Re: a computer cluster at richmond

[Keith Jonak <jonak@jlab.org>]

Jerry,
       It looks reasonable to me. The only thing I question is
whether on not the Kingston switch has any management built into
it. We have found that switches that have some sort of management
interface can be very helpful for debugging. You pay a bit more
for the functionality, but to me it is worth the money. We have
been buying the Cisco Catalyst series with the Enterprise feature
set. This gives you a web interface to all switch functions and
configurations.

        The Catalyst 2924-XL-EN is a very good switch for the money. It has
24 10/100 ports and the ability to "channel" ports
together for increased bandwidth should it ever be required. The
list price is $2995, but I imagine you can do better. Eastern
Data in Virginia Beach usually cuts about 25% off of the list
price. Their number is 800-247-6708. Robert would be the guy to
talk to.

         You could probably get by with the Kingston switch, I
just have a thing for management capabilities. Give me a call
if you have any other questions.

Keith
x7696