[conspire] gigabit for linux?

[Tom Macke]

Hi,

I want to make an upgrad to my little home Linux cluster that is

	1. a little too ambitious for someone with my level of Linux
	system chops
	2. a bit involved to expect to do at an install fest.

Here's the scoop:

I have 4 CPU cluster 2 750MHz laptops, 1 750Mhz tower and one 2.26GHz
tower on one of those 8 port 10/100 Base/T cable/router/switches.

The 2.26GHz has a 120GB disk nfs mounted to the to the other 3 and does
double duty for MPI jobs as both boss (node-0) and a worker.

I use this "cluster" (pushing it I know) to develop codes that are used to
search Genbank for RNA 2d structures.  Genbank is big (90GB and growing)
and while none of the 3 750Mhz nodes can consume data at 100Mbps speed,
the 3 of them taken together can consume data faster than the 100Mbps the
nfs server can send to the switch.

So, what I want to do is:

1. Get a new 2+GHz box and install in my n/w (No problem here)
2. Convert that 750MHz tower box to a gigabit server.  The plan would
   be to move that 120GB drive from the 2.26GHz box (will still have an 
   80GB) and add another such driver so that there were 2*120GB on hda and
   hdc.  Plus add a gigabit card, etc, etc.  And this is what I know I'm
   not ready to do by myself.

Any suggestions?  My consulting budget is not large, buts its not zero
either, especially if I could help and thus learn a bit more of this 
stuff

thanks, 
tom