Datacenter tools?

Thu Jun 3 17:07:10 PDT 2004

Grr. I've had designs to do build and patent something just
like this for a year now. *grumbles*

That's awesome though!

On Thu, 3 Jun 2004, Dave Mack wrote:

> Genie Lift GL-8 with load platform and ladder. Allows one person to 
> rack-mount equipment weighing up to about 400 lbs up to shoulder-height. 
> The integral ladder makes it easy to work at the top of racks or in 
> cable trays. Avoid the "straddle" base - too wide for easy maneuvering 
> in data center aisles. Also, don't believe too much about the maximum 
> claimed height the lift will reach - you can't attach the load platform 
> when the forks are inverted and the bare inverted forks don't provide a 
> horizontal plane for lifting things.
> 
> Takes up about as much floor space as a rack but fits nicely in the 
> "untouchable" zone beside the PDU.
> 
> http://www.genielift.com/ml-series/ml-1-3.asp
> 
> No, I don't work for 'em.
> 
> Dave Mack
> 
> Michael T. Halligan wrote:
> 
> >My ops director has a good-sized chunk of cash in our budget
> >marked aside for "Datacenter tools".  I was wondering what people like
> >to keep on their datacenter for such things.
> >
> >So far, we have : 
> >
> >- Plantronics Industrial noise-canceling phono dual-ear headset,
> >  with connectors for the 3 different types of cell phones our ops
> >  people use, and one portable phone we keep in a cabinet.
> >- Power convertors for the 3 different types of cell phones
> >- anti-static straps in each cabinet
> >- assorted sizes Velcro cable ties, as well as nylon zip ties
> >- 1 APC Environmental Monitoring Unit in each cabinet
> >- 1 Laptop in each cabinet with serial connections and adapters for
> >  3 different types of serial connections
> >- Ethereal & Minicom installed, as well as a web browser
> >- Patch panel for laptop with 3 network connections (one for each
> >  subnet)
> >- Assorted tools (punchdown, cable cutters, screwdrivers, wrenches (for
> >  adjusting cabinets), several paper-clips (APCs have very tiny reset
> >  buttons if they trip)
> >- Roll of quarters for vending machine
> >- One cold-spare for every classification of server, including load
> >  balancers, switches, firewalls
> >- 4U chatsworth locking drawers in every cabinet to keep spare parts and
> >- Cold spares for anything that we could imagine will break (CPU,
> >  memory, different sizes of hot-swap drives, raid cards, PDUs (very
> >  helpful, just had a PDU fail on us yesterday), GBICs,  we've even got a spare
> >  1U USR tray of fans in case one of ours fails. 
> >- Paper & pens
> >- 2 Label makers, with extra tape
> >- Post-its
> >- Multimeter
> >- Extra cables of all types (serial, scsi, cat5, cat5 crossover)
> >- Power tester
> >- Ethernet link checker
> >- Floor panel lifters
> >- Foldup nylon chair
> >- 2 Keyboards & Mice (less important since our datacenter provides
> >  rolling carts)
> >
> >It sounds a bit cluttered, but we have 2 cabinets dedicated for testing
> >environment and management tools, and production in other cabinets,
> >eventually we'll have 2 cabinets solely for testing, and one for
> >management).
> >
> >We've tried to make everything as remotely manageable a possible.
> >Everything sits on a remote serial console, as well as a remote
> >reboot switch. Our datacenter has a staffed 24x7 NOC that will change
> >tapes, sit down at a terminal to read errors and type commands, as well
> >as reboot boxes.
> >
> >We've also made everything redundant as possible, having everything
> >that's not using our clustering utilities have a hot-spare (vrrp for
> >network gear, LVS for servers).  We've also setup automatic rebuild
> >scripts for all of our servers, so we can kickstart or systemimage
> >through a serial console.
> >
> >My goal is to eliminate trips to the dc as much as possible, but making 
> >sure we have every tool we need in case of any unforseen failure.
> >
> >Some of the proposed new tools have been :
> >
> > - 1 AXIS network camera per cabinet (the kind that pan, so we can
> >   potentially look at blinkys, as well as who's accessing)
> > - Fluke network debuggers
> > 
> >
> >Does anybody else have any other good ideas for tools to keep in the datacenter?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  
> >
> 
> 

-- 
-------------------
Michael T. Halligan
Chief Geek
Halligan Infrastructure Designs.
http://www.halligan.org/
3158 Mission St. #3
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 724.7998 - Mobile