Tiny server offers modular design

Xi3 Corporation announced a 4-inch, "eco-friendly" server it claims will be readily upgradeable, thanks to the use of one board containing the processor and memory and two separate boards containing I/O ports. The "microServ3r" apparently offers a choice of AMD processors, SSD (solid state disk) storage, two gigabit Ethernet ports, two eSATA ports, and a Fibre Channel port.
A Jan. 25 press release from Utah-based Xi3 relates how the company showed off its microServ3r -- originally announced last November -- at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this month. We missed seeing this product in person, so it's well worth taking a look at it now.

In fact, the microServ3r isn't yet shipping, nor are details of the product yet available on the company's website. But a video posted by Xi3 makes clear that the device is an evolution of the Xi3 Modular Computer, a mini-PC that was first announced in Nov. 2010 and shipped in the second half of 2011. (See later in this story for background.)


Xi3's microServ3r
(Click to enlarge)

Instead of the single Ethernet port on the standard Modular Computer, the microServ3r will apparently include two Ethernet ports and a Fibre Channel port. It will also sport HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and two eSATA ports, or so the video (embedded later below) suggests.

Xi3 hasn't said what CPU the microServ3r will employ, but a ZDNet UK report suggests it will be the same AMD Athlon X2 3400e (1.8GHz) that's already featured on the Modular Computer. Clearly, the device's metallic, 4 x 3.66 x 3.66-inch case will be identical as well.

The microServ3rs can be grouped on shelves (left) and then placed inside the 224-unit Mobile dataCent3r (right)
Source: The Verge

According to Xi3, as many as 224 microServ3rs can be installed into the "motorized, sealed, and air-cooled" Mobile dataCent3r pictured above. Personal dataCent3rs "for in-wall home or office use will also be available, the company adds.

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Xi3 announced in 2010 that its Modular Computer uses a design protected by six different U.S. patents, three of which had been only recently issued. The patents were said to have been licensed to Xi3 by the holding company Isys Technologies, which has been working on the computer's design since at least 2008 (as its various YouTube videos demonstrated).

The Xi3 Modular Computer

Jason Sullivan, identified as both founder and CEO of Isys Technologies and president and CEO of Xi3 Corporation, stated at the time, "We reject the concept that computers should have a useful life of only two to four years. Instead we believe that computers should be upgradeable and updateable over and over and over again, and that's how we've designed the Xi3 Modular Computer, making it (potentially) the last computer you ever need to buy."

It was claimed that the Modular Computer will resist obsolescence because instead of using a single motherboard, it employs three boards. One of these (below middle) houses the processor and RAM, while two additional boards (below left and right) handle connectivity and I/O.

The secondary I/O (left), processor (middle), and primary I/O (right) modules inside Xi3's Modular Computer

Presumably, then, Modular Computers -- and microServ3rs, too -- will be able to gain faster CPUs in the future by snapping in an upgraded processor board, though Xi3 made no specific promise to offer these. (Having encountered such schemes in the past, we're bound to point out that they all foundered for one of two reasons: Either the vendor failed to provide the upgrade boards that were promised, or technology simply outstripped whatever interconnect was being used.)

Xi3 provided few details of its interconnect but did say that it carries PCI Express signals, among others. The Modular Computer also has a wealth of standard, PC-style ports, as seen in the picture earlier in this story, including DVI-I and DisplayPort video outputs.

Xi3 says the Modular Computer has six USB 2.0 ports with Type A connectors, along with two eSATA connectors. The device's rear panel also includes a gigabit Ethernet port and 3.5mm audio jacks (headphones, mic in, and line in), according to the company.

The Modular Computer is said to use AMD's 780E northbridge and SB710 southbridge, the latter mounted on a separate board from the processor so as to ease I/O upgrades. Processor choices, meanwhile, can be either a dual-core, 1.8GHz AMD Athlon X2 3400e, or a single-core, 1GHz AMD Athlon XP 2000+, says Xi3.

According to Xi3, cooling of the Modular Computer is aided by its aluminum case and flow-through design. However, the device is apparently not fanless, Xi3 making reference to an internal fan connector.

