Lament for a SPARC
This was sent to the mailing list of network administrators (SNAG)... Personal info removed.
**********
From: Joseph
Sent: Sat 8/18/2007 1:01 AM
To: Systems and Network Administrators Group
Subject: XXX.YY.36.1, I hardly knew you ...
Although I'm not usually sentimental, this week marks the end of an era as
the longest surviving server during my position here was finally powered off,
probably for the last time.
The Sun SparcServer was already several years old when I got here in
1999, and even then, was in a state of obsolescence. It had modest specs,
having just 128Mb of memory and a single processor that barely ticked over
at 50Mhz and a 10Mb/s NIC card. Video output was sent through a strange
13W3 interface to a monitor that yellowed with age.
What it lacked in performance, it made up for in grit. It kept working in an
uncooled room that reached over 50C during summer while newer servers alongside
heat prostrated. It survived being showered with water from a burst pipe.
It went through uncounted many power failures without battery backup only
to boot up and serve. It survived being dropped a few times, because even
though it was the size of pizza box, it would have weighed the same if the
dough was made of lead and the cheese out of depleted uranium. Part of the
weight came from the thick shag-pile of dust accumulating in its innards.
The OS went from Solaris 2.5.1->2.6->(2.)7->(2.)8->(2.)9, roughly proportional
to log(RedHat_version), before Sun finally stopped supporting its processor
and new wine couldn't be poured into this old bottle.
It supplied core network services during its lifetime, being at various
times the main file server, mail server, backup server, license server and
print server. Up to the point of decommission, it was still doing critical
services like syslog+DHCP+DNS+AuthInfo serving.
It deserves a glorious death. Even though environmentalist would not condone
this, it should either be burned on a wooden bier, or perhaps sailed out
into English Bay on a raft during sunset, with all the other equipment it
has outlived piled about it as tribute on its journey to IT Valhalla.
Private service held at undisclosed location. Please donate to a charity
of your choice in lieu of flowers. I'm kidding about the environmentally
unfriendly disposal. Maybe.
-- Joseph
**********
From: Joseph
Sent: Sat 8/18/2007 1:01 AM
To: Systems and Network Administrators Group
Subject: XXX.YY.36.1, I hardly knew you ...
Although I'm not usually sentimental, this week marks the end of an era as
the longest surviving server during my position here was finally powered off,
probably for the last time.
The Sun SparcServer was already several years old when I got here in
1999, and even then, was in a state of obsolescence. It had modest specs,
having just 128Mb of memory and a single processor that barely ticked over
at 50Mhz and a 10Mb/s NIC card. Video output was sent through a strange
13W3 interface to a monitor that yellowed with age.
What it lacked in performance, it made up for in grit. It kept working in an
uncooled room that reached over 50C during summer while newer servers alongside
heat prostrated. It survived being showered with water from a burst pipe.
It went through uncounted many power failures without battery backup only
to boot up and serve. It survived being dropped a few times, because even
though it was the size of pizza box, it would have weighed the same if the
dough was made of lead and the cheese out of depleted uranium. Part of the
weight came from the thick shag-pile of dust accumulating in its innards.
The OS went from Solaris 2.5.1->2.6->(2.)7->(2.)8->(2.)9, roughly proportional
to log(RedHat_version), before Sun finally stopped supporting its processor
and new wine couldn't be poured into this old bottle.
It supplied core network services during its lifetime, being at various
times the main file server, mail server, backup server, license server and
print server. Up to the point of decommission, it was still doing critical
services like syslog+DHCP+DNS+AuthInfo serving.
It deserves a glorious death. Even though environmentalist would not condone
this, it should either be burned on a wooden bier, or perhaps sailed out
into English Bay on a raft during sunset, with all the other equipment it
has outlived piled about it as tribute on its journey to IT Valhalla.
Private service held at undisclosed location. Please donate to a charity
of your choice in lieu of flowers. I'm kidding about the environmentally
unfriendly disposal. Maybe.
-- Joseph
posted by Jet (Anat) at
6:57 a.m.
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