Re: [tlug] Rack Server Suggestions

[Jonathan Q <jq@example.com>]

GIC MLs (lists@example.com) wrote:

> Hmm... a bit more expensive than I was expecting.

1U (and 2U) rack cases are expensive.  4U ones aren't cheap
either, but like the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
Any quality case will be expensive, and rack cases have to 
distribute the fixed costs over a lower unit volume.

Plat'home tends to seem expensive, but keep in mind that they are
selling a lot of higher-end hardware that is intended for server use.
Since a server is what you're building here, it's a good place
to look.

> I have never dealt with one of these beasts before... do they require
> special hardware that fits the 1U size?

You need a  motherboard that has video and (if required), LAN,
SCSI on the board, because of course you cannot put any expansion
cards in a 1U box.  Intel server boards are quite nice.

Air flow/ventilation is an important point with 1U cases, because everything
is crammed into a tight space.  Pay close attention to the fans: where are
they and how many are there?  Consider the air flow with a pair of disks
in it. Do the disks block air circulation through the case, or is there still
good flow? There will be very little clearance between the top of the
CPU heatsink/fan and the case lid, so be sure there is good air flow in
the CPU area as well as over the disks.  This, of course, requires knowing
what motherboard you plan to put in, so look at a couple of good motherboards
and visualize how they will fit in the case.

Athlons run hot, so I would go with an Intel chip in a 1U case.

What do you plan to do for backup? If you want an internal backup device,
you might want to take a look at a 2U case instead.

Unless you're paying per U for rack space, you might also want to 
look at 4U cases.  You'll (usually) get more drive bays and better
air flow at a price not much different from a 2U (or even a good
1U).  Then you have no worries about running a pair of nice fast
Athlons with humongous heatsinks on them :-)

Jonathan