EEVblog 1466 - Dumpster Dive Xeon Server - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 07, 2022, 12:17:41 pm
content: It's been a while since the last dumpster dive computer. Today the dumpster delivers a HP Proliant ML350p Gen8 xeon server. Does it work?

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2022, 01:26:56 pm
content: PCIe slots (not PCI) and SAS drives (not SATA).

author: PKTKS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2022, 01:50:26 pm
content: it has an AHCI builtin BIOS backwards compatible with SATA **IF** the backplane is all SAS itshouldaccept SATA drives as well..poor pity the cheeky server is running winnnnnAnyway itISa very good chassi to mount an NVR or dummy NASPaul

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2022, 05:01:48 pm
content: Proper computer form factor - none of this mini rubbish!

author: PKTKS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2022, 05:33:00 pm
content: Just noted as well...The RAID array applet is running on top of a busybox linux image...just like mine...Paul

author: quarros
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2022, 07:00:03 pm
content: Just slap a E5-2630Lv2 in it (only a few bucks on ebay) and you have a good base for a hypervisor. I run a "similar" setup (repurposed optiplex 3010) with a i7-3770s with proxmox. It is only 50W at the wall on idle. File system is zfs so no bitrot and it is very convenient to just roll back to an earlier state of the vm-s and I reach it from everywhere on the local network. or even from outside if I use parsec. There are actual uses for these old servers in home environments.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 08, 2022, 10:06:22 am
content: Quote from: quarros on April 07, 2022, 07:00:03 pmNot compared to a modern tiny low power NAS like the Synology I have.

author: ksio89
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2022, 11:17:07 am
content: I need the address of the dumpster where Dave is finding this stuff haha. Thing is very well designed and seems to be very robust, I couldn't believe it was full of hard drives, and with Windows Server installed. Dave should have asked the guy who threw it away the passwordBTW, can you use these SAS HDDs on a desktop using adaptors? I know that you can install SATA HDDs directly on SAS backplanes, but not the other way around.

author: quarros
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2022, 12:30:58 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 08, 2022, 10:06:22 amThat's not really an apples to apples comparison. Sure You are right if someone only needs file storage on the network and a few docker services Pi-Hole, or nextcloud for example. Than yes it is oversized too power hungry and noisy. I'm also not using mine for such purpose. I have 4 old low power hp microserver for that (not always on before you ask, WOL is a wonderful thing).But using it for virtualization is a good. The real advantage is to have either a windows or a linux virtual machine on demand, that I can turn on or off from anywhere on the network (or from outside if I VPN in). Also it does not matter which computer I use in the house.I always log on to the same desktop just as if i would sit in front of it regardless what OS my client is running. For me it is a very useful thing, for you it might be completely irrelevant/useless. My point was not to convince you that it is something for you. Only to give another perspective.Cheers

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 08, 2022, 01:00:33 pm
content: Quote from: quarros on April 08, 2022, 12:30:58 pmSure, but I wouldn't consider that a "home environment" kinda thing.If you are doing your kinda thing then can't that be done on any sufficiently powerful networked machine? Why the need for a huge server box and RAID system for that?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 08, 2022, 01:02:18 pm
content: Quote from: ksio89 on April 08, 2022, 11:17:07 amIt also came with the windows server restore disc in the DVD drive.It did have a sticker on the front with the IT company maintaining and also what I thought was the company name, but neither of them seem to be in complex, so I'm not sure how it ended up in the dumptser room.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2022, 01:08:41 pm
content: Quote from: ksio89 on April 08, 2022, 11:17:07 amYou'll need an SAS HBA (host bus adapter / controller).

