Tau

tau is the node which physically keeps the user files (the /home partition) which is exported via NFS to all the other nodes; it is the only node with two disks mounted in a RAID-1 configuration instead of a single one. It is never powered off.

It also has serial connections to the APC UPS as well as the Cisco Catalyst switch for the Door rack. It also has a monitor and keyboard available in the EA D02 room.

Also all software installation and updating takes place only on this node; all other nodes are cloned from it.