser. I used both the GUI and a browser to switch a desktop C/Port from one blade to another. Although the OS took 30 seconds to recognize the changes to USB peripherals, the Blade Switching BackPack lived up to its name. I was disappointed, however, that the UMT could not reboot individual blades with the Blade Switching BackPack without an add-on package from Altiris to manage PC deployment, migration and software applications.
The Blade Switching BackPack can provide remote control for an onsite administrator employing a C/Port. Using the control PC or the Web, the UMT switches the administrator's C/Port to another CPU Blade in the Cage in a KVM (keyboard, video mouse) style. It also could split a C/Port's signal so the administrator could share another user's view without taking control. Although these modes aid in troubleshooting, they offer none of the features associated with a good remote-control package to optimize performance or engage file and clipboard transfers between blades. For those features as well as remote IP-based administration, you need the Altiris tools or a remote-control application like Symantec Corp.'s pcAnywhere.
|
Vendor Information
ClearCube uptime management tools 1.0, $99 per client seat (requires ClearCube computing architecture with CPU blade-switching technology). Available: Now. ClearCube Technology, (866) 652-3500, (512) 652-3500;
fax (512) 652-3501. www.clearcube.com
|
None of the C/ Ports have power controls, which is unfortunate because if the OS is shut down, a trip to the closet is required to power it back on. This mini-nightmare can be prevented using the Altiris tools to cold-boot blades via the network through Wake-on-LAN support. And because ClearCube blades are standard PCs, you could use Windows policies to prevent users from shutting down. But if you need to go to the closet, the front of each blade has a power and reset button with LED indicators that include link states for desktop and network connections. Each blade also has two USB ports for peripherals that can be used to make CMOS changes and upgrade the BIOS.
Starting with a base price of $1,249 ($1,295 with Altiris tools) per user (without monitor), ClearCube's C3 Architecture with Blade Switching technology is pricier than a standard enterprise PC. But in terms of total cost of ownership, ClearCube may have the better price because of its increased security and manageability.
Sean Doherty is a technology editor based at Network Computing's Syracuse University Real-World Labs®. A former project manager and IT engineer at Syracuse, he planned and helped develop the infrastructure behind a campuswide, centrally supported applications and storage system. Send your comments on this article to him at sdoherty@nwc.com.
REPORTS
ANALYTICS
Follow 