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2022, 01:22:07 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 08, 2022, 01:00:33 pmThose old servers are reliable and good machines for running multiple VMs. Plenty of I/O throughput, proper air flow management, and many more features. Yes, for normal home usage it's overkill. But what is normal?

author: quarros
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2022, 02:00:49 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 08, 2022, 01:00:33 pmSure it can be done. But consumer grade equipment usually missing some important or convenient features (depends on your viewpoint).Examples: Your Xeon has iLo which would allow you to reinstall the whole machine remotely via a web interface or access the BIOS/UEFI without even touching it. The machine can be hidden away in a basement or attic for all you care. Or the fact that it can use ECC memory (helps a lot even on normal desktop workstations). Enterprise gear has a crapton of memory slots making it both easier and cheaper to fill it up, and also most of the time it has one or two more reliable HBA bus controllers included. The average motherboard sata controller usually work 24/7 until it is not.So all in all older enterprise gear wins on quality, features, convenience, and part cost (if getting it used), but loses on running costs and performance compared to newer systems... Nothing new here.Oh yeah RAID. Not needed. Lately software defined storage is taking over. Filesystems like ZFS has error checking and silent corruption detection/repair built in (bitrot) therefore it does not need separate hardware logic to be reliable. But a drive backplane is always nice to have. No need to open up the case to change a faulty drive.But as I said it is only a nice to have. You can do much the same with"any sufficiently powerful networked machine"as you pointed out. The lack of ECC is a big drawback tough. The remote access can be substituted with a Pi-kvm.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2022, 02:06:02 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 07, 2022, 12:17:41 pmWow, I keep telling my wife about your finds, she is incredulous. I wish you luck and many more finds to come.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2022, 02:15:34 pm
content: Is the price of energy going up a lot in your area? Maybe thats what's driving these big servers being abandoned?Quote from: EEVblog on April 07, 2022, 12:17:41 pm

author: quarros
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2022, 03:08:21 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 08, 2022, 01:00:33 pmOh before I forget. take a look at r/homelab sometime, you will be baffled of what some people consider "home environment" friendly gear.https://www.reddit.com/r/homelab/

author: ksio89
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2022, 04:49:34 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 08, 2022, 01:02:18 pmDayum, you got the whole deal then Dave! Where I live I can't even find old school laptops with "mighty" Sandy/Ivy Bridge Celeron or Pentium processors haha. Well, the thing seems to be in pretty good nick, i hope you find a use for it in your lab 👍Quote from: cdev on April 08, 2022, 02:06:02 pmI'm starting to wonder... what if it's EEVBlog fans who are throwing these equipments away in a dumpster near Dave's, expecting him to find them and generate content for the YouTube channel? You never know, might as well be an anonymous discussion board member 🤔

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 09, 2022, 09:44:09 am
content: Quote from: ksio89 on April 08, 2022, 04:49:34 pmThere was actually a fan who worked at an IT company in the building and he was a fan. Don't know if he ever secretly threw anything out!

author: Per Hansson
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 10, 2022, 08:12:42 am
content: I found this thanks to the reddit link above.It explains that the reason for having only a single CPU populated might be to actually improve performance.Well I learned something new todayhttps://www.reddit.com/r/homelab/comments/u01jod/i_removed_a_cpu_and_quadrupled_my_nass_iops/P.S Dave: if you start the Windows installation from the included DVD you can press shift + F10 to launch a command prompt.And in there you can then look around the filesystem to see if they really did wipe it or notYou can even launch Notepad from the command prompt to have a graphical user interface if you then to File > Open in Notepad...

author: Haenk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2022, 12:03:27 pm
content: If you don't need the server, sell the parts.HDD cage and hot swap trays are quite expensive, I'd say that's at least about 200,-. I don't think anybody will buy the HDDs (very likely SAS, so not suited for PCs).SAS cable is not cheap either.Btw. the controller and trays will run with SATA drives as well. Depending on the soft options, you will have all types of RAID levels available.Installed is the basic "onboard" controller, too bad.However somebody might want to buy the server as a whole, these are quite capable, the CPUs are cheap now and it supports plenty of memory. Nice VM server after all...You might want to look into ILO (If not changed, default Administrator-password is on a sticker somewhere on the case).There is an extensive BIOS (EFI) setup on startup available, too.