Build Your Own BoB

(In which we explain how a restaurant supply store provided parts for one of the world's fastest computers.)

General links:

Hardware (specific to our cluster):

Item Quantity Description Unit Price Total Price
Compute Nodes /
File Server /
Gateway
106 Dell Precision 530 (Dual 1.7 GHz Xeon / 400MHz FSB / 1GB PC800 RDRAM / 40 GB HD) $1399 $148294
Leaf Switches 15 PowerConnect 5012 $1098 $16470
Core Switch (donated by Enterasys) 1 Enterasys Matrix E5 $0
(market value of $33000)
$0
Disk Array 1 Promise Ultratrak TX8, more $1957 $1957
Disks for the Disk Array 10 Western Digital WD-1000BB-SE $379 $3790
Tape Backup Robot 1 OverlandData LTO Ultrium LoaderXpress $8399 $8399
Gigabit cards 114 Syskonnect SK-9D21 $213 $24282
UPS 1 APC Smart-UPS 2200 $869 $869
Cables 300 Cat5e (Green - very important) $1.56 $468
Shelving Units 10 Nexel 18x42 4 Shelf Starter Set,
Heavy-duty wheels for the Shelving Units
(NB: This is a restaurant-supply store!)
$209.90 $2099
Software & Incidental 1 Software & Incidental expenses $7893.79 $7893.79
Project Total: $214,521.79

Construction Images

The following pictures were taken on 11/27/01 by Kathie Newman and Bruce Bunker:

J.C. Ducom explains construction to Laszlo Barabasi and Kathie Newman

Switches!

The Equipment is Beautiful

Wheels and Surge Protectors

Copyright © 2002 - College of Science - University of Notre Dame

Updated on July 8, 2002