Noting that the Modular Computer comes with 2GB or 4GB of RAM, Xi3 adds that the device employs SSD (solid state disk) storage, in capacities ranging from 16GB to 128GB. The system is compatible with both Windows and Linux, according to the company.

Features and specifications listed by Xi3 for the Modular Computer include:

Processor -- 1GHz AMD Athlon XP 2000+ or 1.8GHz AMD Athlon X2 3400e
Chipset -- 780E northbridge and SB710 southbridge
Memory -- 2GB or 4GB of RAM
Storage -- SSD ranging from 16GB to 128GB
Networking -- gigabit Ethernet
Other I/O:
1 x dual-link DVI-I (supports HDMI, VGA, DisplayPort via adapters)
1 x DisplayPort
6 x USB 2.0
2 x eSATA
audio -- mic in, line in, headphone out
Power requirements -- 19VDC via external AC adapter
Dimensions -- 4 x 3.66 x 3.66 inches
Weight -- n/s

Boost Your Career With Comptia Certifications

I remember that I've post one part of Boost your career with CompTIA Exam last week, now, I think most of you have already known what will I talk about this week. Yes, the second part of Boost your career with Comptia Certifications. Well, maybe there's no information about 220-602 exam or other exams in the following, but it's all about Comptia Certifications, I bet some of you will like it.

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CompTIA Network+ Certification. CompTIA Network+ validates the knowledge and skills of networking professionals. Although not a prerequisite, it is recommended that CompTIA Network+ candidates have at least nine months of experience in network support or administration or adequate academic training, along with a CompTIA A+ certification. The demand for skilled networking support professionals continues to grow, and CompTIA Network+ is a valuable credential to help launch or enhance a networking career.

CompTIA Network+ and Related CompTIA Certification. CompTIA Network+ prepares networking professionals to earn vendor-neutral certifications in other areas of expertise. CompTIA Network+ certified professionals who want to diversify their base knowledge in other areas should also consider pursuing CompTIA Security+, Server+ or Convergence+.

CompTIA Convergence+ Certification. CompTIA 220-702 Convergence+ validates the knowledge and skills in the area of Communications Technologies (CT), where datacomm, telephony/telecommunications, video and broadcast multimedia technologies combine into a single IP-based delivery system. It is an international, vendor-neutral certification that recognizes a technician's ability to design, implement and manage both data and voice networking. Although not a prerequisite for CompTIA Convergence+ certification, it is recommended that CompTIA Convergence+ candidates are CompTIA Network+ certified and have 18 to 24 months of work experience in areas that include data networking, VoIP, and other convergence related technologies.

CompTIA CTT+ Certification. CompTIA CTT+ (Certified Technical Trainer) certification validates excellence in instruction. It is a vendor-neutral certification that is applicable to training professionals in all industries. CompTIA CTT+ recognizes the mastery of core instructor skills, including preparation, presentation, communication, facilitation and evaluation in both a classroom and virtual classroom environment.


Certified instructors are essential for students who want to receive top-notch training, and employers agree that a professional training staff is valuable to the company. Adobe, Dell, Microsoft MCTS certification, Novell and Ricoh recommend that their trainers be CompTIA CTT+ certified. The Training Associates also look for CompTIA CTT+ certification when hiring trainers.

The history of Metro Ethernet

The history of Metro Ethernet


A lot has happened with Ethernet in service provider networks in the past 10 years. And the Metro Ethernet Forum has been behind a lot of that progress. From promoting and education the industry on the merits of Ethernet in the service provider network, to actually defining carrier-class Ethernet specifications, the MEF has been at the forefront of advances in the technology on a larger-than-enterprise-network scale. Here are the major milestones the MEF has achieved over that time period:

Metro Ethernet Forum celebrates 10 years of key network accomplishments

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Carrier Ethernet - a welcome tonic for global business

2001
The MEF was formed to develop ubiquitous business services for enterprise users accessed over optical metropolitan networks. The group was founded by Nan Chen, director of product marketing at Atrica, and Ron Young, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Yipes Communications, with 16 initial member companies.

2002
The first technology demonstration of Ethernet services was conducted at the Supercomm conference and trade show.

2003
The MEF board expands and Mark Fishburn is appointed chairman. The first MEF specification is published, which is the first formal definition of Ethernet service capabilities in the metro and wide area network.

