Sun Cobalt RaQs were designed as relieable and inexpensively priced turn-key server appliances. Although they were based on open source software they in fact were burdened with a lot of proprietory add-ons (like the GUI interface and LCD-drivers) which made upgrades or manual installs a nightmare best left to experts (like us). However, in the best tradition of open source software we would like to introduce the CentOS + BlueQuartz Server Appliance.

Front view:

Rear view:

This server appliance uses CentOS as operating system, which is an open source Linux distribution. As GUI interface it uses BlueQuartz, which is based on the open sourced RaQ550 Sausalito architecture from Sun Cobalt.

Sites, users, mailing lists and settings can directly be imported with the built in CMU from any Cobalt RaQ. So this is an inexpensive way to trade the aging Cobalt RaQs against much more modern hard- and software, while retaining the well known functionality and GUI interface.

A CentOS + BlueQuartz Server Appliance can do everything a RaQ550 can do as well (minus Frontpage and Chilisoft ASP) - and it does it much faster. The serial ATA hardisks have a throughput of approximately 50 MBit/seconds and even the basic model with a 2.4GHz CPU outperforms a RaQ550 by several magnitudes.

Aside from the speed there are other compelling reasons to consider replacing existing RaQ3, RaQ4, XTR and RaQ550 with a CentOS + BlueQuartz Server Appliance:

• Security: The much more modern operating system uses an up to date 2.6-kernel. All system libraries and daemons are as modern as one would expect from a good operating system. Additionally CentOS provides updates on a regular basis which can easily be installed to keep the system current and to make sure that it doesn't get exploited through vulnerabilities. In that regards a "real" RaQ550 is pure hacker bait, even if you install all patches and extra security measures.
  
  
• Stability: A "real" RaQ550 suffers from too many proprietory modifications. Especially in regards to the kernel's memory management, which make a RaQ550 inherently unstable - especially under moderate or high load. Dirty hacks in Apache to implement FrontPage and ASP support, as well as the sausalito-enabled PHP-4.0.6 library lead to instabilities of Apache, as well as to memory leaks. Also, on a RaQ550 Procmail (used for local email delivery to mailboxes) has been modified in a fashion that it no longer can report certain signal exceptions back to Sendmail in case the email delivery to the mailbox fails. A CentOS + BlueQuartz Server Appliance doesn't have this problems, as the base OS is for the most part (aside from modifying some config files) left unmolested.
  
  
• Spare parts and replacements: Ever paid an unreasonable sum for spare parts like fans, rack mounting brackets, replacement hardisks or extra memory? All parts used in a CentOS + BlueQuartz Server Appliance are readily available from any well sorted computer hardware store (as well as from us). This also includes motherboard and case. Aside from that the operating system is not tied to the hardware, so you could basically run the same operating system on any hardware.
  
  
• Flat learning curve: If you are already familliar with running a Sun Cobalt server appliance (especially an XTR or RaQ550), then you have very few new tricks to learn. The CentOS + BlueQuartz Server Appliance's GUI is almost identical to that of an RaQ550 and neither your webhosting customers, nor you yourself have to adapt much.

We offer three different models of the new CentOS + BlueQuartz Server Appliance, with different CPU speeds and hardisk sizes.

More information is available on the related product page.

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