Tower server in a rack...

[Koldov]

After a recent thread relating to moving our servers from their own room and into the main core switch room

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/hardware/221959-looking-set-wheels-not-car.html

 

(which is also our main electricity distribution board room) and following a discussion with SLT and the site agent, it seems that there is the possibility for us to follow the suggestion by @pete and purchase a rack of sorts to house the servers.

 

Not particularly for security or anything as they are in a locked room, but to protect them for the rare occasion a workman might need to be in there.

 

And who knows... one day I might be able to redo all our servers into rack format...

 

Obviously as tower servers they are a pair of beasts (the largest being Hx441mm, Wx274mm, Dx621mm and weighing 35kg), so I guess I'd be looking at 12u Wx600mm and Dx800mm (although I could possibly get away with 10u and Dx700mm - that's just not going to happen)...?

 

I'd rather not go to the added expense of getting tower > rack conversion kits, so just sitting at the bottom of the rack would be fine (if there was enough ventilation - although 99% of the time I intend to go doors off anyway) I might try with the UPS in there as well but don't really want to add to heat/weight..

 

I guess they're all the same roughly, but something like these?

 

https://attock.co.uk/product/allrack-12u-floor-standing-cabinet-600mm-wide-x-800mm-deep/

 

https://www.comms-express.com/products/prism-pi-12u-600mm-wide-x-800mm-deep-data-cabinet/?Black

 

https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/products/30594-lms-data-cab-fe-12u-68na/

 

https://www.rackcabinets.co.uk/collections/12u-cabinets/products/12u-free-standing-data-cabinet-600-x-800?variant=16599293395016

 

https://www.netbit.biz/products/12u-600x800-19-floor-standing-data-rack-valucab

 

I like the ones that seem to have a floor but with the option to open the bottom panel in the middle. I also would need to know if the two bars that run across the floor are welded in place and what distance apart they are, because it looks like the servers will have to sit on these.

 

Or possibly some sort of pull pull out shelf, but with both servers on I doubt one would take nearly 70kg!

 

Never having done this before I'm finding it a little difficult to get a feel for it from photos...

[robyholmes]

Watch your air flow, if you want to keep the sides and glass on (Which will keep dust etc down) then allow more room. I'd go 800x800 at least with a heavy duty shelf to support the weight you need.

[Boredguy]

800 deep is a goodsend, if I had the room and was getting a new one, I'd even get a 1000 deep one as it's quite tight at the rear with all the cables at times (thankfully we don't have the door on the back.

 

You can put a shelf in to put your server on, which can double as a monitor/keyboard shelf when you replace the towers for rackmounts

[Davit2005]

If you have access to the back of the server or could pull it out on wheels you wouldn't need to bother about having a server that is on sliding rails either. You could look at getting some generic server rails, basically adjustable shelves, but bear in mind weight of the server when pulling out on a sliding tray or rails that this will not cause the rack to tip forwards. And also to make sure that cables do not get trapped when pushing the servers back into place.

[Boredguy]

bear in mind weight of the server when pulling out on a sliding tray or rails that this will not cause the rack to tip forwards.

This is important. the full height racks often have an option for a pull-out stabilising foot for this reason, which the smaller/wheeled versions might not have.

[Michael]

Most native rack mount servers required 1000 deep these days, as I suspect eventually those desktop servers will someday be replaced... and likewise batteries are another consideration - standalone vs rack.

 

Also better for airflow and really there aren't any disadvantages. Easily the best use of space and keeps everything off the floor!

[msi_school]

I agree 800 deep at the minimum, a rack can last a lot longer than the server in it and you might be cursing in a few years time if the rack is too shallow. I would also recommend cable management arms, they will save a lot of frustration and heartache.

[Koldov]

Thanks all!

 

Some good advice here.

 

Having trouble finding a sliding shelf that states it will hold 70kg (not sure I'll need to pull them out though - can't remember the last time I looked inside one - really must do that when I move them and have a can of air handy I guess) but the trolley is on wheels so I can get to the back ok.

 

Also I'm presuming the upright rails unbolt so I can use most of the width, but does anybody know how far apart the two floor bars are?

 

[Michael]

To be honest you shouldn't need a sliding shelf, just a static shelf on all 4 columns. I presume the drives are front accessible?

 

Other than the original install, it's rare there's a need to slide a rackmount server out. I think the last time was to install a dual 10Gb network card!

[Koldov]

To be honest you shouldn't need a sliding shelf, just a static shelf on all 4 columns. I presume the drives are front accessible?

 

Other than the original install, it's rare there's a need to slide a rackmount server out. I think the last time was to install a dual 10Gb network card!

 

Yeah that's what I thought (but as it had been mentioned I thought I'd check), even if it did double as a keyboard shelf eventually, the rack is only 12u so not going to be very comfortable using that!

 

As the servers are really old now I had upgraded the oldest - doubled the RAM and added a second CPU - but other than that I haven't looked inside them for years.

 

Yes the drives are accessible from the front.

 

I'm actually hoping to just sit them on the bottom of the rack. This one seems to actually have a floor, but with a couple of sturdy cross beams:

 

https://www.123racks.co.uk/shop/product/12u-600x800-allrack-rack-mount-data-rack-comms-cabinet-server-enclosure-cab126x8/

 

As opposed to this style that doesn't seem to have a floor:

 

https://www.dcdi.co.uk/prism-pi-range-19-data-cabinet?model=P812680