Information / Advice

[Patrick Lesher]

I would rather not start a war over this, and hesitate to even ask, but I
was looking for some advice in purchasing a cluster.  I was hoping someone
could share with me their good/bad/ugly stories about dealing with
companies like SGI, Compaq, Va linux,  in both purchasing and support.  Or
if anyone has any advice on purchasing 2U computer cases/MB,etc and
putting one together yourself.

I'm space limited and looking for a 8-16 node cluster.  I like the idea of
purchasing the cluster from a company with a good rep and support, but I
am very willing to build it from scratch myself.

CPU speed, disk size, etc do not concern me at this time, just what kinds
of dealings you have had with companies or building it yourself.

Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Patrick
IBB/BME System Support
Georgia Institute of Technology