Home Server Rack Upgrade (50U rack with 10gbe networking)

[ltguy]

I did this upgrade awhile ago but never posted anything.  I have more pictures if anyone cares to see them. 

 

2 x Thinkserver RS140's (1 for pfsense and 1 for filesever/mumble/minecraft/etc)

A custom built 2u rosewill server with fx8320e and 16gb ram (plex server)

Unmanged TP-Link 24 Port Switch

Manged TP-Link 24 Port Switch w/ 4 x 10gbps SFP+

2 x 24 port keystone panels

1 Unfi AC Lite

HTPC on top.

50u trip lite rack with caster kit

 

I have another full depth shelf to mount my Lian Li PC-D600 build above the HTPC. 

 

Any suggestions on what you would do different or things you would add, please let me know!

[Agent32277]

Very clean. I'd love to see more pics!

[ltguy]

1 minute ago, Agent32277 said:

Very clean. I'd love to see more pics!

Thanks. I might actually take some new ones since i've made some changes since these pictures (and put the room back together). I'm using the sfp+ ports now and I bothered to do cable management in the htpc. I'm using link aggregation for all the servers and the pfsense box so they all have a 2 gbps connection. My windows boxes are the ones using the 10 gbps sfp+ since i can't seem to get windows to play well with link aggregation. 

[Spotty]

How do you get away with being allowed to have that in the living room? If you're married you must have a very understanding wife.

Any issues with noise?

 

I'm surprised I don't see a storage shelf in there? Futrure upgrade perhaps?

[ltguy]

15 minutes ago, Spotty said:

How do you get away with being allowed to have that in the living room? If you're married you must have a very understanding wife.

Any issues with noise?

 

I'm surprised I don't see a storage shelf in there? Futrure upgrade perhaps?

No wife atm. But yeah, this def would not get the wife seal of approval. When i was married i had a subdued htpc in a silverstone component looking case.

 

Noise isn't really a problem. The thinkserver's are only i3's and have a couple 40mm fans that hardly ever spool up. I wouldn't say they are louder than the other computers i have but they do ramp up and down a lot even in the lower rpm's its normally at. The rosewill server (link in my sig) has all noctua fans in it so its pretty quiet). The htpc is probably the loudest but i intentionally turn it up to drown out dumb neighbors. I've strayed away from used dell server on ebay because they are too loud for a home environment. TLDR it can be quiet if i want it to be...

 

Storage shelves.... yeah... about that... So when i bought a rack that was 8 feet tall, and was upgrading from a mere 22u rack... i envisioned myself having all this space. But i did some measurements to fit my last PC in the top (PC-D600 also in sig below) and its just going to fit. I have a 2u gap above the rosewill server on the bottom and thats just enough space for my modem, sound card, and cable card tuner. No other room really. I have added some shelves to the back side and i store stuff there, not ideal but it is what is atm.

 

I upgraded for 2 reasons really. My other rack was very shallow and it couldn't fit my rack rails for my servers. I also wanted to be able to fit my other desktops in there to have all my pcs in one location. I do need to find some device to be able to switch the tv between servers.

[Spotty]

32 minutes ago, ltguy said:

Storage shelves.... yeah... about that... So when i bought a rack that was 8 feet tall, and was upgrading from a mere 22u rack... i envisioned myself having all this space. But i did some measurements to fit my last PC in the top (PC-D600 also in sig below) and its just going to fit. I have a 2u gap above the rosewill server on the bottom and thats just enough space for my modem, sound card, and cable card tuner. No other room really. I have added some shelves to the back side and i store stuff there, not ideal but it is what is atm.

Wow, I'm actually impressed that space is an issue for you with a 50u rack.
If in the future you find that space is being an issue you could look at using a server/rack mountable enclosure to house the PC instead of the LianLi case, which will only take up 3U or 4U at most. (eg. Linus' personal rig). Doing that would free up quite a lot of space in the rack.
 

 

32 minutes ago, ltguy said:

I do need to find some device to be able to switch the tv between servers.

Not sure what set up you're using currently, but I'm guessing your issue is there's not enough HDMI ports on your TV to have them all plugged in at the same time, meaning you have to unplug cables every time you want to switch inputs?
If so, then look for a 5 in 1 out HDMI switch that supports HDMI2.0 (for 4k video) and preferably one that comes with a remote. This will let you have all of your devices plugged in to the switch, and then a single HDMI cable going from the switch to the TV. You just use the remote to select which HDMI signal you want to use.

Something similar to this
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAEH374G1445&cm_re=HDMI_switch-_-9SIAEH374G1445-_-Product

 

Edit: If you also need to switch peripherals like a keyboard or mouse to operate them on the TV, then you'll need a KVM switch.

