Hi all
I've spent the last several weeks majorly upgrading my home file server, which is now 2 x hex-core Xeon X5670 CPUs with 72GB RAM, providing 24 x 2TB 7200rpm HDD on 4 x LSI controllers, running Solaris 11.3. I might also add an SSD or two for ZIL and/or cache.
Having provided myself with all this space, and huge bandwidth (at least sequentially), I've decided I need to fit the last piece of the puzzle and provide access to it at a good speed from my workstation. Hence 10GB connectivity.
Before yesterday I knew nothing at all about 10GB ethernet, as the last time I worked professionally as a SysAdmin was 2010 and had no need of it then for the applications and servers I was working on.
I started out thinking "I'm going to need some Cat7 and a couple of cards", but then I spent the last half-day researching it and falling down the rabbit hole of fibre, transceivers, SFP, XFP, Infiniband, etc etc. I saw that the Mellanox ConnectX-2 IB cards were very popular as a very cheap option, and similarly the Chelsio (though its Solaris 11 compatibility is questionable). Later I looked at the Intel X520-DA1, another affordable, available and popular option, which is in-stock with my preferred UK vendor for used kit.
But then this morning I discovered affordable Intel X540-T1 cards, and have therefore seemingly come around full circle: back to RJ45.
It looks to me (in my ignorance), that all I would need for decent 10G workstation-server connectivity is 2 x Intel X540-T1 cards and a CAT7 patch cable?
And unlike the other options, this would allow me to easily reach distances up to 50m?
This is attractive to me because once my server is done, I would ideally like to put it in my garage in order to isolate the noise and heat. But this is at least 10m away from my desk, and probably more like 15m if I want to take a route that doesn't require drilling through many walls.
To achieve that with SFP/DA seems either impossible or very expensive. But with CAT7 it appears easy and cheap - I can get a 20 metre CAT7 cable delivered tomorrow for just £15. And then the cards also seem very simple - just a RJ45 connection, no transceivers, nothing complicated.
The Intel X540 cards are more expensive than the ConnectX-2s and other options I was looking at. But I can get them from China at not too bad a price. I can order 2 x Intel X540-T1 "OEM" cards from China for a total of about £140. Add the 20m cable and it's £155 total. This is maybe £50 more than I was expecting to spend with ConnectX-2 (which are dirt cheap in the US but rather more once I get them delivered to the UK) or Intel X520-DA1, but with the huge advantage of 20m reach (versus 3m or 5m).
I'd be grateful for any thoughts/comments/advice. Is this going to be as simple as it looks? 2 x Intel X540-T1 + 1 x 20m CAT7 cable = working 10GBase-T? Or are there reasons I should go back to thinking about the Intel X520-DA1 or other similar cards?
Thanks in advance!
I've spent the last several weeks majorly upgrading my home file server, which is now 2 x hex-core Xeon X5670 CPUs with 72GB RAM, providing 24 x 2TB 7200rpm HDD on 4 x LSI controllers, running Solaris 11.3. I might also add an SSD or two for ZIL and/or cache.
Having provided myself with all this space, and huge bandwidth (at least sequentially), I've decided I need to fit the last piece of the puzzle and provide access to it at a good speed from my workstation. Hence 10GB connectivity.
Before yesterday I knew nothing at all about 10GB ethernet, as the last time I worked professionally as a SysAdmin was 2010 and had no need of it then for the applications and servers I was working on.
I started out thinking "I'm going to need some Cat7 and a couple of cards", but then I spent the last half-day researching it and falling down the rabbit hole of fibre, transceivers, SFP, XFP, Infiniband, etc etc. I saw that the Mellanox ConnectX-2 IB cards were very popular as a very cheap option, and similarly the Chelsio (though its Solaris 11 compatibility is questionable). Later I looked at the Intel X520-DA1, another affordable, available and popular option, which is in-stock with my preferred UK vendor for used kit.
But then this morning I discovered affordable Intel X540-T1 cards, and have therefore seemingly come around full circle: back to RJ45.
It looks to me (in my ignorance), that all I would need for decent 10G workstation-server connectivity is 2 x Intel X540-T1 cards and a CAT7 patch cable?
And unlike the other options, this would allow me to easily reach distances up to 50m?
This is attractive to me because once my server is done, I would ideally like to put it in my garage in order to isolate the noise and heat. But this is at least 10m away from my desk, and probably more like 15m if I want to take a route that doesn't require drilling through many walls.
To achieve that with SFP/DA seems either impossible or very expensive. But with CAT7 it appears easy and cheap - I can get a 20 metre CAT7 cable delivered tomorrow for just £15. And then the cards also seem very simple - just a RJ45 connection, no transceivers, nothing complicated.
The Intel X540 cards are more expensive than the ConnectX-2s and other options I was looking at. But I can get them from China at not too bad a price. I can order 2 x Intel X540-T1 "OEM" cards from China for a total of about £140. Add the 20m cable and it's £155 total. This is maybe £50 more than I was expecting to spend with ConnectX-2 (which are dirt cheap in the US but rather more once I get them delivered to the UK) or Intel X520-DA1, but with the huge advantage of 20m reach (versus 3m or 5m).
I'd be grateful for any thoughts/comments/advice. Is this going to be as simple as it looks? 2 x Intel X540-T1 + 1 x 20m CAT7 cable = working 10GBase-T? Or are there reasons I should go back to thinking about the Intel X520-DA1 or other similar cards?
Thanks in advance!
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