Re: OT: Server Cabinet
On Wed, 4 May 2011, Joe Greco wrote: If you have a need for a 4-post rack, do not accomplish that by using 2 2-po= st racks. You will likely find that rack rails that are designed for a 4-pos= t rack will not fit. Possibly, though you can usually order "universal" rails to fit tapped-hole racks. It's a hassle, and usually an unaccounted expense. And IME these rails aren't nearly as nice on your hands and sanity as the snap-in rails most server mfrs ship standard. Get an open-frame 4-post rack. It will come unassembled. I'd suggest getting an actual cabinet that you can order unassembled. I'm thinking specifically of the excellent CPI Megaframe cabinets. The only parts that don't knock down are the bases, tops, doors and sides - and you can carry those easily through the door. The uprights and braces are extruded aluminum, and then your actual mounting rails (in square hole, round punched, tapped threads, or any combination) are steel, bolted inside of those. When we closed one datacenter and found we had to scrap 40 of these things (!!!) I took apart four and they all fit inside my normal-sized car. They were very easy to then carry down the winding narrow staircase to my basement. ;) If you're very tight on space inside the room, you can get different door options, or just omit them entirely. This changes your thermal and acoustical management, but I'm guessing you already have some challenges there, if your door is any indication. These CPI cabinets are not cheap, but they are very nice, can be carried through tight/low doorways in lightweight sections, and have considerable load ratings. 2000 pounds I think. All that said, I have removed and disassembled door frames, ceilings, walls, whatever to deal with whatever issues where we couldn't take racks apart or otherwise spend our way through it. This doesn't work so well when you have concrete walls, welded doorframes, or unforgiving landlords. ;) -- Jameel Akari
Re: Power issues at SAVVIS DC3 yesterday?
On Wed, 23 Mar 2011, Christopher Pilkington wrote: We saw multiple 110V power feeds drop simultaneously yesterday at SAVVIS DC3, around 10am EDT. Anyone else have an issue, or is someone just playing with our breakers? We didn't lose any of our 208V. Usually Savvis sends announcement to all datacenter customers when something like this occurs, and posts it on the portal as well. I don't see anything today (but then, we're not in DC3 either.) Definitely open a ticket and hound them for a resolution on it if you didn't get a notification. -- Jameel Akari
Re: What vexes VoIP users?
On Mon, 28 Feb 2011, Leigh Porter wrote: On 28 Feb 2011, at 18:37, valdis.kletni...@vt.edu wrote: On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:29:08 EST, Bret Clark said: On 02/28/2011 01:17 PM, Leigh Porter wrote: VoIP at the last mile is just too niche at the moment. It's for people on this list, not my mother. Baloney...if that was the case, then all these ILEC's wouldn't be whining about POT's lines decreasing exponentially year over year! I do believe that the ILEC's are mostly losing POTS lines to cell phones, not to VoIP. I myself have a cell phone but no POTS service at my home address. On the other hand, I *am* seeing a metric ton of Vonage and Magic Jack ads on TV these days - if VoIP is "too niche", how are those two making any money? It's more cellphones than VoIP or cable provider services, but the latter two are still eating POTS' lunch in the US - even if you don't count something like FiOS where Verizon tears out your copper POTS and moves your line to their ONC. It is quite a different market here. I can get POTS services over the same copper from, I'd say, about 5 different companies. Maybe more, I have not counted. I guess the competition already available on the copper would largely preclude anything but the cheapest VoIP service. Sounds very different indeed. In the US, it's basically "your local Ma Bell derivative, or something not-POTs." Anecodtally, as of this morning we just dropped one of our POTS lines for the cable company's alternative. Cost dropped from $69/mo to $29/mo right there. With say, Verizon POTS you're looking at nearly $30/mo just for dialtone, with everything else (outbound calls, LD, caller ID...) extra. Now there is some added value in real POTS, but it's awfully hard to justify the cost difference. -- Jameel Akari
Re: Want to move to all 208V for server racks
On Thu, 2 Dec 2010, Ingo Flaschberger wrote: I really want to move all newly installed internal and customer racks over to all 208v power instead of 120v. As far as I can remember, I can't remember any server/switch/router or any other equipment that didn't run on 208v AC. (Other than you may need a different cable) Anyone have any experience where some oddball equipment that couldn't do 208v and regret going 208v? We won't have any TDM or SONET equipment, all Ethernet switches, routers and servers. I have control over internal equipment but sometimes customers surprises you. you mean 240V AC 50HZ and move from 120V 60Hz? (or also 50Hz) Probably not; 208V AC here in the US comes from 3-phase distribution systems and is relatively common in datacenters, as well as other commerical and industrial settings. What we've done is to install one 120V, 15A circuit per rack along with the 2x or 4x 208V 30A circuits. There are too many oddball and/or just plain old devices out there to go totally without. Like another commenter mentioned, the prime offender these days are devices with external power bricks or wall-warts; often times they only have NEMA 5-15 plugs so at least there won't be temptation to stick them in 208V receptacles. Assuming you go with IEC C-13 or C-19 receptacles for those 208V circuits, that is. Just be careful on older non-autosensing power supplies where you have to flip a switch to go from 100-120V to 200-240V input, in that you make sure to flip them to begin with, and that you flip them back should you ever mover them back to a 120V circuit. -- Jameel Akari
Re: Cage nuts/rack hw near SAVVIS DC3 (Sterling VA)
Or, you could do what our co-loc does, have a large coffee can with screws, nuts, etc and a few shared screwdrivers in another. On your way in, grab the nuts/screws and a screwdriver, on your way out put unused and extras back in the can. I like this idea better - which is what one of our DCs does for snacks and food. Box of Pop-Tarts, with an honor system can for payment. Partially for the staff, but they put it out in the customer area along with free coffee. Coke machine costs $0.50. There is at least one operator on duty 24/7; if I really needed to I could go knock on the door and have them scrounge up tools and screws. There is a Home Depot a half mile away failing that. This all sounds a little silly compared to the normal datacenter facility issues like power, security, telecomm... but indeed these touches go a long way towards customer satisfaction when you're there for an entire weekend for some big install. Next time we look for new facilities, I know I'll have these in mind. An aside: There is a special place in hell reserved for those who throw out "unneeded" rack hardware. ;) -- Jameel Akari