2004
Ethernet inventor Bob Metcalfe joins as advisory director. Eight new specifications are published, and the first large multivendor demonstration of Ethernet services is conducted at SuperComm.

2005
The MEF defines "Carrier Ethernet" by specifying standardized business services, and scalability, reliability, quality of service and service management attributes. Included in these are:
• Worldwide services traversing national and global networks
• Access networks to provide availability over fiber, copper, cable, PON and wireless
• Economy of scale from the resulting converged business, residential and wireless networks sharing the same infrastructure and services

MEF also introduces a certification program, publishes three new specifications, conducts a large multivendor demonstration of Carrier Ethernet at the Globalcomm conference and trade show, and unveils the Carrier Ethernet Service Provider of the Year awards for North America, Europe and Asia

2006
Mike Tighe appointed as chairman of the board; Kevin Vachon appointed COO; Expansion of membership to more than 100 members; Expansion of scope from metro to access and wireless networks; Carrier Ethernet attributes further defined; Two new MEF specifications published.

2007
Carrier Ethernet launched in India; 320 systems, 45 equipment manufacturers and 17 service providers certified; Three new MEF specifications published for management, circuit emulation and services testing.

2008
Founding technical chair Bob Klessig retires and Paul Bottorff returns as technical committee co-chair; Expansion of Carrier Ethernet into mobile backhaul networks; Membership exceeds 150.

2009
Membership grows in the Asia Pacific and Carrier Ethernet expands to New Zealand; Ethernet Academy for peer reviewed papers, moderated forums, groups and community launched, and adds live chat, personal web pages and podcasting; 500+ systems, 75 equipment manufacturers, 30 service providers are certified; Thousands of tests conducted, 750+ certifications granted; Industry certification program for Link OA&M unveiled; Service Provider Awards Program launched; introduction of MEF Global Interconnect Program; Multiple technical specifications published; Hosted Ethernet Business Services seminars conducted.

2010
Ethernet Academy reaches more than 1,000 registered Carrier Ethernet experts; Extended Ethernet to Ethernet (External Network-to-Network Interface) and MEF 7.1 EMS-NMS Ratified.

Ethernet switching gets specialized

Dell'Oro Group says Ethernet growth will be spurred by data center, other specific requirements

Growth in the Ethernet switch market is now being driven by specialized devices for specific applications, rather than evenly across all customer deployments.

These are the findings of market researcher Dell'Oro Group, which noted that growth in the market from 2003 to 2008 was across all segments -- low-end unmanaged switches, mid-range fixed PoE devices and high-end modular systems. The market nearly doubled in that time period, from $10.7 billion to $18.5 billion.

But since the market recovered in 2010 from the recession of 2008-2009, it shifted toward a single segment of customer deployment: the data center.

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MORE: Cool old Ethernet paraphernalia

"We believe this shift to be a fundamental transition and we predict that products deployed in the data center will be the growth engine of the Ethernet switch market over the next few years," Dell'Oro said in a statement. "We see intelligence moving back from the edge and into the data center core for easier management particularly as enterprises virtualize and outsource to the cloud."

The shift has significant ramifications for Ethernet switching vendors, Dell'Oro asserts. With the migration in the data center toward 10 Gigabit Ethernet for server access, vendors are coming out with unique products optimized for those, and other specific deployments.

Vendor market shares will be affected by these disparate requirements, and many will be forced to specialize in only certain deployment locations or partner with other vendors to offer customers complete Ethernet switching portfolios, Dell'Oro says.

"Manufacturers can no longer develop a switch for one customer deployment location and modify it into a second location and expect success," the firm states.

And vendors that currently have more exposure in the data center will likely increase their Ethernet switch market share as the overall market becomes more data center focused, Dell'Oro notes.

The Layer 2/3 data center switching market grew just under 6% from 2010 to 2011, to $6.6 billion, according to Dell'Oro. The top three vendors were Cisco, HP and Dell.

The entire Layer 2/3 Ethernet switch market was $19.8 billion in 2011, essentially flat with 2010 but up 31% from 2009, according to Dell'Oro.