Data Centers

Cracking Open A Cobalt RaQ 3i Server Appliance

By // October 13, 2008, 12:24 AM PST // erikeckel

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  • The Cobalt Networks RaQ 3i

    The Cobalt Networks RaQ 3i server appliance, as seen from the front. This third-generation model included a full Internet application suite. Everything from Apache Web services to Sendmail, FTP, DNS and Front Page Server extensions were pre-configured on these modified Linux Red Hat-powered machines.

  • Cobalt RaQ 3i Top View

    The Cobalt RaQ 3i server, as viewed from above.

  • Cobalt RaQ 3i Rear View

    The Cobalt RaQ 3i 1U appliance, as seen from the rear.

  • Cobalt RaQ 3i Control Panel

    Here's the Cobalt RaQ 3i's control panel, which is located on the front right corner of the server appliance. The LCD arrow buttons enabled entering network configuration information, configuring a battery backup, rebooting the unit and powering down the server.

  • Cobalt RaQ 3i Status Indicators

    The RaQ 3i's status indicators are positioned on the left edge of the server's face plate. Tx/Rx blinks to confirm network transmission and reception. The Link light indicates an active network interface connection. COL lights when network collisions occur on the system's primary Ethernet interface. The 100 M LED, meanwhile, confirmed the network is running at 100 Base T speeds, while the Disk and Web indicators confirms hard disk and Web activity, respectively.

  • Cobalt LCD Screen

    The RaQ 3i's LCD screen displays server messages and values being entered using the server's LCD arrow buttons.

  • Cobalt Logo Badge

    The Cobalt Logo Badge illuminates in an eye-catching green shade whenever the system is powered on.

  • Power Supply Connection

    The server's power plug port is located in the unit's right rear corner. The adjacent master on/off power switch is shown here in the "on" position. To the left of the power switch you can see one of the RaQ 3i's two 35mm cooling fans. The cooling fans in the RaQ 3i were manufactured by Sunon and use 12-volt power.

  • RaQ 3i Ports

    The RaQ 3i is identifiable due to its second Ethernet port (shown to the right in this photograph). The regular RaQ 3 possessed only a single Ethernet port. Other ports on the RaQ 3i are the two serial ports (visible to the left of the two Ethernet ports) and single SCSI connector (to the right of the unit's single USB port, itself positioned to the right of the server's second cooling fan).

  • RaQ 3i Bottom View

    Here's a look at the RaQ 3i's bottom casing.

  • Removing The RaQ's Casing

    Before the RaQ 3i's top metal casing can be opened, numerous Philips head screws must be removed from the shell, including these found on the left rear side of the server.

  • Opening The RaQ 3i

    Philips head screws must also be removed from the front of each side panel.

  • Opening The RaQ 3i

    Screws must also be removed from the back of the RaQ 3i before the top shell can be opened.

  • Opening The RaQ 3i

    With all necessary screws removed (some 10 total), the RaQ 3i's main body (containing the motherboard and power supply) can be separated from its top metal cover. In fact, the main board sits in its own tray, which slides out from beneath the metal top cover, as shown here.

  • Top Shell, Removed From The Server

    Here's the top metal housing, once removed from the main server chassis.

  • Inside The RaQ 3i

    The RaQ 3i's components are neatly stashed away inside its 1U case. The hard disk sits to the front right corner, while the mainboard the middle and right-rear corner. The power supply, meanwhile, occupies the left rear corner.

  • Cobalt-Seagate Relationship

    Cobalt Networks partnered with Seagate to build its RaQ servers. In addition to Seagate providing hard disks, as with this unit, Seagate also distributed some of its own versions of the server appliance using NasRaQ branding.

  • Server RAM

    Here both of the RaQ's two DIMM memory slots are occupied. Many RaQs shipped with 256MB of RAM, but 512MB obviously helps accelerate server performance.

  • Lithium Battery

    The RaQ 3i used this silver Lithium battery to power its real-time clock and CMOS RAM.

  • IDE Hard Drive Connector

    These IDE ports, located adjacent to the system memory bays on the main system board, are used to connect drives to the server.

