Building a new server rack (pics and worklog)

[zag]

I'm just building a new server rack so thought it might interest some people to keep a log. I also have a few questions.

 

Its a dell 2420 Poweredge 24u Rack. The idea is to move all current servers virtualized into it over time.

 

 

Equipment list

- 4 x Poweredge R300, 16gb Ram, 500GB hard disk, Xeon cpu

- 4 x Dell Extendable rack mount Rails

- 2 x APC Smart UPS 3000va

- 1 x Dell UPS 1920va

- Dell 1U Keyboard/Video/Mouse

- Dell 1U static equipment shelf

- Netgear GS724T 24 port gigabit switch

- Some cool neon lighting

- Customized server faceplates

 

 

Is there anything I'm missing before I start construction?

Edited May 11, 2012 by zag

[jamesreedersmith]

Tea/Coffee maker!

[sted]

depending on the size of racking a 2nd person

long enough power leads to reach wall sockets

power bars for monitors or anything else not ups powered

captive nuts and bolts for the switch / other gear mounted directly to the uprights

label maker

Edited May 11, 2012 by sted

[timzim]

Put the shelf about 20cm from the top then you can use it to dry your damp trainers and/or keep your pizza warm.

[nicklec]

Your going to run out of memory on those vhosts

[zag]

power bars for monitors or anything else not ups powered

captive nuts and bolts for the switch / other gear mounted directly to the uprights

 

Got a link for those captive nuts from anywhere? Thats the first problem I've come up against, nothing to screw into!!

 

Also need a good looking power bar. The more flashy lights the better

 

Heres first pic before its all built:

 

Edited May 11, 2012 by zag

[sted]

no i just go to the cupboard and take a box (dont work direct for a school work for a support company) but id suspect scewfix do them or failing that ebay lol

[plexer]

M6 Cage Nuts & Bolts (pack of 50)

 

Ben

[jamesfed]

If you have the cash maybe a enviromental monitor (temp/airflow/humidity).

[plexer]

HellermannTyton Rack Snaps

 

Cage Nut Insertion/Removal Tool

 

Ben

[nicholab]

HellermannTyton Rack Snaps

 

Cage Nut Insertion/Removal Tool

 

Ben

 

They are so useful!!

[sted]

They are so useful!!

 

how on earth does that removal tool work i know its a pita getting them out and can end up with sliced fingers when the driver slips

[sonofsanta]

Virtual Insanity: Part One - Lets Get Physical - Blogs - EduGeek.net

 

[pete]

Plasters (or superglue) for when the cage nuts/that unfinished edge you managed to slide your finger across take their tithe of blood.

 

Roll of velcro.

[plexer]

Get some patchgrip for bundling cables fantastic stuff.

 

Ben

[nicholab]

Also it works well to have power on one side of rack and data on another. Colour code your Ethernet cable for different things.

[gshaw]

• More RAM for your vhosts
  
• PDUs coming off the UPS
  
• Environmental monitoring unit
  
• Colour coded cables at the correct length
  
• Dymo labeller
  
• Cable labels, either those little tag ones or sharpmark wrap around type http://www.sharpmark.com/Cable-labels
  
• Double sided velcro for tying up cables
  
• 1U Cable management arms
  

[Mcshammer_dj]

Are the drives hotswap?

[zag]

Are the drives hotswap?

 

No, standard 1 internal 500gb drive in each.

 

I'm figuring since they are virtualised I can just move them to a different machine if they ever fail.

[newpersn]

No, standard 1 internal 500gb drive in each.

 

I'm figuring since they are virtualised I can just move them to a different machine if they ever fail.

 

Wouldnt you need 2 disc over a raid? (if i worded that right)

[gshaw]

Hyper-V or VMware? We run our ESXi hosts on SD cards as the config is so minimal there's no point spending money and power on hard drives. Can't do a sub 50MB install with Hyper-V (yet) though

[zag]

Battery Backup Units are in

 

Damn those things heavy!!

 

[plexer]

Why did you go for the Dell and the APC UPS?

 

Ben

[netmgr001]

it looks like you need to go round the back of the nut and squeeze. I had a removal tool which shipped the hp racks which works from front and is very effective. Still a bit fiddly, but less risk of hurting yourself.

 

another vote for the color coded patch cables, i made the mistake of going down the route of same colored cables, and gave up trying to color code each end afterward.

[DrPerceptron]

If you're clustering stuff, if you can get coloured velcro (or anything to differentiate) that's always handy for seeking out the correct set of cables to unbundled when you need to add/remove any cables to that box.