During a Private Cloud event in Durham, NC (Thanks Yung Chou and John Baker) I was amazed to discover the information available on Cloud computing. For many years we have been using the client\server model and this is just the next step; sort of. This is not some brand new technology but it is a step in the  right direction that leverages newer hardware features (No VT-d yet) of desktop processors.

As some of you know I am a very practical person (when it comes to computers) who is focused on the home user and I have a big vision. I foresee a day when everyone can have what I have – if they want it . Some have called me crazy to put so much into technology, but I have a dream. I envision a day when every room has a terminal; that is a functional and useful terminal. A terminal that can give you what you want, in the way you want it: entertainment, work, communications, social networking, games, monitoring your home from any room, logging onto your desktop from places other than home (your personal desktop without some of the current security concerns of remote desktop) and more. I just had to look deeper into this.  I had to see what MS was offering and get the answers to some questions.

What could be done at home? Is there ever a use for the limited functionality of a server based client at home? Would it be worth the time and money to put the Cloud in the home? How long until savings are actually realized?

There is a fairly hefty initial cost and the only real need for this is if you have multiple systems running in the home for several hours a day. If you have no time sharing issues and/or no desire to drop your satellite (cable) subscription and  no desire to gain the value of having all your entertainment centrally located and streamed – this may not be for you. If the ultimate in home entertainment and communications is your desire, this may be the solution for you.

So what is Cloud computing?

Simply put, the Cloud is not off site storage or on site NAS storage. It is not web based applications. It is not your SQL server client, your media or even a file server.

The Cloud is…. all of your processing, storage and applications being handled by a virtual machine based in a server. It is a virtual machine that you assign properties to and designate the usage of: the CPU core count, memory (dynamic or static), Hard drive space (virtual or dynamic) and software that is to be used (Excel, Word, accounting software, database software or your own software).

There has been much name calling; however, the fact is that if you are not using a virtual machine hosted on a server (even a home server) you are not computing in the Cloud. Sounds strange right? I don’t like using Wiki as a reference and I will not, but even they have a similar view.

Hardware requirements for MS solution:

Well you can actually host from a decent laptop with 8 GB of ram. Would it be practical or cost effective? No.

A simple, practical and cost effective server would include: a decent, reasonably fast, 64bit processor (preferably a 4 core) that is capable of visualization (VT-x in bios and VT-d for future use) , 8GB of  ram if you plan on hosting from 3 to 6 active virtual machines (VMs), a decent video card if you choose to take advantage of RemoteFX, and ample storage in the form of  SSD (raid 1) or RAID storage (raid 5, 10 because these are common on consumer level boards and the speed helps) that allows for speed and redundancy.

Clients are pretty simple and can range from a bare metal PXE enabled solution with a keyboard, mouse and monitor to a functional PC.

Software:

The list of  software possibilities is long, can get costly and is not limited to the following fully functional, time limited evaluation packages:

• Windows Azure Applications Management Pack

• Windows Server 2008 R2 w/ SP1

• Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 SP1

• System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 SP1

• System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Beta

• System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2

• System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3

• System Center Configuration Manager 2012 Beta 2

All software components, of course, will not be necessary. What will be needed for a minimal setup at minimal cost? I will be investigating that as I attempt to turn my current home network into a private cloud (assuming my wife does not shoot me for breaking the budget first!).

A project as proof of concept:

Below is a diagram of the devices currently being used in the Archer household as well as the projected needs over the next two years:

The plan is to keep all current systems in place and simply make them PXE devices. These machines will run on VMs hosted on the server. This will save power but the true savings come into play with the expansions. By using bare metal terminals the hardware costs and power savings will be immense if the entire system is used to its fullest potential.

This transition will be followed :Here: Lets hope I don’t break the bank trying to save a buck.

What this means to you:

By embarking on projects such as this many of us out on the edges can bring you closer to the future. This allows you to see the true potential of the technology that has been in existence  for many years. Hopefully this will give you ideas that can help better utilize technology and save money at the same time. Am I crazy?