  • Power Connector

    Here you can see the power connector that links the main board to electricity provided by the unit's power supply.

  • Ali M1541 Chipset

    This Ali M1541 chipset, which ran at 100 MHz, helped power the AMD mainboard.

  • LSI Symbios Controller

    This LSI Symbios controller, model 53C875J, powered the server's SCSI connection.

  • Server Heatsink

    Here's a close-up look at the server's heatsink, which sits directly atop the unit's AMD microprocessor.

  • AMD K6 Chip

    With the heatsink (pictured on the right) removed, the AMD K6 microprocessor is clearly visible.

  • AMD K6 Close Up

    Here's a close up look at the AMD K6 CPU. This Model 7 unit was known as "Little Foot." The Socket 7 chip boasted a 300 MHz clockrate and a 66 MHz front-side bus. Ironically (as this server line was Linux-powered), this chip features an engraved "Designed for Microsoft Windows 95/NT logo."

  • Power Supply

    Within this compartment lies the server's power supply unit.

  • Disconnecting The Power Supply

    The power supply's power connector must be disconnected from the main system board before the motherboard can be removed from the server chassis.

  • Opening The Power Supply

    Before the power supply cover can be removed, this T-10 Torx screw must be unscrewed.

  • Inside The Power Supply Cover

    An EOS V-Series open-frame power supply powers this RaQ server. The 60-watt AC-DC power supply boasted a mean time between failures measure over 100,000 hours.

  • Hard Disk Cage

    A custom hard disk cage holds the Seagate hard disk securely within the 1U server.

  • Removing The Hard Disk Cage

    Four Philips head screws must be removed to separate the hard disk from the custom cage.

  • The Custom HDD Cage

    Here's the hard disk drive cage, once separated from the server's hard disk.

  • The Seagate Drive

    The RaQ 3i featured a 20.4GB hard disk manufactured in Malaysia.

  • Removing The Mainboard

    To remove the system's motherboard, this data cable must be removed that connects the front panel display and controls.

  • Fan Power Connectors

    The unit's two cooling fan power connectors must be disconnected, as well, before removing the motherboard from the server's bottom chassis.

  • Meritec PCI Connector

    The RaQ 3i featured a single Meritec PCI Connector (model number 98115A-120-2MCF), which was not found on other Cobalt Networks RaQ 3 models.

  • Sunon Fan Close Up

    Here's a close up view of one of the server's two Sunon 35mm cooling fans.

  • Removing The Mainboard

    The bolts securing the serial and SCSI ports to the server's chassis must be removed before the motherboard can be separated from the server's bottom chassis.

  • Server Bottom Tray

    Here's a look at the RaQ 3i's bottom chassis with the motherboard and power supply removed. All that remains is the front control panel circuit board, its data cable, and the two 35mm cooling fans (and their respective power cables).

  • Removing The Front Decorative Panel

    To remove the Cobalt's front decorative panel, several blue plastic clips (one shown here at top center) must be depressed using a flat-head screwdriver.

  • The Decorative Front Panel

    The Cobalt front decorative panel looks like this (once it's removed from the server chassis).

  • Removing The Front Panel Circuit Board

    To remove the front panel circuit board, and its accompanying LCD display, several plastic clips must be pressed inward to enable disconnecting the circuit board.

  • The Front Panel Circuit Board

    Here's the Cobalt front panel circuit board, along with its connecting data cable, once removed from the server chassis' front panel.

  • The RaQ 3i, Disassembled

    Here's a look at most all of the components, including the server chassis, power supply, hard disk and accompanying cage, and other assorted components that compose the Cobalt Networks RaQ 3i server appliance.

The Cobalt Networks RaQ 3i

The Cobalt Networks RaQ 3i server appliance, as seen from the front. This third-generation model included a full Internet application suite. Everything from Apache Web services to Sendmail, FTP, DNS and Front Page Server extensions were pre-configured on these modified Linux Red Hat-powered machines.

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By Erik Eckel

Erik Eckel owns and operates two technology companies. As a managing partner with Louisville Geek, he works daily as an IT consultant to assist small businesses in overcoming technology challenges and maximizing IT investments. He is also president o...