[ltguy]

1 minute ago, Spotty said:

Wow, I'm actually impressed that space is an issue for you with a 50u rack.
If in the future you find that space is being an issue you could look at using a server/rack mountable enclosure to house the PC instead of the LianLi case, which will only take up 3U or 4U at most. (eg. Linus' personal rig). Doing that would free up quite a lot of space in the rack.
 

 

Not sure what set up you're using currently, but I'm guessing your issue is there's not enough HDMI ports on your TV to have them all plugged in at the same time, meaning you have to unplug cables every time you want to switch inputs?
If so, then look for a 5 in 1 out HDMI switch that supports HDMI2.0 (for 4k video) and preferably one that comes with a remote. This will let you have all of your devices plugged in to the switch, and then a single HDMI cable going from the switch to the TV. You just use the remote to select which HDMI signal you want to use.

Something similar to this
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAEH374G1445&cm_re=HDMI_switch-_-9SIAEH374G1445-_-Product

I will definitely look into that hdmi switcher. I think my tv has 4 hdmi but only one supports chroma 4:4:4 so it would be ideal to run one cable.

 

I was surprised about the space issues as well, but there was alot of things that came up. I had to leave room for the 7.1 receiver to breathe. Also once i mounted the thinkservers on the rails i noticed they would hit each other going in and out if they were right next to each other or any other item in the rack so i had to leave a 1u space between them. Thats probably the most annoying thing about server racks. Almost every rackable item takes up every mm of the space in the U cause things to interfere. You end have to loosen all the screws and slide everything up or down to fit other items in. 

 

I wish i could go into the 1u blank making business and make a 1u blank that was like 90% of a U instead of the 102% of a U every blank on the market takes up. 

[AbsoluteFool]

Very nice. How is the heat with all that running?

[ltguy]

2 hours ago, AbsoluteFool said:

Very nice. How is the heat with all that running?

Quite dissapointing actually. It does not do a good job of heating my apartment at all. 

[Lurick]

Needs more expensive gear

Dual Nexus 9516 chassis and some ASR9922 as well for 100GbE networking

 

Joking aside, looks very clean and well put together, great cable management.

[ltguy]

24 minutes ago, Lurick said:

Needs more expensive gear

Dual Nexus 9516 chassis and some ASR9922 as well for 100GbE networking

 

Joking aside, looks very clean and well put together, great cable management.

Most of the big ticket items were purchased on the cheap. I got the 2 thinkservers on amazon for $212 a piece brand new. Must have been a fire sale. The 10gig tp-link switch was a price mistake at $250 from amazon (MSRP $400). The 8320e with mobo was less than $100 bucks after rebate from microcenter. The 16gb of ram was a fire sale on amazon primenow for $20 total. So not so bad on the wallet.

 

Sadly my cable managment was better in the shallow samson rack. Probably because the cables were easier to reach. I actually bought another keystone patch panel for the back. I'm going to have all the cables leaving the rack out the back have keystone ports. I already bought all the keystones for hdmi, coax, cat5, toslink, and even bananna plugs for the speakers. I want to be able to quickly unplug all cables from the back without reaching into the rack if i want to roll it away from the wall for any reason.

 

My next upgrades are probably going to be a 12 bay lenovo direct attached storage shelf and as soon as the 2900x comes out i will probably do a 3u build and replace the 8320e.

 

My preferred 10gb sfp+ nics finally came back in stock on amazon so i might buy a couple more and use up the rest of the 10gb sfp+ ports on the switch.

 

Also waiting for gigabit cox internet to reach my neighborhood. Supposed to happen this Quarter. Then I'll got the docsis 3.1 motorola modem and i can team up to 4 gigabit ethernet cables from the modem to my pfsense box for lols.

 

 

[Salv8 (sam)]

DAMN that thing is big!

also i originally thought the server was 50U, not the rack

i thought it was impressive that much storage was needed by you for your personal data (hell LTT doesn't have the much!)

[ltguy]

5 hours ago, Salv8 (sam) said:

DAMN that thing is big!

also i originally thought the server was 50U, not the rack

i thought it was impressive that much storage was needed by you for your personal data (hell LTT doesn't have the much!)

Yeah, when i was putting it together on my apartment floor i definitely had that moment where i was like yeah....i really screwed up.. this thing is gargantuan. Dimensions online don't do it justice. Once i put the last computer in the top it will pretty much be full.

 

I bought this particular rack for 2 reasons. A) It came in a flat pack in pieces so i could carry it up the stairs. B) It has optional side panels (i have all 4 panels even though only 2 are shown) and they came in seperate boxes so I didn't have to use use palleted freight shipping which I wouldn't be able to get up to my 3 floor apartment.