Author Topic: Uses for extra server resources  (Read 6742 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Chavo

  • x86
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2219
  • no u
    • View Profile
    • Chavoland
Uses for extra server resources
« on: February 04, 2009, 06:14:59 pm »
This isn't necessarily restricted to *nix platforms, but I have a significant amount of processing power available on my home network that I feel is being underutilized.  Specifically, a web server (Debian) that is probably at a good load (.07, .03, .01) for a web server but could easily handle more web services or provide more requests for database applications (MySQL database is local to the webserver), a FreeNAS box that is horribly underutilized (P4, 512MB RAM machine that does nothing but handle backups at the moment, the only reason I have this machine as a NAS is because it has the tertiary IDE port that allows me to RAID more drives). Lastly, I have a beast that I was using as a test machine for a while, but it's been sitting in the closet turned off for a month now.  I run most of my vm applications on my desktop that has plenty of resources available to do so.

Any ideas on what to do with the extra power? I've never really been interested in donating processor power to the *@HOME projects, but I'm looking for some good uses of these computers that are either interesting or useful.

Offline Sidoh

  • x86
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 17634
  • MHNATY ~~~~~
    • View Profile
    • sidoh
Re: Uses for extra server resources
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2009, 06:21:52 pm »
The Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC, previously @Home stuff) has quite a few projects they support.  Here's a list:

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/projects.php

I think the ones that are more likely to be useful are listed in the "Biology and Medicine" category.  Rosetta@Home is particularly interesting, I think.  Here's a description of the project in their own words:

http://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/
Quote
Rosetta@home needs your help to determine the 3-dimensional shapes of proteins in research that may ultimately lead to finding cures for some major human diseases. By running the Rosetta program on your computer while you don't need it you will help us speed up and extend our research in ways we couldn't possibly attempt without your help. You will also be helping our efforts at designing new proteins to fight diseases such as HIV, Malaria, Cancer, and Alzheimer's

Offline warz

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1134
    • View Profile
    • chyea.org
Re: Uses for extra server resources
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2009, 02:01:00 am »
a warez server?
http://www.chyea.org/ - web based markup debugger

Offline Lead

  • x86
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 635
  • Shaman of Sexy.
    • View Profile
Re: Uses for extra server resources
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2009, 07:40:48 am »
The Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC, previously @Home stuff) has quite a few projects they support.  Here's a list:

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/projects.php

I think the ones that are more likely to be useful are listed in the "Biology and Medicine" category.  Rosetta@Home is particularly interesting, I think.  Here's a description of the project in their own words:

http://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/
Quote
Rosetta@home needs your help to determine the 3-dimensional shapes of proteins in research that may ultimately lead to finding cures for some major human diseases. By running the Rosetta program on your computer while you don't need it you will help us speed up and extend our research in ways we couldn't possibly attempt without your help. You will also be helping our efforts at designing new proteins to fight diseases such as HIV, Malaria, Cancer, and Alzheimer's

SETI@home is also an interesting project in which they are using interconnected computer for the search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/


Quote
Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They're about to announce the lottery numbers. - Homer Simpson

Offline truste1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1130
  • I haven't visited my profile!
    • View Profile
Re: Uses for extra server resources
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2009, 10:15:02 am »
these are all massive botnets about to take over the world.
Ain't Life Grand?

Offline Explicit

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 717
  • Hail Bender!
    • View Profile
Re: Uses for extra server resources
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2009, 09:29:14 pm »
these are all massive botnets about to take over the world.

QFT.
Quote
Like all things in life, pumping is just a primitive, degenerate form of bending.

Quote
Hey, I don't tell you how to tell me what to do, so don't tell me how to do what you tell me to do! ... Bender knows when to use finesse.

[13:41:45]<@Fapiko> Why is TehUser asking for wang pictures?
[13:42:03]<@TehUser> I wasn't asking for wang pictures, I was looking at them.
[13:47:40]<@TehUser> Mine's fairly short.

Offline Sidoh

  • x86
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 17634
  • MHNATY ~~~~~
    • View Profile
    • sidoh
Re: Uses for extra server resources
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2009, 10:28:22 pm »
The Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC, previously @Home stuff) has quite a few projects they support.  Here's a list:

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/projects.php

I think the ones that are more likely to be useful are listed in the "Biology and Medicine" category.  Rosetta@Home is particularly interesting, I think.  Here's a description of the project in their own words:

http://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/
Quote
Rosetta@home needs your help to determine the 3-dimensional shapes of proteins in research that may ultimately lead to finding cures for some major human diseases. By running the Rosetta program on your computer while you don't need it you will help us speed up and extend our research in ways we couldn't possibly attempt without your help. You will also be helping our efforts at designing new proteins to fight diseases such as HIV, Malaria, Cancer, and Alzheimer's

SETI@home is also an interesting project in which they are using interconnected computer for the search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/

Heh, yeah.  SETI is kind of the original @Home project.  It seems like the other ones came after.  I guess I didn't mention it because it's probably not generally considered as "practical" as some of the other ones.  I think SETI is important in general, but I guess unless the answer could be certain and useful (i.e., "yeah, they exist, but it's impossible to communicate"), I'd prioritize the problems I'd like solved differently, lol.

Offline Newby

  • Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10877
  • Thrash!
    • View Profile
Re: Uses for extra server resources
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2009, 09:14:42 pm »
- Newby
http://www.x86labs.org

Quote
[17:32:45] * xar sets mode: -oooooooooo algorithm ban chris cipher newby stdio TehUser tnarongi|away vursed warz
[17:32:54] * xar sets mode: +o newby
[17:32:58] <xar> new rule
[17:33:02] <xar> me and newby rule all

I'd bet that you're currently bloated like a water ballon on a hot summer's day.

That analogy doesn't even make sense.  Why would a water balloon be especially bloated on a hot summer's day? For your sake, I hope there wasn't too much logic testing on your LSAT. 

Offline Chavo

  • x86
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2219
  • no u
    • View Profile
    • Chavoland
Re: Uses for extra server resources
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2009, 10:38:13 pm »
I have an overabundance of computer resources, not bandwidth :)

Also, no.