| Open-source server appliance is "free" |
Oct. 03, 2008
 KangarooBox is shipping a "free" open-source server appliance that runs Debian 5 GNU/Linux. Targeting small offices, the silent, fanless "Joey" employs an AMD Geode-based PC Engines ALIX 3c2 single-board computer (SBC), and is given to customers buying a $3,000 one-year support plan, the company says.
(Click for larger view of the Joey)
Although the PC Engines ALIX 3c2 board that runs the Joey offers Ethernet, USB, and serial connections, the Joey is limited to a single 10/100 Ethernet port and a power connection. The ALIX (pictured below), which is heir to PC Engines's venerable WRAP board, was recently used by Deciso for its 19" Appliance Development Kit (ADK) for rack-mounted network appliances.
The PC Engines ALIX 3c2 inside the Joey
(Click to enlarge)
The Joey is powered by a 500MHz AMD Geode LX800 processor with 256MB DDR DRAM and 4GB flash. The Ethernet connection is based on a Via VT6105M part, says the company. Dimensions were not provided for the device, but the ALIX board measures 3.9 x 6.3 inches and is said to consume between 7V and 20V of power.
Like the somewhat similar Debian-based Excito Bubba II, the Joey is based entirely on open source software. Here are the key components used in the Joey project, along with a few comments sent by the company's Richard Hurt in an email interview:- Debian GNU Linux 5.0 -- The Lenny release of Debian runs the server, and includes the APT package management system, which KangarooBox uses for its update system.
- SilverStripe -- This XHTML-compliant, Sapphire-based content management system (CMS) comes with a BSD license.
- Box Backup -- Used for disaster recovery, Box Backup "allows us to keep a current copy of the appliance contents in a secure manner," says the KangarooBox site. Hurt went on to add, "It allows us to securely save the system state so that we can provide the customer a replacement box without too much hassle."
- Redmine -- The company uses Redmine for issue tracking and project management.
- Puppet -- This system automation task manager keeps the company's systems updated. "With lots of systems in the field we needed a way to make sure they were all maintained the same way," wrote Hurt.
- Rsync -- This incremental file transfer app "pushes log information back to HQ where we use Splunk for parsing and alerting," writes Hurt. "Splunk is not Open Source, but they are very Linux friendly and their base version doesn't cost anything to process 500MB/day."
- Zabbix -- This monitoring, alerting, and visualization application "lets us know the physical state of the system and allows us to head off any problems before the customer knows it," writes Hurt. "For instance, if the box is sitting on top of a radiator, Zabbix will inform us of the increased temperature and we can email the customer and ask them to move it to a cooler location."
The Joey's one-year support plan includes disaster recovery, customer service, and maintenance, says KangarooBox. It also includes the Joey box itself, which users can keep even if they don't renew for a second year. The plan offers 24x7 email and business hours phone support, with on-site support costing extra, says the company.
Availability
The Joey is available now, free with a one-year $3,000 service plan, says KangarooBox. The company is planning to introduce a larger "Boomer" appliance capable of serving "100's of simultanious users and/or projects." More information may be available here.
Related Stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
FUEL Database on MontaVista Linux
Whether building a mobile handset, a car navigation system, a package tracking device, or a home entertainment console, developers need capable software systems, including an operating system, development tools, and supporting libraries, to gain maximum benefit from their hardware platform and to meet aggressive time-to-market goals.
Breaking New Ground: The Evolution of Linux Clustering
With a platform comprising a complete Linux distribution, enhanced for clustering, and tailored for HPC, Penguin Computing¿s Scyld Software provides the building blocks for organizations from enterprises to workgroups to deploy, manage, and maintain Linux clusters, regardless of their size.
Data Monitoring with NightStar LX
Unlike ordinary debuggers, NightStar LX doesn¿t leave you stranded in the dark. It¿s more than just a debugger, it¿s a whole suite of integrated diagnostic tools designed for time-critical Linux applications to reduce test time, increase productivity and lower costs. You can debug, monitor, analyze and tune with minimal intrusion, so you see real execution behavior. And that¿s positively illuminating.
Virtualizing Service Provider Networks with Vyatta
This paper highlights Vyatta's unique ability to virtualize networking functions using Vyatta's secure routing software in service provider environments.
High Availability Messaging Solution Using AXIGEN, Heartbeat and DRBD
This white paper discusses a high-availability messaging solution relying on the AXIGEN Mail Server, Heartbeat and DRBD. Solution architecture and implementation, as well as benefits of using AXIGEN for this setup are all presented in detail.
Understanding the Financial Benefits of Open Source
Will open source pay off? Open source is becoming standard within enterprises, often because of cost savings. Find out how much of a financial impact it can have on your organization. Get this methodology and calculator now, compliments of JBoss.
Embedded Hardware and OS Technology Empower PC-Based Platforms
The modern embedded computer is the jack of all trades appearing in many forms.
Data Management for Real-Time Distributed Systems
This paper provides an overview of the network-centric computing model, data distribution services, and distributed data management. It then describes how the SkyBoard integration and synchronization service, coupled with an implementation of the OMG¿s Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard, can be used to create an efficient data distribution, storage, and retrieval system.
7 Advantages of D2D Backup
For decades, tape has been the backup medium of choice. But, now, disk-to-disk (D2D) backup is gaining in favor. Learn why you should make the move in this whitepaper.
|
|
|
|
|
news feed