LackRack: Ikea server racks for living room datacenters

[p858snake]

Just noticed this in my MAKE:Blog daily email:

 

LackRack: Ikea server racks for living room datacenters

http://blog.makezine.com/800px-LackRack.jpg

 

Need a datacenter rack but don't have one? Never fear, someone figured out that the Ikea "Lack" side tables work perfectly with 19" hardware like Ethernet switches.

 

"

The LackRack is the ultimate, low-cost, high shinyness solution for your modular datacenter-in-the-living-room. Featuring the LACK (side table) from Ikea, the LackRack is an easy-to-implement, exact-fit datacenter building block. It's a little known fact that we have seen Google engineers tinker with Lack tables since way back in 2009.

"

 

The tongue-in-cheek LackRack website offers a number of tips and hints, some of which are (seem?) serious.

[Batman]

Awesome! Ikea hacker has similar stuff

[Dos_Box]

I have one of those tables in the garage! It's so going into the EG office on Monday morning! I could

put a switch and 'other' device in there with the all-in-one printer on top of it

[srochford]

Only downside is that a standard rack mount server is longer than the table but you could easily just use 2 tables.

 

Not sure our network guys would approve - the specs for our cabinets don't seem to allow for Ikea tables instead :-)

[Michael]

Living room datacenters? Makes me laugh some of the ideas people come up with! Remember to buy an appropriate depth of table for your switch

[mjs_mjs]

Damn, i modded my cupboards years back to cope, if only i had known.

[tech_guy]

Hmm, trip hazard with all those cables trailling everywhere and red is so 70s....

[p858snake]

Hmm, trip hazard with all those cables trailling everywhere and red is so 70s....

Red was back in last year or the year before in Australia at least. IKEA do those tables in a wide range of colours based on the link included in the article, and its not hard to sand some wood down and do a custom colour job either.

[MkII]

Haha love it

[m25man]

Only downside is that a standard rack mount server is longer than the table but you could easily just use 2 tables.

 

I have been advised by our senior technical advisor (Interior Furnishings R&D Division - otherwise known as wife) that they do actually have an elongated version of this rack available!

 

Im checking the latest catalog for the relevant part numbers in case I need to establish a cloud computing centre in the lounge.

 

Part No: 401.042.94 includes convenient shelf for heavier server/switches providing extra stability thus avoiding pet injury.

Edited January 23, 2010 by m25man
Update

[denon101]

Ikea designers really do think of everything.......

[p858snake]

I have been advised by our senior technical advisor (Interior Furnishings R&D Division - otherwise known as wife) that they do actually have an elongated version of this rack available!

 

Im checking the latest catalog for the relevant part numbers in case I need to establish a cloud computing centre in the lounge.

 

Part No: 401.042.94 includes convenient shelf for heavier server/switches providing extra stability thus avoiding pet injury.

 

I bet she was pleased when you brought up the topic of shopping at ikea.

 

psst: the link in the first post covers all that >.>

Edited January 23, 2010 by p858snake

[torledo]

Can the server version be fitted with casters ?

[IanT]

I got 2 of them tables

[maniac]

I can quite proudly say I don't have a single item of Ikea furniture in my house.

 

(Argos, yes but so far no Ikea)

[Little-Miss]

Is that picture a photo from an Ikea Catalogue?

[tom_newton]

If only our UTMs weren't so loud... they're the perfect depth! Could repurpose one as a server as well :-/

[torledo]

(Argos, yes but so far no Ikea)

 

isn't that like a factor of 10 worse than having ikea furniture in your house ?

[m25man]

Can the server version be fitted with casters ?

 

Not advised as any sudden movements could result in tea spillage and this could subsequently contribute to system failures, but I belive that felt pads or rubber cups can be fitted to reduce noise and vibration!

[maniac]

isn't that like a factor of 10 worse than having ikea furniture in your house ?

 

I dunno, which is the lesser of the two evils?

[AngryTechnician]

Interesting, but given the legs are only fibreboard and not solid wood, I'd be surprised if the screws didn't pull out eventually if you used anything heavier than a switch.

[dhicks]

Interesting, but given the legs are only fibreboard and not solid wood, I'd be surprised if the screws didn't pull out eventually if you used anything heavier than a switch.

 

Those Lack tables, at £7.50 each or whatever they, are pretty much just cardboard. The design of table is a Parsons Table:

 

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsons_table]Parsons table - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

If you fancy making a more solid version yourself, scaleable to fit any dimension of rack you like:

 

How to Build a Parsons Table: Simple DIY Woodworking Project - Popular Mechanics

 

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't have quite enough space for a portable table saw in my 1-bedroom flat, so I'd be tempted to cheat slightly and buy strips of cut pine for the legs and get some MDF cut to size at the shop for the top.

 

--

David Hicks

[glennda]

I have one of those tables in the garage! It's so going into the EG office on Monday morning! I could

put a switch and 'other' device in there with the all-in-one printer on top of it

 

next year at bett server room in an ikea table!!!!!

[mjs_mjs]

next year at bett server room in an ikea table!!!!!

 

Or be really geeky and build the whole stand from them. Smart may get touchy tho - no touch table it is has to be ikea.

[glennda]

Or be really geeky and build the whole stand from them. Smart may get touchy tho - no touch table it is has to be ikea.

 

cut a 19" rectangle in the top, mount a touch screen monitor underneath and find a program that will do similar things to the smart table, save yourself alot of money!!!