I have six people in my home with different needs and schedules. My sons may want to watch different movies, my daughter may need to do a school project, my wife may need to finish up some things she has brought home from work, my mother may want to play solitaire and I may have some work to do as well. That is six computers. That is a huge total footprint and it is a lot of wasted power. One computer can do all of this; just one. A private cloud in the home would meet these requirements, cost less to operate and have the elasticity to shrink and grow with your needs.

Is a private cloud the only way to reach these goals? Absolutely not; there are smaller, less expensive and more practical solutions. Some of these solutions cost nothing but require a level of familiarity with the software used that is generally beyond that of the average or expert level.

One less expensive and more practical solution is very similar to the Windows Server 2008 R2 (Hyper-V) solution. Microsoft Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 is simple to set up and has much of the functionality of the private cloud environment without the cost or overhead.

Multipoint:

The concept of Windows Multipoint Server is easy. It takes the excess power of a computer and shares it across multiple end users. Called “Shared Computing” or sometimes “Virtual Desktops”, this is possible due to advances in technology. In the past, Personal Computers (PCs) were designed to be simple and used by individuals. Servers were powerful enough to handle the computing needs of many individuals in an organization, but needed skilled IT professionals to run them. But that’s changing.

Today’s PCs have become so powerful that they can deliver quality graphics and video and still have excess power to spare. Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 leverages the excess power of a PC and turns it into a server capable of powering multiple computing sessions at once. It’s the software operating system that runs each end user’s personalized Windows 7 “session” on the host computer. It then delivers a “virtual desktop” experience via the access devices to each end user working on their own monitor, keyboard and mouse. It’s easy to install and manage.

Check out the product demo and virtual tour to see how it works, and refer to the chart below to learn more about the hardware solutions.

Host

The host computer runs the Windows MultiPoint Server software and powers the experience for the teacher and students. WMS requires a 64-bit processor, with sufficient processing power (CPU) and memory capacity to meet the performance demands of the number of simultaneous users and applications used. The system requirements will depend upon the programs and features you decide to install, the number of users and how the system is used. For example a set up with 5 or 6 students using productivity applications like Office 2010 would require less processing power and RAM than a set up with 15-20 stations and heavy multi-media use. To see the recommended hardware click here or refer to the Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Planning Guide.

Access Devices

Access Devices connect the host computer to the individual stations, allowing multiple people to share the same computer while still having their own independent computing experience. Sometimes called “thin clients” or “zero clients”, these access devices enable the physical connection, as well as the efficient flow of data and video to multiple monitors. There are three main ways to connect: Direct Connection (with a PCI or Video card into the back of the host computer), USB Connection (an access device connected to the host computer via a USB cable) or LAN Connection (end user stations connecting via a thin client into the network, rather than connecting physicaly to the host computer). You can mix these methods and arrange the user stations in the best way to suit the space and layout of your classroom. Click here to see a range of solutions offered by our partners.

User Stations

The teacher and students have their own stations, with their own monitor, keyboard and mouse. Teachers orchestrate and monitor the learning experience from their station. Using the teacher view within the MultiPoint Management console, they can see thumbnails of student’s desktops, allow certain websites and send messages to individual students or the whole class. Teachers can even use remote control to assist when a student needs help.

Students learn efficiently and productively at their own user stations. Students view content and share files whenever they need to, work on and save files in their own private folders or on USB drives, and gain an enhanced learning experience. A single monitor can be used by two students with “split screen” to allow them to collaborate side by side. Some advanced monitors also come with the access devices built right in, to save space and reduce the amount of devices for each workstation.

You can also re-use existing monitors, keyboards and mice that you already have.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/multipoint/howitworks.aspx

Though I am in no way saying that Windows Multipoint Server is better than the MS Private Cloud (Windows Server 2008 R2) solution it appears to be  more practical and cost effective for most users.

