Re: Does a System i require a proprietary rack?

Approx 2 years ago I went thru a 525 install in what was described as "standard" rack (not IBM). 525 had a main unit and an expansion unit, plus a LT04-2U tape library (forget the number). We had to order a special kit to get stuff to fit in the standard rack. This rack had front & back locking doors, so nothing could hang out.
There is a requirement for certain amount of air space around certain units , so if you follow IBM's recommendations, you cannot just count the "U's". Also the heavy parts must be in the base of the rack, and the rack substantial enough to support things like the expansion unit full of drives pulled out on it's sliders to full extension, and not have the rack fall on top of whomever pulled the drawer.
We later moved it all to another data center, with generic racks, and had problems getting all the stuff in, and had to permanently remove the rear door.
There are others on this list who regularly install who will have a better recommendation, but that was my experience. I will say I've seen enough to know some racks are less "standard" than others, and some are just cheap cr*p.
Jim Franz

----- Original Message ----- From: "James Rich" <james@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "midrange-l" <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2009 5:19 PM
Subject: Does a System i require a proprietary rack?

Folks,

I'm trying to configure a new System i for a customer. They want a rack
mount configuration as they already have a rack with plenty of space. I
just got off the phone with our BP and he claims that both the System i
and System p require special, IBM proprietary racks. This adds
considerable cost to the configuration and seems completely unnecessary to
me since they already have a rack with ample space. Does the System i
require special racks?

(Hoping I am getting the name right of the system formerly known as
AS/400)

James Rich

if you want to understand why that is, there are many good books on
the design of operating systems. please pass them along to redmond
when you're done reading them :)
- Paul Davis on ardour-dev
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