Off Topic - Dell PowerEdge Rack Systems

Yahoo Archive
1
I would agree with Greg on his points, but would also add it depends on how much room you have for future expansion and how well someone maintains the rack. Sliding rails are very nice, cable management needs space like Greg indicated - so that can become a problem when you fill up the rack or attempt to group servers. We use metered and managed PDU's, some models have SNMP for remote monitoring. Extra wide or extra deep racks are nice but it depends on your location, they can create more problems down the road by making the area tight to work in/around. Rackmount KVM's can be helpful but seem to be expensive when compared to RDP or various remote KVM solutions.

Always get rack mount UPS's and leave space for additional battery packs and/or UPS's. Label all power and network cables (both ends). Do it right the first time, don't put something in quickly and say I will fix the wiring later - later never happens.

Tim Lester

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Winter, Patrick" <pjw@...> wrote:
>
> Looking at a 4220 42U Server Rack from Dell. Starting with a UPS and
> couple of servers.
>
> What type of PDU (Power Distribution Unit) did you go with? Metered,
> Managed, Temp Sensors, or Just Power Strip, etc?
>
> Are the wide or extra deep racks of any value?
>
> Sliding Rails, cable management add on stuff? Were they worth it?
>
> Is a Rackmount Console KVM Switch with 17" LCD worth adding?
>
> What did you like? What would you do different?
>
>
>
> Patrick Winter
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
2
Looking at a 4220 42U Server Rack from Dell. Starting with a UPS and
couple of servers.

What type of PDU (Power Distribution Unit) did you go with? Metered,
Managed, Temp Sensors, or Just Power Strip, etc?

Are the wide or extra deep racks of any value?

Sliding Rails, cable management add on stuff? Were they worth it?

Is a Rackmount Console KVM Switch with 17" LCD worth adding?

What did you like? What would you do different?



Patrick Winter



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
3
Patrick,

The Dell rack is a nice one, I had one at my last job. We had TrippLite Smart UPS/ with auxiliary batteries, Two per rack each on its own dedicated circuit. Each UPS had eight outlets and were expanded with a six outlet 1U power strip mounted to the back of the rack behind the auxiliary battery. This allowed the redundant power supplies to be separated, but this also cost 16U at the bottom of the rack. I personally liked the sliding rails w/ cable management arms, but would recommend leaving a 1U space between all servers if using them because they tend to get hung up on each other. I preferred being able to work on the server without having to unhook everything first. The wide racks are nice to be able to add cable management conduits and vertical PDU's without blocking access to the back of the server. If there is room in the server room to have a desk next to the server rack where you can have a standard keyboard/mouse and monitor I would recommend that instead of the console. This comes from a comfort/ease of use and ease of maintenance aspect. I find it easier to use a mouse compared to a track ball or touch pad. I personally had a 19" LCD console because there was no room and when the built in keyboard died it was not fun to work with until the replacement came in. The comfort aspect is that I find it preferable to have the monitor at or slightly above eye level, but then this move the keyboard to a very uncomfortable height when it is attached to the monitor. If space is an issue I would go for a rack mountable LCD (8-10U) and a separate keyboard drawer (1U) for the improved ergonomics. If spacing servers out in the rack use block off plates to keep your cool side air going through the servers and not between them. KVM's and switches are shallow enough that they can occupy the same 1U KVM on the front and switch in the back, I preferred to have a switch per rack with a LAG going to a distribution switch in the network rack. The server switches were managed switches with redundant power supplies. The shop switch, office switch, and phone switch located in the two post network rack were also connected to the distribution switch via LAG's. Our policy was also once a UPS reported 75% capacity that nothing more was to be added. With the two UPS per rack setup that allowed between 8-12 servers per rack plus other devices (switches, KVM's , etc...)

Gregory Rodzewicz
Developer
Norgren Automation Solutions

Direct Dial: (734) 429 8946
Email: grodzewicz@...
Web: www.norgrenauto.com

1325 Woodland Drive, Saline, MI 48176 | 2871 Bond Street, Rochester Hills, MI, 48309

NORGREN - WE DELIVER ENGINEERING ADVANTAGE

From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Winter, Patrick
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 9:37 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Off Topic - Dell PowerEdge Rack Systems



Looking at a 4220 42U Server Rack from Dell. Starting with a UPS and
couple of servers.

What type of PDU (Power Distribution Unit) did you go with? Metered,
Managed, Temp Sensors, or Just Power Strip, etc?

