Cobalt RaQ - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Cobalt RaQ is a 1U rackmount

19-inch rack

A 19-inch rack is a standardized frame or enclosure for mounting multiple equipment modules. Each module has a front panel that is wide, including edges or ears that protrude on each side which allow the module to be fastened to the rack frame with screws.-Overview and history:Equipment designed...

server product line developed by Cobalt Networks

Cobalt Networks

Cobalt Networks was a maker of low-cost Linux-based servers. Founded in 1996 in Mountain View, California under the name Cobalt Microserver, the company pioneered easy-to-use server appliances featuring secure web user interfaces, designed for Internet service providers and small to medium sized...

, Inc. (later purchased by Sun Microsystems

Sun Microsystems

Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...

) featuring a modified Red Hat Linux

Red Hat Linux

Red Hat Linux, assembled by the company Red Hat, was a popular Linux based operating system until its discontinuation in 2004.Red Hat Linux 1.0 was released on November 3, 1994...

operating system and a proprietary GUI for server management. The original RaQ systems were equipped with RM5230 or RM5231 CPUs but later models used AMD K6-2

AMD K6-2

The K6-2 was an x86 microprocessor introduced by AMD on May 28, 1998, and available in speeds ranging from 266 to 550 MHz. An enhancement of the original K6, the K6-2 introduced AMD's 3D-Now! SIMD instruction set, featured a larger 64 KiB Level 1 cache , and an upgraded system-bus interface...

chips and then eventually Intel Pentium III

Pentium III

The Pentium III brand refers to Intel's 32-bit x86 desktop and mobile microprocessors based on the sixth-generation P6 microarchitecture introduced on February 26, 1999. The brand's initial processors were very similar to the earlier Pentium II-branded microprocessors...

CPUs for the final models.

The Cobalt RaQ was the second product line produced by Cobalt Networks; the first was the Cobalt Qube

Cobalt Qube

The Cobalt Qube was a computer server appliance product line developed by Cobalt Networks, Inc. featuring a modified Red Hat Linux operating system and a proprietary GUI for server management. The original Qube systems were equipped with RM5230 or RM5231 microprocessors but later models used AMD...

Server specifications

Below is a list of Cobalt RaQ types, and their specs.

Model	CPU type	Stock CPU Installed Speed
Cobalt RaQ	RM5230 R5000 The R5000 is a microprocessor that implements the MIPS IV instruction set architecture developed by Quantum Effect Design . The project was funded by MIPS Technologies, Inc , also the licensor. MTI then licensed the design to Integrated Device Technology , NEC, NKK, and Toshiba...	150 MHz
Cobalt RaQ 2	RM5231 R5000 The R5000 is a microprocessor that implements the MIPS IV instruction set architecture developed by Quantum Effect Design . The project was funded by MIPS Technologies, Inc , also the licensor. MTI then licensed the design to Integrated Device Technology , NEC, NKK, and Toshiba...	250 MHz
Cobalt RaQ 3	AMD K6-2 AMD K6-2 The K6-2 was an x86 microprocessor introduced by AMD on May 28, 1998, and available in speeds ranging from 266 to 550 MHz. An enhancement of the original K6, the K6-2 introduced AMD's 3D-Now! SIMD instruction set, featured a larger 64 KiB Level 1 cache , and an upgraded system-bus interface...	300 MHz
Cobalt RaQ 4	AMD K6 3D	450 MHz
Cobalt RaQ XTR	Intel Pentium III Pentium III The Pentium III brand refers to Intel's 32-bit x86 desktop and mobile microprocessors based on the sixth-generation P6 microarchitecture introduced on February 26, 1999. The brand's initial processors were very similar to the earlier Pentium II-branded microprocessors...	733 MHz or 933 MHz (original release) 850 MHz or 1 GHz (re-release)
Cobalt RaQ 550	Intel Pentium III Pentium III The Pentium III brand refers to Intel's 32-bit x86 desktop and mobile microprocessors based on the sixth-generation P6 microarchitecture introduced on February 26, 1999. The brand's initial processors were very similar to the earlier Pentium II-branded microprocessors...	1 GHz or 1.26 GHz

Under an OEM

Original Equipment Manufacturer

An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...

arrangement, RaQ 2 units were also produced by Seagate

Seagate Technology

Seagate Technology is one of the world's largest manufacturers of hard disk drives. Incorporated in 1978 as Shugart Technology, Seagate is currently incorporated in Dublin, Ireland and has its principal executive offices in Scotts Valley, California, United States.-1970s:On November 1, 1979...

, in the form of the Seagate NasRaQ.

There were variants of the RaQ 3 and RaQ 4 models known as the RaQ 3i or RaQ 4i (SCSI

SCSI

Small Computer System Interface is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it...

support, two Ethernet connectors, PCI connector), and the RaQ 4r (SCSI support, two Ethernet connectors, and RAID). RAID on these models was accomplished in software using a second IDE channel on the motherboard for the second hard drive. There was also a "bare bones" RaQ 4 model that had a single Ethernet adapter, no external SCSI, and a single hard drive.

The RaQ 3 shipped with Chili!soft ASP support. Cobalt acquired Chili!soft a few months prior to being acquired by Sun.

The RaQ 4 added PHP support to the RaQ 3 payload.

The RaQ XTR was the first 1U server to have four removable hard drives. Unfortunately, the first release was plagued with hardware problems and was recalled. This happened during the Cobalt acquisition, and it took over 6 months to get the XTR re-released. It was never a big seller. The XTR UI was also a "hybrid" between the newer PHP-based Sausalito system and the older Perl-based "special sauce" that powered the RaQ 1 - RaQ 4.

Symantec

Symantec

Symantec Corporation is the largest maker of security software for computers. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 stock market index.-History:...

's Veloci Raptor firewall

Firewall (computing)

A firewall is a device or set of devices designed to permit or deny network transmissions based upon a set of rules and is frequently used to protect networks from unauthorized access while permitting legitimate communications to pass....

appliances were also based on the RaQ XTR hardware. These systems were equipped with an additional 2-port network card. Together with the two onboard network cards the system had four network interfaces.

The RaQ 550 was the final appliance from the Cobalt division. It added Java support to the RaQ 4 payload, and was the first RaQ to use only the Sausalito UI originated in the Qube 3.

Not long after the Cobalt acquisition, Sun terminated the Cobalt product, announcing the Cobalt range End of Life (EOL). Sun also announced it would discontinue all support and upgrades on the RAQ1-RAQ4 and XTR, and will stop offering these services for the RAQ550 and Qube3 in 2007.

On December 23, 2003, Sun released the RAQ550/Sausalito Source code under the BSD license.
Ever since developers have tried to keep the Cobalt project alive. Examples are BlueQuartz, maintained by a group of Japanese fans, and RackStar, an initiative of RAQTweak (Cobalt RAQ consultants) and several ex-Sun/Cobalt engineers such as Tim Hockin and Patrick Baltz.

The installation of a standard Linux

Linux

Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...

distribution on the newer x86-based RaQs is possible. The installation of a newer kernel

Linux kernel

The Linux kernel is an operating system kernel used by the Linux family of Unix-like operating systems. It is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software....

2.6 based distribution requires either the replacement of the ROM software (the RaQ does not have a typical bios), or to use chain loading. CoLO can be used for this purpose.

External links

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Server specifications

See also

External links