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Review: A Dive into Mikrotik's Weird SmartNIC (2022)

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Re: Review: A Dive into Mikrotik's Weird SmartNIC (2022)

#41

Post by crotchfire »

markonen wrote: post #31
Roritharr wrote: post #2

I just bought this the other day to setup a VPN to guard the IPMI interface in a 2U server I could cheaply house in some otherwise unmanaged rackspace. It's a pretty nifty piece of kit, but I still have to get better at understanding RouterOS.

I think the crucial flaw here for the IPMI/BMC access use case is the fact that the card requires the server to be powered on to function. So if you accidentally turn the server off it’s game over for remote access.

Most servers can be configured to always power on after a power failure.

Then all you need is a remotely-operated power outlet, which is pretty standard for colos nowadays. Toggling the power outlet is as good as a human driving out there and poking the stupid ACPI power-on button.

Re: Review: A Dive into Mikrotik's Weird SmartNIC (2022)

#42

Post by crotchfire »

ron0c wrote: post #27
teleforce wrote: post #25

It seems that Jeff already has this SmartNIC tested with CM4 but not the latest RPi 5 new PCIe [1]. RPi 5 set up will make a poor man's high speed multi-port router with in-network computing capability, nice! [1] Raspberry Pi PCIe Database: MikroTik CCR2004-1G-2XS-PCIe: https://pipci.jeffgeerling.com/cards_network/mikrotik-ccr200...

While a cool experiment. I don't understand why you'd use this on a RPi unless your poor-man's server was already the RPi. Isn't that the beauty of this device is it's a router/firewall on a board that takes up 0-U space?

Because Broadcom pays people to spam internet forums with their Raspberry Pi brand.

Incessantly.

Re: Review: A Dive into Mikrotik's Weird SmartNIC (2022)

#44

Post by vetinari »

crotchfire wrote: post #40

I'd love a device like this that was simply a three-port gigabit switch (not a router). With most colos if you ask for a second network drop they make you pay a fee every month, forever. This way I could pay for my custom BMC's network connection once .

You can bridge the ports, if you want. But you would probably want to hide BMC access behind a VPN.

This Mikrotik device has a third port, a 1000Base-T one. That should be plenty for BMC.

Re: Review: A Dive into Mikrotik's Weird SmartNIC (2022)

#45

Post by crotchfire »

vetinari wrote: post #44
crotchfire wrote: post #40

I'd love a device like this that was simply a three-port gigabit switch (not a router). With most colos if you ask for a second network drop they make you pay a fee every month, forever. This way I could pay for my custom BMC's network connection once .

You can bridge the ports, if you want. But you would probably want to hide BMC access behind a VPN. This Mikrotik device has a third port, a 1000Base-T one. That should be plenty for BMC.

I have a custom BMC precisely so that I don't have to hide it behind anything.

I am thinking of using this. But it seems like overkill, and I am not interested in learning RouterOS.

Re: Review: A Dive into Mikrotik's Weird SmartNIC (2022)

#46

Post by vetinari »

crotchfire wrote: post #45
vetinari wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can bridge the ports, if you want. But you would probably want to hide BMC access behind a VPN. This Mikrotik device has a third port, a 1000Base-T one. That should be plenty for BMC.

I have a custom BMC precisely so that I don't have to hide it behind anything. I am thinking of using this. But it seems like overkill, and I am not interested in learning RouterOS.

It is definitely overkill.

RouterOS can be managed using a GUI, with an app called Winbox. It is windows application, but runs fine under wine, arm macs included. You still need to know the concepts, but in a nice clicky way.

Re: Review: A Dive into Mikrotik's Weird SmartNIC (2022)

#47

Post by teleforce »

ron0c wrote: post #27
teleforce wrote: post #25

It seems that Jeff already has this SmartNIC tested with CM4 but not the latest RPi 5 new PCIe [1]. RPi 5 set up will make a poor man's high speed multi-port router with in-network computing capability, nice! [1] Raspberry Pi PCIe Database: MikroTik CCR2004-1G-2XS-PCIe: https://pipci.jeffgeerling.com/cards_network/mikrotik-ccr200...

While a cool experiment. I don't understand why you'd use this on a RPi unless your poor-man's server was already the RPi. Isn't that the beauty of this device is it's a router/firewall on a board that takes up 0-U space?

Normally I don't reply for self-evident answers but the sad sibling's comments make me reply anyway.

RPi is not originally made for industry usages but there are currently many industry that use it for prototyping and even inside real world implementations due to the existing eco-systems for examples drivers, software, and hardware (daughterboards, hats, etc).

In my case I have designed Linux based network training kit with open source software like Quagga and LiSA (Linux switching appliance). It always good to use widely supported hardware like Rasberry Pi, and this Mikrotik NIC is good for data forwarding plane and network acceleration with potential extras like in-network computing and edge processing similar to SmartNIC and Data Processing Unit (DPU).

Apart from training we also have collaborations with China and Australia Radio Astronomy groups and one of the interesting part is to perform e-VLBI. It is nice to have a device in one small appliance (RPi + accelerator) in the remote observatories that cost less than USD300 with much lower power consumption rather than a full blown Xeon based server with accelerator.

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