Are the wide or extra deep racks of any value?

Sliding Rails, cable management add on stuff? Were they worth it?

Is a Rackmount Console KVM Switch with 17" LCD worth adding?

What did you like? What would you do different?

Patrick Winter

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


________________________________
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE - This e-mail transmission and any accompanying documents contain information belonging to the sender which may be confidential and legally privileged. This information is intended only for the use of the person to whom this e-mail transmission was sent as indicated above. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of the information contained in this transmission is strictly prohibited. Any commodities, technology or software exported in this e-mail are being exported from the United States in accordance with export administration regulations, diversion contrary to USA law is prohibited.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
4
Thanks Greg, I was thinking dropping the Console KVM Switch, for now
the money will be well spent elsewhere.



Patrick Winter



From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Rodzewicz, Greg
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 10:25 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] RE: Off Topic - Dell PowerEdge Rack Systems





Patrick,

The Dell rack is a nice one, I had one at my last job. We had TrippLite
Smart UPS/ with auxiliary batteries, Two per rack each on its own
dedicated circuit. Each UPS had eight outlets and were expanded with a
six outlet 1U power strip mounted to the back of the rack behind the
auxiliary battery. This allowed the redundant power supplies to be
separated, but this also cost 16U at the bottom of the rack. I
personally liked the sliding rails w/ cable management arms, but would
recommend leaving a 1U space between all servers if using them because
they tend to get hung up on each other. I preferred being able to work
on the server without having to unhook everything first. The wide racks
are nice to be able to add cable management conduits and vertical PDU's
without blocking access to the back of the server. If there is room in
the server room to have a desk next to the server rack where you can
have a standard keyboard/mouse and monitor I would recommend that
instead of the cons ole. This comes from a comfort/ease of use and ease
of maintenance aspect. I find it easier to use a mouse compared to a
track ball or touch pad. I personally had a 19" LCD console because
there was no room and when the built in keyboard died it was not fun to
work with until the replacement came in. The comfort aspect is that I
find it preferable to have the monitor at or slightly above eye level,
but then this move the keyboard to a very uncomfortable height when it
is attached to the monitor. If space is an issue I would go for a rack
mountable LCD (8-10U) and a separate keyboard drawer (1U) for the
improved ergonomics. If spacing servers out in the rack use block off
plates to keep your cool side air going through the servers and not
between them. KVM's and switches are shallow enough that they can occupy
the same 1U KVM on the front and switch in the back, I preferred to have
a switch per rack with a LAG going to a distribution switch in the
network rack. The serve r switches were managed switches with redundant
power supplies. The shop switch, office switch, and phone switch located
in the two post network rack were also connected to the distribution
switch via LAG's. Our policy was also once a UPS reported 75% capacity
that nothing more was to be added. With the two UPS per rack setup that
allowed between 8-12 servers per rack plus other devices (switches,
KVM's , etc...)

Gregory Rodzewicz
Developer
Norgren Automation Solutions

Direct Dial: (734) 429 8946
Email: grodzewicz@... <mailto:grodzewicz%40norgrenauto.com>
Web: www.norgrenauto.com

1325 Woodland Drive, Saline, MI 48176 | 2871 Bond Street, Rochester
Hills, MI, 48309

NORGREN - WE DELIVER ENGINEERING ADVANTAGE

From: vantage@yahoogroups.com <mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com>
[mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com <mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com> ] On
Behalf Of Winter, Patrick
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 9:37 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com <mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [Vantage] Off Topic - Dell PowerEdge Rack Systems

Looking at a 4220 42U Server Rack from Dell. Starting with a UPS and
couple of servers.

What type of PDU (Power Distribution Unit) did you go with? Metered,
Managed, Temp Sensors, or Just Power Strip, etc?

Are the wide or extra deep racks of any value?

Sliding Rails, cable management add on stuff? Were they worth it?

Is a Rackmount Console KVM Switch with 17" LCD worth adding?

What did you like? What would you do different?

Patrick Winter

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

________________________________
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE - This e-mail transmission and any accompanying
documents contain information belonging to the sender which may be
confidential and legally privileged. This information is intended only
for the use of the person to whom this e-mail transmission was sent as
indicated above. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure,
copying, distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of
the information contained in this transmission is strictly prohibited.
Any commodities, technology or software exported in this e-mail are
being exported from the United States in accordance with export
administration regulations, diversion contrary to USA law is prohibited.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]