[ale] 1U server question

[Greg Freemyer]

Jim,

I don't think most 1u machines are much different from regular
rackmount machines.  It is the Blade Servers that get very different.

So your 1u machine should have KVM connectors (Keyboard / Video /
Mouse).  Then I normally see those connected up to a KVM switch.  Not
sure how that would work in CoLo, but I think some of them have KVM
setups on a roll-around cart.  You just borrow the cart and plug in
the KVM stuff when you need to do onsite maintenance.

The next step up (on HP/Compaq equipment at least) is to get a remote
admin card added to the server.  The remote admin card has its own
NIC.  You set it up however you want the IP logic to work.  ie. You
would configure it for DHCP or static IP, etc. as a one time thing
when you first install the server.  Then the setup is saved in NVRAM
for future boots.

The nice thing about the remote admin feature is you can typically
control power to the main MB via the remote admin.  So from your house
(etc.) you can connect to the admin port and cycle power even if the
main CPU is totally locked up.

Greg

On 10/24/07, Jim Lynch <ale_nospam at fayettedigital.com> wrote:
> I'm toying with the idea of putting in a small system in a colocation
> site and was looking at 1U servers.  I've not worked with these before
> and haven't quite figured out how you initially boot them.  None of
> them, that I've looked at, mention a serial port which was what I
> thought one might use to communicate with the bios.  One did have a
> statement like "lan only" under "Remote management" which I'm assuming
> is how you'd access it.
>
> But, how would that work?  I could see if it were a dhcp client it could
> get an ip address, but then you'd have to guess what it is.  Also it
> wouldn't make sense to assume dhcp 'cause once you got it in the colo
> site, you couldn't be assured that there was a dhcp server nor would you
> be able to connect to it.
>
> Anyway, before I spend $$ on something, I think I need to know how these
> things work.
>
> Anyone?
>
> Thanks,
> Jim.
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-- 
Greg Freemyer
Litigation Triage Solutions Specialist
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregfreemyer

The Norcross Group
The Intersection of Evidence & Technology
http://www.norcrossgroup.com