Conclusion:

So you can use the cloud at home. Will it help you? It can if you let it. Any solution that allows you to save money on hardware, increase data security, allows more flexibility and reduces your carbon footprint is a winning solution.

Do you have a small business that can use something based on your current server and user hardware? Are you currently feeding 10+ systems eating 100-200 watts each plus a file server eating 100-300 watts can add up to over 3500 dollars a year. By having a solution set up that uses virtualization and a cloud computing model (server based processing, software and storage) that 3500 dollars drops by 2/3 or more. And your hardware upkeep is dramatically reduced as well.

Total system costs can drop as low as $150-250 each + KB/Mouse/Monitor after the initial implementation. There are no hard drives to worry about backing up, no software upkeep to bother with, less than five minutes to add a new desktop (so you can put people to work immediately), have more control of what is done on the individual systems, and lower the heat output of each system which reduces cooling costs.

The Cloud or at least virtualized computing is the future. The future can be now. It is not worth it in all cases but perhaps now you will have a better idea about where you are and where you want to be.

Packaging:

Specifications and Features:

Next: A look at the Rosewill BLACKHAWK

Packaging:

Specifications:

Next: The Silverstone FP55 Installation and Conclusion

I have had good experiences with the The Cideko Air Keyboard, the Freespace Loop Pointer, and the well established Gyration Media Center Music Remote. With all three on one PC – yes you can! - I find myself instinctively reaching for one or another depending on what I am doing.

I reach for the Cideko Air Keyboard when browsing the web at a distance since it offers mouse and keyboard control in a single device and has text capability somewhere between a blackberry and a real keyboard – and the keyboard feel is quite good. I was suprised how small it is, but ultimately, that improved it’s usability as a mouse so I am not complaining.

The Freespace loop pointer has very good accuracy and serves as a functional showcase for motion sensing IC’s from Hillcrest Labs. It is the most accuate air mouse I have ever used and feels like a high-tech pointer should. It has an on/off button and it points perfectly. Like all of these pointers it is not absolute, but this mouse retains position awareness after moving it around very well. When you get out of whack, you just push up against one of the sides of the screen – it bcomes a reflex after a while. I have recently done a nice demo where I grab a video on one screen at a desk and drag it over to a large screen TV where a single PC is controlling both screens. After grabbing the window, you can basically stroll around with the left buttion depressed and then swing it onto the second screen, without worrying about where your hands where going in between. It’s a neat way to show the potential of multi-room computing and feels the most “Minority Report” of all of the controllers. Until Kinect for PC comes along and rocks our 10′ interface to Windows & Media Center world, this is about as slick as it gets.

The Gyration (at Amazon) controller is a just a great Media Center remote that has very good air mouse capability and my wife and I tend to use this remote the most and primarily to navigate Hulu which seems to want U/D/L/R and mouse control for easy navigation. This remote is able to employ the Windows Media Center play list so that you can cue music for playback even if your screen is out. It works, and music playback without the TV screen on is really a very nice feature, and it was really the one that drove me to my current undertstanding of the 10′ control problem. The Gyration keyboard also works fine with very good range but it’s not going to win any design awards.

Clearly the Cideko and Freespace solutions are using very recent motion sening tech and the Gyration remote is showing its age – but there still isn’t a better Media Center remote out there that I have seen. Batteries are required for all three and all three have very good battery life. No recharging docs. All of them have exceptional range – I think they are all BlueTooth based. And they each cost about $100. If I had to live with one, the Gyration solution is really priced well and includes a full keyboard. But each of these is very nice and I enjoy using all three.

Freespace Loop Mouse is at the HillCrest Labs Here is there store but otherwise it is scarce . I would buy one now rather than wait.

