servers Show us your Servers - 2014 Edition

[Chasethebase Reporter]

Welcome to the server photos thread. In this thread you may post pics of your server.

Please be mindful of our members on dial-up and try to keep the dimensions of the pics and the size of the files to a respectable size for 1024 x 768 viewers. Please refrain from quoting images in your replies.

I will also ask that you link to images on your own space, as much as possible.

The usual forum rules also apply.

The last thread can be found here.

[+LogicalApex MVC]

Looks like I'll add the first submission. I have never added a picture of my server setup at home to Neowin before, but I'll add on now.

 

[+LogicalApex MVC]

At risk of spamming the thread... I'll post an update of my setup.

 

I recently decided to decommission my Dell PowerEdge 2950 and replace it with a Dell PowerEdge R620. The current setup consists of the following (abbreviated specs).

 

Switch: Cisco SG200-26 Smart Switch

Lenovo RD630 Server (top):

- CPU: Single Intel Xeon E5-2620 @ 2.0 Ghz w/ 6 cores + HyperThreading
- RAM: 36GB DDR3 ECC RAM
- HDD: 3 x 500GB WD Enterprise SATA (RAID 5)
- HDD: 1 x 160GB 7200 RPM "storage" drive (for ISOs and VM templates)
- ThinkRaid 700 Hardware RAID controller w/ BBU
- ESXi 5.1 booted via internal USB header

 

Dell R620 Server (bottom):
- CPU: Dual Intel Xeon E5-2590 @ 2.9Ghz w/ 8 cores + HyperThreading (32 logical cores total...)
- RAM: 32GB DDR3 ECC RAM
- HDD: 2 x 600GB, 1x 900GB SAS 10K RPM (RAID 5)
- Dell Perc H710 Hardware RAID controller w/ BBU
- ESXi 5.5 booted via internal USB header

 

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Can I have your old PowerEdge? :)

[+LogicalApex MVC]

Can I have your old PowerEdge? :)

I am going to throw it on eBay as I don't have any real use for it.

 

You can take a look at it here: http://imgur.com/a/jtP1a

 

If you're interested shoot me a PM.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

I meant for free, lol. I can't afford something like that. Looks cool, though :)

[WinRT]

My servers:

 

I can buy more if I want with a single click ;)

[+Thayios Subscriber²]

WinRT, I can only imagine how loud it is in there - looks like 2950 or R900? EDIT: D'oh, you're buying VSRV? lol
 
My mission critical servers in my office, the rest are in another room and I don't feel like freezing my tail off to go take a pic.

 

Disregard the wiring, I've got all the cable arms undone right now while I rewire the entire rack (that's why there are cords over the top of it, to straighten them out).

 

[+LogicalApex MVC]

WinRT, I can only imagine how loud it is in there - looks like 2950 or R900? 

 

My mission critical servers in my office, the rest are in another room and I don't feel like freezing my tail off to go take a pic.

 

Disregard the wiring, I've got all the cable arms undone right now while I rewire the entire rack (that's why there are cords over the top of it, to straighten them out).

 

<snipped>

Looks great. I definitely need to improve my cable management...

[+Thayios Subscriber²]

Looks great. I definitely need to improve my cable management...

 

I love the cable management arms in modern day servers to a point. They are a PITA to wire up when in a stacked config without tearing your hands up. I'll post a pic up when I'm done tomorrow with it.

[Neztea]

Well this is what I got going on as a server in my household...

 

- DS1813+ with a DX513 expansion (27TB of Deliciousness)

- Hackintosh OSX 10.9.2 With OSX Server (i7 4770k in a mini itx case)

- A netgear R7000 with ddwrt with the cable modem beside it....

 

Neztea

[T3X4S]

27TB ?!?  Thats alot of .... "home movies"

[srbeen]

27TB ?!?  Thats alot of .... "home movies"

 

 

Not really, especially if you are going above HD in the 4K range and not deleting the raw footage. I can fill a 16GB card in one outing with a single GoPro in a few hours, so edited thats like 40GB of space I'm using for like a 25 min video.

 

I just recently bought a supermicro X9SCL with an Xenon X3 processor and 16GB RAM along with the IBM M1015 SATA3 card flashed to the LSI 9211 IT firmware. Coming from a Q6600 setup this is quite an upgrade. Just migrated the same 10TB storage over seamlessly, but now with the define R4 case its expandable to 10 drives instead of 5 and at least 3x quieter. Network went from 40MB/s write to 85MB/s (assuming CAT5e wiring bottleneck now) and the PSU is 80 plus gold or something meaning its ~87% efficient so that coupled with newer better more power-efficient hardware should result in a good drop in power consumption, in the range of 100W+, or just over $10 a month.

[Neztea]

27TB ?!?  Thats alot of .... "home movies"

Yes... Home Movies...

 

But in all honesty with the move to 4K video recording and and whatnot, it can be filled to the brim in no time. That and I'm also futureproofing it for the future so I don't have to go run out and buy all the HDD's. I managed to get a bunch of them discounted and Price matched so I said, Hell, why not?

Not really, especially if you are going above HD in the 4K range and not deleting the raw footage. I can fill a 16GB card in one outing with a single GoPro in a few hours, so edited thats like 40GB of space I'm using for like a 25 min video.

