Tyan Transport SX TS65A-B8036 2U 28-bay AMD EPYC Server Review

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Think

Member
Jul 5, 2017
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Hi Patrick, which OS did you use as the basis for your tests of this platform?

I have a TS65A-B8036 here, and with Ubuntu 19.10, 20.04 and Debian Buster, the machine, e.g., doesn't shutdown, but reboot on a "shutdown -h now" once I connect one Micron 9300 MAX (12.8 TB) to the system. With other NVMe SSDs, it's ok... Not sure how to trace down the reason for this; any hint you might have would be highly appreciated!
 

Patrick

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Dec 21, 2010
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@Think we use 18.04 LTS with the HWE kernel.

That is one to send a ticket in on. I am jealous that you have a 12.8TB SSD!
 

Think

Member
Jul 5, 2017
32
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Thanks, @Patrick . Will try that, although I still wonder what relevant information I could file with the report.

And yes, these SSDs are nice, but a nightmare to get, at least in Europe. My plan was to get 6, but am currently stuck with 5, without a source for a 6th. And since I‘m not running other RAID levels than 10, I can only use 4 currently ...

Any source for another one that would ship to Europe would be great as well!
 

tuatara

Member
Mar 2, 2016
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Hey @Patrick or @Think, can you comment on the approximate noise levels from this under idle and moderate load conditions? How does it compare say to a typical Supermicro 2u. I see only 3x 80mm fans... I ask because I'm considering it for a location where there will be a single standard wall separating it from people working.
 

Patrick

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Dec 21, 2010
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Ours was in a data center so hard to say on noise levels.
 

Think

Member
Jul 5, 2017
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@tuatara : Actually, noise levels were one of the reasons for why I went with this server: 3x80mm is bigger than the servers in most of the competitor machines available. E.g., Lenovo only had 60mm fans. The Tyan machine here is a replacement for an 836 Supermicro that also has 80mm fans, and noise levels when idling are comparable - and, thus, for the use case here totally acceptable.

Both machines are in a closed rack here, a room away from people working, with the doors usually open. And in that setup, even under load nobody usually bothers to close a door. So not an issue.

And let me also say that Tyan support is stellar. They did help to resolve the issue I mentioned above. After a BIOS update for the Tyan server didn't help, they reached out to Micron, and ultimately were able to support a firmware update for the Micron SSDs that fixed the issue.

I'm very happy with going with Tyan. (And no, I'm not paid by them - I still did pay them for the machine :))
 

tuatara

Member
Mar 2, 2016
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44
@Think thank you, that is helpful and suggests it would be appropriate for my use-case. Did you buy a pre-configured system or were you able to buy a bare-bones chassis + mb + psu etc. If so, where from?
 

Think

Member
Jul 5, 2017
32
5
8
I bought a system from their official distributor that was already populated with PSUs, RAM, and CPU. I added OCP NIC, a SAS/SATA controller (you need an external controller for some of the SATA slots, should you want to use them, and I also needed to connect a JBOD externally) and SSDs.

By the way, Tyan's standard sliding rails are significantly longer than the chassis itself, which lead to fitting problems for me. Tyan is currently producing shorter rail versions that are much more in line with the size of the chassis. Depending on your environment, you may or may not want to inquire about the details for rails before buying.