[clug] Server installation questions

[Alex Satrapa]

On 8 Oct 2004, at 14:10, Darren Freeman wrote:

> I'm expecting to install a server based on PC hardware in a 19" rack.
> Most likely an Athlon XP or 64. I haven't done anything this funky
> before.

Cougar computers built several systems for my previous employer - one 
was a 4RU case (for a database server with 8 drives on an Escalade 
RAID), others were 2 RU cases for single-processor machines with 
multiple network cards (big smart Linux routers, with minimal hard 
drive space).

They were all built using Macase cases. The big case had redundant 
power supplies, and IIRC we could detect that one power supply had gone 
bad through lm-sensors (and the loud beeping noise).

However (big caveat), I've had varied quality of build from Cougar - a 
year ago they were really bad, lately they've been better. You might 
want to make it known that you want a particular quality of build (eg: 
you don't want gouges in the cases, you want all PCI cards screwed to 
the cage, and cables routed around fans instead of through them).

The guys at Tech Warehouse Australia will bend over backwards to do the 
right thing by you, but they tend to be dearer (I guess you get what 
you pay for).

> Also I'd like a UPS with Linux support, to run the computer and one
> switch, such that Linux will shut-down cleanly perhaps 5min after power
> is lost. Any advice?

An ATX case can turn itself off - Linux has been able to do this for 
ages. As for the right UPS to use, have a quick read through the 
Linux-UPS HOWTO :)  http://remus.rutgers.edu/~petechen/linux/UPS.html

Have fun!
Alex

"If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we 
can solve them."  --Isaac Asimov
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