 

I just recently bought a supermicro X9SCL with an Xenon X3 processor and 16GB RAM along with the IBM M1015 SATA3 card flashed to the LSI 9211 IT firmware. Coming from a Q6600 setup this is quite an upgrade. Just migrated the same 10TB storage over seamlessly, but now with the define R4 case its expandable to 10 drives instead of 5 and at least 3x quieter. Network went from 40MB/s write to 85MB/s (assuming CAT5e wiring bottleneck now) and the PSU is 80 plus gold or something meaning its ~87% efficient so that coupled with newer better more power-efficient hardware should result in a good drop in power consumption, in the range of 100W+, or just over $10 a month.

 Coincidentally, I had the Q6600 as  a RAID server before I switched to the Synology. I will jjust say this though. You had a much better raid card than I had though. I was the Highpoint rocketraid 2720sgl. To which it worked fine... until I tried to rebuild my raid array and it failed... So, I made to move to the synology. Easy raid with the Synology hybrid raid and it rebuilds like a boss.

 

Any other recommendations I can do with my setup?

 

Neztea

[Crisp]

Currently work in progress. House move soon, so new cabling to do. Just need a gigabit switch.

 

Nothing fancy, pfSense and storage.

 

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Currently work in progress. House move soon, so new cabling to do. Just need a gigabit switch.

 

Nothing fancy, pfSense and storage.

 

<snip>

 

Nice little cart there. :)

[Auditor]

What you guys are using these dedicated servers for. I got Qnap with 6 T storage for movies and pictures and had been thinking about having server but I can't figure it out what I can do with it. So my question is basically what you guys do with these dedicated monster servers at home except streaming movies which I can do with my Qnap NAS. 

[The_Observer]

What you guys are using these dedicated servers for. I got Qnap with 6 T storage for movies and pictures and had been thinking about having server but I can't figure it out what I can do with it. So my question is basically what you guys do with these dedicated monster servers at home except streaming movies which I can do with my Qnap NAS. 

 

i have my media server boot up and shutdown at certin times of the day. No need to have it on when im at work. My download server done 4 vms. one for download one for wds (thinking of wsus). one for ubuntu time machine, and one for webserver to try out my coding skills. Im thinking of turning my media server into a steam box to stream games to my mac. just trying to work out best way. Was thinking of build a new vm with ubuntu and game server

[xendrome]

Here is work, because I have no other picture at this time and you can't see everything in this. I'll try to take a in-person one tomorrow

 

 

I recently changed my Dell Poweredge T3400 at home out to a Synology, less power, can run the same features I need. So here is my home :)

 

[Sikh]

Currently work in progress. House move soon, so new cabling to do. Just need a gigabit switch.

 

Nothing fancy, pfSense and storage.

 

 

Where did you get your rack from and how much?

[xendrome]

Where did you get your rack from and how much?

 

Lol, it's on the rack.. startech.com

 

Looks like this one - http://www.startech.com/Server-Management/Racks/12U-Adjustable-4-Post-Server-Equipment-Open-Frame-Rack-Cabinet~4POSTRACK12

[T3X4S]

I am confused.  I dont have a server, nor do I even have a RAID array.  I have a 2TB Caviar Black that has about 200 1080p movies on it - I strem wirelessly to my TV.... And I can never decide what to watch.  And so many of them can be removed because I will never watch them again.  And everything is backed up on an external and on cloud.

 

So I ask, why a server ?  Is it a case of "well I want to tinker with it, I dont need it in the slightest sense, just feel cool having one ?" 

What does it do faster than mine ?  Because whatever I do on my main desktop - I never have to wait... for anything.

 

I am not saying I dont approve, I am saying, "why ?"  because maybe I want to do something like this in the future...well...no I wont.

[Praetor]

snipped

 

wth 3 UPS??

[Sikh]

Lol, it's on the rack.. startech.com

 

Looks like this one - http://www.startech.com/Server-Management/Racks/12U-Adjustable-4-Post-Server-Equipment-Open-Frame-Rack-Cabinet~4POSTRACK12

 

I can tell the brand. But he could've of gotten it from a killer price from a distributor/reseller. At work we get GREAT deals from CDW / B&H / Rackmount Solutions so wanted to see what his price was before I went into work tomorrow and got a quote from the 3 companies I listed.

 

But thanks for the link

[+Thayios Subscriber²]

wth 3 UPS??

 

Correct, 3 servers (now 4), redundant supplies on separate circuits, on separate UPS. Have to have them stay online until the generator kicks over (and I'd rather have a buffer for a what if scenario).

 

Each PSU = 750W x 6  + Recent Server = 1500W PSU x 2

// 7500W Draw Max (plus other stuff in the PDU branches)

 

UPS x 3 = 4500W (1500W piece) 

UPS x 2 (inbound) = 3000W (1500W piece) 

// 7500W Draw Max on Backup

 

Realistically, they should never see full load unless all HVAC fails (which can happen I suppose) but I prefer to leave a buffer and in case the PDU decides to toggle them all on at once instead of staggered, I'll be safe from overloading the lines/UPS.

 

 

I actually transferred the entire cabinet over to an Dell Energy Smart Cabinet this past weekend, the entire thing got wrecked in freight but we were able to straighten it out enough until the replacement gets in.

 

Disregard the ghetto USPS boxes, they are useless and I needed to do thermal load testing - so instead of buying a whole bunch of blanks and possibly having to move them around and possibly buy even more I did it my way. All fixed now, I'll grab another picture in a few days when the rack mount UPS come in and I finish wiring/adding blanks.