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Half-U net appliance runs Linux

Dec 22, 2008 — by LinuxDevices Staff — from the LinuxDevices Archive — views

Lanner Electronics has announced a space-saving, “half-rack” network appliance that runs Linux on a Core2Duo or Celeron M chip. Targeting network security and acceleration applications, the FW-7872 has five Ethernet ports, a serial port, two internal SATA ports, and two external SATA connectors, the company says.

(Click here for a larger view of Lanner's FW-7872)

Lanner touts the FW-7872 as “an ideal platform for environment-conscious applications.” While its power consumption and heat generation aren't quantified, they're claimed to be lower than many competing devices. In addition, the device has a small “half-rack” footprint that allows it to operate stand-alone, as pictured above, or in a standard 19-inch teleccommunications rack. As we show below, the device is small enough that two of them can be mounted side by side.



A standard 19-inch rack can hold one (above) or two (below) instances of the FW-7872

One use for the extra rack space saved by the FW-7872 could be extra hard disk storage, Lanner suggests. The FW-7872 includes two internal 2.5-inch drive bays and SATA connectors, plus two external SATA connectors. The device also provides an internal Type II CompactFlash slot, for embedded operating system installation.

The FW-7872's front panel includes four gigabit Ethernet ports, plus, optionally, a fifth 10/100 port that is intended for IP KVM connection, according to Lanner. Also up front are a power switch, two USB ports, and a serial console port.

Around the back, the small appliance has two further USB ports, two eSATA ports, a PS/2 port that supports both a keyboard and mouse via a supplied Y-adapter. Of interest internally are both a Mini-PCI slot and the optional IAC-AST100 remote management card pictured at right. Lanner says the IAC-AST100, which fits onto the FW-7872's main board via a dedicated OPMA (open platform management architecture) connector, provides an IPMI (intelligent platform management interface), allowing the appliance to be monitored and controlled remotely via Ethernet.

The FW-7872 is said to accept several different Intel uFCBGA (micro flip chip ball grid array) processors, such as the 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo T7400, 2.0GHz Core Duo T2500, or 1.86GHz Celeron M 440. Via the 945GME northbridge and ICH7-M southbridge, the device can employ 667MHz, 533MHz, or 400MHz memory, in the form of two DIMMs up to 2GB apiece, Lanner says.

Finally, the FW-7872 has dual DC power input connectors, leading to dual, redundant power supplies. The device's feature set is rounded out by a watchdog timer, plus an internal, battery-backed real-time clock, according to the company.

Features and specifications listed by Lanner for the FW-7872 include:

  • Processor — 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo T7400, 2.0GHz Core Duo T2500, or 1.86GHz Celeron M 440
  • Memory — Up to 4GB of RAM via two SO-DIMM slots
  • Display — VGA output, or serial console
  • Storage — Up to two 2.5-inch hard disk drives internally, two external, plus CompactFlash Type II slot
  • Networking — 4 gigabit Ethernet ports, plus optional fifth 10/100 port for IP KVM option
  • Other I/O:
    • 4 x USB (two front, two rear)
    • 1 x serial (for console)
    • 4 x SATA (two internal, two external)

  • Expansion:
    • Mini-PCI slot
    • OPMA connector for optional IAC-AST100 IPMI card
    • CompactFlash Type II slot

  • Operating temperature — 0 to 40 deg. C
  • Power requirements — n/s, but uses dual DC power supplies with locking connectors
  • Dimensions — 13.2 x 8.5 x 1.7 inches (335 x 215 x 44mm)
  • Weight — 13.2 pounds (6kg)

Lanner did not release pricing or general availability information for the FW-7872 but said the device is sampling now. More information may be available on the company's website, here.

According to Lanner, the FW-7872 is compatible with Linux, Windows XP, and Windows XP Embedded.


 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.



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