Sun intends for this box to directly compete with low-cost x86 offerings from Dell Computer Corp. and Gateway. A possible use for Netra X1 is for providing departmental space for applications that require Solaris but not
a ton of horsepower. In the data center, this product could be used as a
caching server or to host smaller applications that may not require the
power of a full-size Sun box.
When Starting Up, Be Prepared
The Netra X1 server comes with Solaris 8 pre-installed. The outside of the box is physically unimpressive, but that's part of the magic. It comes in a standard 19-inch configuration for use in racks. When I opened up the machine, I noticed that the internal components are so small that Sun had to spread the case out a couple of inches to meet the required 19-inch configuration. Netra X1 comes with no external drives whatsoever - no floppy, no CD-ROM, nothing. The downside to this is if you have to reload Solaris 8 onto the machine, you'll need to do a network install from another Solaris box. The package doesn't even come with the Solaris CD, so if it is the only Solaris box in your shop, you must send the box back to Sun for a reload. Even if you have other Sun servers in your shop, you must have at least Solaris 8 (10/00) or you will not be able to reload the system. Solaris 8 can be downloaded from Sun's Web site or a customer can order a CD with some documentation for $75. The Netra X1 Product Notes booklet that comes with the machine gives detailed procedures on how to perform a network install and load the Netra X1-specific drivers.
Expanding Is Easy, and Service Is Great
It is possible to mount two Netra X1s in a "back-to-back" configuration in a 1U space. A simple thumbscrew allows access to the internals of the machine where you will find an 80-gigabyte IBM 7200-RPM IDE hard-disk drive. The system supports the ATA66 standard, and for a little extra money you can add a second drive for a total of 160 gigabytes of storage.
Netra X1 uses the Sun UltraSPARC IIe processor running at 500-MHz and comes with a default of 128 Mb of memory expandable to 2 gigabytes. You can easily remove the internal hard disk by pulling on a simple wire handle and detaching the power and data cables. On the back of the machine there are two 10/100 Ethernet ports, a serial port and a serial/LOM (lights out management) port. In addition, there are two USB ports so you can attach peripherals, but you would need to set up a remote console to use them. There are no keyboard or VGA connectors on the box.
Sun has made service a breeze. If your Netra X1 fails, Sun will ship overnight a new unit, and you send the old one back only after the replacement arrives. The Sun system-configuration card makes configuration easy, too. It's a flexible credit-card-sized device, which slips into a slot on the back of the Netra X1 and contains HostID information, the MAC addresses of the two on-board 10/100 Ethernet ports and system NVRAM settings. This can save a time-saver, because many Solaris application programs use the HostID for the product license. So if you have to order a replacement box from Sun, or if you have a spare, you can simply put the system-information card in the back of the new machine, and it will have the same MAC address and HostID as the old box. If you are using quite a few of these machines in a caching situation, this makes it easy to change them out. There is no firewall or other changes required -- just plug and go. This can greatly maximize uptime.
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Vendor Information
Netra X1; Price: entry-level system: $995. Available: Now.
Sun Microsystems, (800) 786-0404, (650) 960-1300;
www.sun.com/netra
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Initial installation and setup was easy. A quick check of the start procedures instructed me to hook up my laptop or terminal serially to the unit using the supplied cables and adapters and plug in the appropriate Ethernet connections in the back. All I had to do was power-on, set a few menu choices to configure IP options, domain names and root password, and I was ready to go -- the machine was sitting at a login prompt. The only painful part of the entire installation process was my decision to use Windows HyperTerminal as the interface.
Performance a Go-Go
This is a general server and can be used for general server functions. I tested the Sun Netra X1 with NetIQ's Chariot v4.2 and achieved 94.7 megabits-per-second transfer rates on each of the two integrated Davicom 10/100 Cat5 Ethernet ports. I also checked the relative power of the processor and system with Caw Networks' WebAvalanche. I was pulling a 1622-byte file with a default installation of Apache, and the Netra X1 was handling about 350 transactions per second. Not bad for a little server! The lights-out management feature allows you to do out-of-band management via Ethernet or a serial connection. From the LOM prompt you can specify boot parameters, power the machine on or off and check the integrity of the system from a hardware perspective. You can view event logs and show vital system information such as IP address, MAC address, and HostID. Most other systems require an extra card to perform these functions.
Steven J. Schuchart Jr. covers storage and servers for Network Computing. He is based in our Green Bay, WI, Real-World Labs. Send your comments on this article to him at sschuchart@nwc.com.
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