The Cideko Keyboard is pretty easy to find now and you can get it - direct link – here at Amazon

Youtube – The Dry Ice Inception – Phenom II X6 1090T @ 5.5GHz

The Setup

The Results

5.547GHz Core #1 SS (Couldn’t get a valid at this speed for some reason)

5.5GHz Core #1 Validation

12.844s SuperPi 1m

13m 30.328s SuperPi 32m

4.93s wPrime 32m

Now you guys see what I mean when I didn’t wanna hype it. Only a few results worth sharing. Next run I promise more results!

Oh and there is an all 6 core max OC result in the video that I didn’t SS.

Video will be up soon.

Thought you guys would appreciate some pics

Went to the store today and bought the following:

Dielectric grease to coat the board to prevent condensation from getting at the electronics of this very precious motherboard.

I couldn’t get any moldable eraser, so I though this would do. It said on the package that it was non-drying, non-cracking, and prevented seepage from water. It provides just the perfect seal to prevent condensation.

Dielectric grease applied around the socket and board.

Plumbing putty applied around the socket. Nice and easy.

Picked up my box of goodies from the benchpartner (Addies) today.

The DICE Pot

Ready To Go

Stay tuned guys. After my DICE run tomorrow, I will be posting a massive result thread, and making an HD video of the run.

Hey guys. I did some more tuning, got more results. So I am throwing together my second slushbox blog. To see the first one, click here.

I tried to place my rad in the cooler this time so that the ice covered more surface area. This resulted in idle temps of 0-1C. So i pushed my Phenom II X6 1090T even further.  Here goes my second set of results.

4.806GHz All 6 Cores @ 1.648Vcore 1C idle – Validation

It took me an hour to get this validation. I could only previously validate 4.73GHz. I needed to reposition my rad for better surface area of ice. Then I had to wait for my temperature to drop to 0-1C before I made the final push. I couldn’t get any further without going above 1.648Vcore. Here we have it, 4.806GHz on the slushbox. Can’t wait to see what this can do with DICE.

4.902GHz Core #1 @1.648Vcore 1C idle

I chose 3 of my chips cores for this result, meaning I had to disable 3 in the bios. I had previously tested all 6 individually, and the best clockers were cores #0,#1, and #4. The best of the three was core #1, the one which I decided to push for this screeny.

SuperPi 1M – 4.7GHz @ 1.616Vcore – 14.555 seconds

This is a very fast result. The upper limit for my cpu in 1m. Again, this result only uses three cores. I believe I could improve on this score by tuning my ram a bit more.

SuperPi 32m – 4.608GHz @ 1.616Vcore – 14 minutes, 53.148 seconds

This is the first time I have ever broken 15 minutes in 32m without using dry ice. This score could also be improved through a little ram tuning.

UPDATE: Low Volt Overclocking

I wanted to see how far this thing would go without using insanely high volts. It’s pretty amazing what a little bit of cold can do.

This was my boot speed. 4GHz using only 1.296Vcore. That is stock for these thuban chips.

4.5GHz only requiring 1.44Vcore. These things LOVE cold!

As always, these 1090T’s follow suit with their x4 brethren and respond well to cold. I can’t wait to throw some DICE on these and see how they scale. I’m looking for 5200MHz+.

Thanks for checking out my second session guys. I hope this was interesting. And I also hope to inspire many others to put their Phenom II’s under cold. You will not be disappointed with the results.

So what is really needed for minor work such as converting your video collection to digital format?

A computer meeting the minimum standards of your capture device, the capture device, DVD+/-RW and an external HDD (if you want to carry your movies with you).

The components used for this article were the ASUS N270 NetBook, ADS DVD-ExpressDX2, a Lite-On external DVD-RW and a WD 500GB External HDD. This setup is affordable, extremely portable and flexible.

Working with home videos may necessitate a higher end device and better than bundled software, this example is great for the basics only.

Capturing movies will take some time. The included software may not have a timer option and therefore it may be necessary to be present to stop the video and recording manually.

Below are pictures of the setup and the  process of simple video capture and DVD creation with the included Cap Wiz utility.

