[clug] Fwd: Re: remote power cycling many machines

[Robert Edwards]

(re-posting - sorry forgot to include list...)

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Re: [clug] remote power cycling many machines
Date: Sun, 5 Apr 2020 07:27:16 +1000
From: Robert Edwards <bob at cs.anu.edu.au>
To: David C <cottrill.david at gmail.com>

On 4/4/20 8:27 pm, David C wrote:
> Hi Bob,
> For now:
> Set up automation (eg: Ansible) to ping at layer 7, then morph into 
> control as it all comes together. Works with literally everything if you 
> do it right.
> 
> For later:
> Ethernet controlled powerboard. APC are hard to beat (I tried).
> 
> David
> 

Thanks David.

We use Saltstack on servers we manage, but most of these machines in
offices are "self-managed" and I can't install anything on them, not
that it would help if they froze...

We have some APC kit in our machine rooms (sorry, I mean data centres).
I could make a case for purchasing a whole lot more...

cheers,
Bob Edwards.

> 
> On Sat, 4 Apr 2020, 8:17 pm Robert Edwards via linux, 
> <linux at lists.samba.org <mailto:linux at lists.samba.org>> wrote:
> 
>     Hi all,
> 
>     Hope you are all keeping safe and healthy.
> 
>     During these strange times, I find myself responsible for a larger
>     than expected cohort of random machines spread across multiple
>     buildings in various peoples offices, which they are no longer
>     permitted physical access to.
> 
>     These machines have been left running but seem to randomly need to
>     be power cycled for various reasons - some are running 'doze and
>     others, running Linux, seem to get randomly shutdown by various
>     remote users for whatever reason.
> 
>     Many of the servers in machine rooms that I am responsible for
>     have various forms of Lights Out Management (LOM), such as iDRAC
>     or BMC etc., so can be remotely managed, as required (generally
>     don't need it, though).
> 
>     So, for this vast array of random machines in offices, I have been
>     researching various generic options for LOM and/or remote power
>     control.
> 
>     There used to be some PCI cards that could do much of this (eg.
>     https://www.startech.com/support/SV1110IPPCI) but seem to be largely
>     discontinued. These days Remote KVM over IP seems to be the
>     preferred option, but generally has no provision for power
>     control/cycling.
> 
>     There are instructions on the web to set up, eg., a RaspPi to do
>     this, but making up 20 or more seems like a big job (eg.
>     https://github.com/Fmstrat/diy-ipmi).
> 
>     I could go for "smart" power-boards, but need a wired way to
>     control them (I don't want to rely on WiFi or other wireless
>     technologies).
> 
>     What have others tried/can recommend?
> 
>     cheers,
>     Bob Edwards
> 
>     -- 
>     linux mailing list
>     linux at lists.samba.org <mailto:linux at lists.samba.org>
>     https://lists.samba.org/mailman/listinfo/linux
>