Re: Suggested racks

[DrFranken <midrange@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I like the IBM 42U Racks let's start with that.

  1) SOLID.
  2) Never an issue with space for cables even paths front to back.
  3) Doors come off and go on EASILY.
  4) PDU pockets in each side x2.
	Subnote we have placed Network Switches in those and at one customer a KVM.
  5) You can remove side panels and bolt 'em together rather easily.
  6) Locking kits are available.

  a) They are 'round hole' so you do occasionally find non-IBM 
equipment that is difficult to mount.
  b) Thy rails are fixed.

The BEST setup I've seen are racks from Great Lakes 
(werackyourworld.com) I believe their ES Server enclosure family.

  1) Solid rack.
  2) Many height and width and depth options up to 91" High!
  3) Adjustable rails with detents so they are correctly vertical.
  4) Many PDU options.

	The coolest PDU setup was both on the right in parallel so all power on 
one side. WIth many IBM Drawers that customer had the power connectors 
were all on that side as well so many power cables were only 6 inches to 
1 ft.  PDUs actually could be slide vertically and had various outlet 
options include the C13 and C15 style.

Personally not liking cool from the floor much any more and preferring 
Hot aisle cold aisle setup. Secnd best is cold from the ceiling.

        - Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis

www.Frankeni.com
www.iDevCloud.com - Personal Development IBM i timeshare service.
www.iInTheCloud.com - Commercial IBM i Cloud Hosting.

On 1/10/2020 10:05 AM, Rob Berendt wrote:
> We're in the process of moving one of our data centers from an internal location to another colocation facility.  As part of this move I am thinking of dumping our IBM racks.  Right now we have a mix of 9308's and 7014/7015/7017's.  First of all I like the 42U racks over the 38U racks as the taller racks approach the overhead cabling management better.  That, and the overhead grounding straps actually reach.
> Another problem I have with our existing racks is that it is strongly recommended that you leave the doors attached instead of removing them as we often do.  With our existing IBM racks there is almost no room between the front door and the equipment within.  You could not leave a USB stick in the HMC (which we're dumping for vHMC) and shut the door.  This causes an issue with the cooling which blows up from the floor vents.  I'm hoping for something deeper which is open on the floor so that cooling air can flow better.  With the IBM racks we end up removing the anti-tip plates as they block airflow.
> I walked around the first co-lo we are using and I really think we're the only ones there using IBM racks.  They are just a bad fit for such a facility.
> I failed to record rack models from other people while there.  One, I just get this impression that if you linger in front of someone else's junk they don't like it.  And I probably could maybe glean the rack manufacturer but not the model any way.
>
> What do you suggest for racks?
>
> Rob Berendt
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