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OmniCluster’s SlotServer 1000: National Semiconductor Geode in a PCI Server Card

The 2001 OmniCluster SlotServer 1000 put a Geode-powered x86-compatible server on a PCI card. Contemporary reporting confirms the processor connection, but not a formal partnership with National Semiconductor.
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OmniCluster Technologies’ SlotServer 1000 was a compact x86-compatible server built as a half-length PCI card, and a contemporaneous report says it used a National Semiconductor Geode processor. The available records establish that product connection, not a formal partnership between the two companies. Nor was the SlotServer 1000 a conventional server blade installed in a blade chassis.

Did National Semiconductor and OmniCluster actually partner?

The documented link is that OmniCluster’s SlotServer 1000 used a Geode processor from National Semiconductor. Golem.de reported that specification in its 2 October 2001 coverage of the card: Golem.de’s SlotServer 1000 report. LWN’s contemporaneous conference roundup separately noted the product launch at ISPCON, but does not establish a corporate alliance: LWN’s ISPCON roundup.

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That makes “join forces” an overstatement if it is meant to imply a formal agreement, joint venture, or co-developed product. The sources establish a processor used in an OmniCluster product and its launch context; they do not document the terms or existence of a broader National Semiconductor–OmniCluster partnership.

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What was the SlotServer 1000?

It was an autonomous x86-compatible server implemented as a half-length PCI 2.1 plug-in card. The card drew power from the host computer, but operated as its own server rather than simply adding processing capacity to the host’s operating system. Golem.de described network, storage, graphics, audio, and USB interfaces, alongside a National Semiconductor Geode processor and 32–256 MB of SO-DIMM memory.

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The concept let an existing server or computer host another independent server on an expansion card. It was physically a PCI card, however—not a server blade designed to slide into a shared blade enclosure. The difference matters: the SlotServer used a host PCI slot and host power, while the phrase “server blade” commonly refers to a separate server module designed for a purpose-built chassis.

What did it cost, and can you still buy one?

Golem.de reported a price of approximately US$500 per board in 2001, varying with memory configuration. That is a historical reported price, not a current listing or a present-day estimate. The available records do not establish current availability, so there is no basis here to say that a SlotServer 1000 can still be purchased.

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A Google Patents record lists Omnicluster Technologies, Inc. in connection with a modular small-network architecture patent record, but that corporate or technical record does not establish a current product supply or sales channel: Google Patents record.

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What the historical record supports

  • OmniCluster developed and launched the SlotServer 1000 in the 2001 ISPCON context.
  • The product was a half-length PCI 2.1 server card, not a conventional blade for a blade chassis.
  • Golem.de reported that it used a National Semiconductor Geode processor and 32–256 MB of SO-DIMM memory.
  • The record supports a product-level use of Geode technology, but does not prove a formal alliance between the companies.
  • The approximately US$500 price and any availability claim belong to the 2001 reporting context; current availability is not established.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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