Re: [SAGE] x86 server manufacturers, Linux friendly?

[Jeff Kellem <composer@Beyond.Dreams.ORG>]

On the sage-members mailing list, Michael T. Halligan wrote . . .
 > On Wed, 18 Aug 2004, Doug Hughes wrote:
 > > rackable.com has the most complete non-encumbered Lights Out Management
 > > interface I've seen on x86 to date.
 > 
 > Not having java sounds nice, unfortunately from the number of failed
 > rackables servers I've seen at my datacenter, and the fact that a recent
 > large rackables installation at the colo center I'm at is apparently
 > completly being replaced with other servers due to a very high failure rate
 > makes me nervous about them.. 

I'll second recommending Rackable Systems (http://www.rackable.com/).
We deal in the thousands with them.  They'll build what you want.  So,
if you choose poor components, you'll likely have more failures, of
course.  And, since you're dealing with commodity components, there's
always some level of failure, alas.  We've had good experience with
Rackable.

The serial console stuff is nice and useful.  Though, I'm biased, since
we were sort of responsible for it.  You get power on/off, hardware reset,
temperature, etc., all from the RJ45 serial port.  Once a server is plugged
in, the NOC can power it on remotely to start the configuration process.

Other features I like:

  - 1U, less than half depth.  so, you can put servers back to back.
  - chimney effect cooling
  - power mating brackets, so you have power cords mounted in the middle
    of the rack.  sliding in the the server causes it to get plugged into
    power.
  - thumb screws
  - LCD and LED, controllable from the serial console as long as the server
    is plugged into power.

A product differentiator for them is:

http://www.rackable.com/products/scaleout.htm

though that's probably not what you're looking for, given the details
mentioned here.

Just another opinion.  Rackable is great for dealing with large companies
that know what they want.

		    -jeff
-- 
Jeff Kellem
composer@Beyond.Dreams.ORG