First, all hardware needs to be brought together and hooked up.

Decide what unit will be used for working with the capture and begin hooking everything up to it.

Hook up the capture device.

Probably most important, hook up the output device. Here a PSP UMD disk is being converted to DVD format. This is also great for putting downloaded digital content on to DVD.

This NetBook has no DVD drive, necessitating the use for an external unit. An external HDD is also a great addition for moving media to your HTPC or other media device.

Next, go with the flow. The process is fairly simple and all of the tasks are pretty straight forward as far as getting content on the disk.

The initial screen allows setting of the regional video standard.

Next indicate what type of input will be used.

Choosing the destination for the capture is next. You will need to name the file and, if not burning direct to disk, you will need to choose a location for the file.

Probably one of the better features of these types of devices is the ability to save to various formats.

After the initial setup, power up the device that will be outputting original content. You do not begin to play the content, though the directions for the unit say otherwise.

This is the capture screen for the software. From this screen, access to captured videos is available and burning them to disc is also an option. Here the preview is used to access the device output and then one can start to play and record content.

One of the tools of this software is a brightness control that can be very helpful with older videos.

With the direct to disk pop-up, first choose the format and then the location for the file to be burned.

On the final Direct to Disk screen, the name of the movie and chapter length are set, as well as an option for recording time if the exact length of the video is known.

That is about it. Though hardware and the bundled software vary, most stick to basics in line with what is above. If you want to get your movies off of the VHS and more… then this is the only way to do it without breaking the bank. Just remember, if you are a novice you should read plenty of reviews and tailor your purchase to your needs. Many retailers have user reviews of the products that can be very helpful. Just remember, even when a product gets some bad reviews, that does not necessarily indicate that there is something wrong with the product. It is usually a user error…like the user not reading the manual. I always read the manuals as a last resort.

The features of the DX2 capture device are:

Effortlessly Save & Share Memories on DVD or CD
Transfer video from VHS tapes, digital or analog camcorders directly
to DVD or CD*
Real-Time hardware conversion produces the best DVD quality results
Make Movies for your Sony PSP, Apple iPod or Zen Vision!

Features
Capture audio and video via the USB port to your computer hard drive or “Direct to Disc” (C6666D or DVD disc)
Capture video directly to popular video formats; DVD (MPEG-2), SVCD, VCD (MPEG-1), MPEG-4.
Capture directly to Sony PSP video and Apple iPod video formats
Use the Included CapWiz application for easy video capture direct to your desired video compression format
Record to your computer hard drive or “Direct to Disc”
Exclusive Hardware Encoding chip inside DVD Xpress creates the highest quality video without putting extra strain on your PC

The DX2 is available here.

Some of the features of the bundled software (Ulead VideoStudio™ 9 SE DVD) are:
Features and Benefits
• Movie Wizard is ideal for users new to video editing. Select from 30+ theme styles to get started then let auto-editing make the first edits. Have complete movies with only three steps. Use the new auto pan & zoom to help create entertaining photo slideshows.
• VideoStudio Editor is complete with all the powerful tools needed to produce great-looking home movies while using an intuitive, step-by-step workflow. Spend time being creative rather than learning the program.

Full product description: http://www.ulead.com/events/ati/UVS9_FB_SE_DVD_062405.pdf

This is an older version and newer versions usually have more features. I wont complain as it was a bundle.

Do realize that this is a low end model and it is all that I needed. The prices and features are varied as is the bundled software. I would advise reading reviews and comparing features so that you get the device that best meets your needs.

Just as a little side note: Why do I use a NetBook? Portability! I have kids and when we travel, movies keep them happy. With a 160GB HDD, that is a lot of content to keep them happy. Sure you can buy one of those All-in-one 10 inch portable DVD players for $179, but compared to $249 for the netbook (that will allow you to watch streaming content in the hotel, check your e-mail, update your social networking site and the like, in addition to watching stored movies); I just see the DVD player as a waste of money.

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