Broadax systems' new scalable e-server combines six hot-swappable RAID5 compatible drives with dual redundant, hot-swappable power supplies to support demanding server applications.

by Wayne Kawamoto [May 22, 2002]

Broadax Systems (a.k.a BSI) introduced its high-performance e-server, the RMS-6260. Founded in 1986, the company's first computer was a portable with 1 MB of RAM and a 20 MB hard drive running at 10 MHz on a PC AT motherboard (see image below).

BSI's first portable, in 1986

Today, the company's new mid-range rackmount server series (see image below) offers six hot-swappable RAID5 compatible drives and dual redundant, hot-swappable power supplies. It features dual Intel Pentium III 1.4 GHz Tualatin processors, 4 GB SDRAM memory, dual ATA-100 IDE channels, dual fast Ethernet LANs, and five 64-bit/33 MHz full-size PCI cards.

BSI's RMS-6260, in 2002

The company says that the RMS-6260 supports a variety of operating systems and is optimized for both local and remote monitoring and restart, which makes the RMS-6260 ideal for the most demanding server applications that can accept no downtime. The RMS-6260 should provide a flexible, scalable and cost-effective option for high fault tolerant/resilient servers. Broadax calls its RMS-6260 a "five-nines" (99.999 percent) uptime performer.

The device's dual ATA-100 IDE channels and Promise Fast Track100 hardware RAID card support up to 6 hot-swap drives for redundant storage of critical data. The e-server uses 3.5-in. RAID Level 5 drives, which means that data is striped across three or more drives for greater data retrieval and writing speed and then by parity bits is stored on another separate drive to provide data security and fault tolerance. If a drive fails, users should be able to replace the failed hot-swappable drive with a new one and the RAID controller reconstructs the data. Two hot-swap 300W power supplies promise to complete the fail-safe design.

This high performance hardware is designed to work with a variety of operating systems (OS) that include Windows 2000/XP/NT 4.0, Netware 4.x/5.x/6.x, Redhat Linux 7.0/7.1 with HP OpenView, CA TNG Framework, and Intel LDCM. Broadax's Server Management software is designed to make standardization and server management simple and less time consuming even when deploying multiple systems on remote sites. According to the company, its software automatically identifies potential critical server problems such as internal temperatures, power voltages, and component health status which may allow for preventative maintenance prior to system failure.

The 2U high rack mountable servers are designed for easy maintenance. All drives and power supplies are accessible from behind a lockable front panel. Status LEDs on the center of each front panel should make it easy to isolate a failed server in a rack with multiple configurations. The LEDs indicate the status of each unit and inform users when problems arise from hard disks, fans, over-heating, or system power failure. The LEDs should also make it easy to detect individual failures, thus decreasing troubleshooting time and increasing uptime.

Plug and play based, the RMS-6260 is scalable with dual 10/100 Ethernet ports and expandable with five full-size 64-bit/33MHz PCI bus slots. Two serial ports, one parallel port, two USB ports, CD-ROM, floppy, and keyboard/mouse connections make the system a powerful and flexible server that can support a variety of applications.

Availability and price
The RMS-6260 redundant e-server is available now. Systems could start as low as $1,315, depending on reseller deals. A configuration page is here. Quantity discounts are available.

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