Re: [SAGE] 2-post vs. 4-post racks

[John Miller <millerj@metro.dst.or.us>]

Guy B. Purcell wrote:
> I now work for a company that has nothing but 2-post racks in their 
> production colo.  They have a ton of 1U Intel/Linux servers stacked on 
> shelves in those racks, but also an entire rack with Sun V280Rs on 
> shelves, and a Sun L1000 tape library on a shelf about chest-high.  This 
> is the first time I've seen 2-post racks used for anything more than 
> network gear and small servers (eg. Sun Netras).  It looks dangerous to me.
> 
> Anyone have experience with using 2-post racks with large equipment?  Is 
> it safe, or will these things twist & buckle in the next earthquake?

Sounds a little like our machine room.  Chatsworth racks. We have 
'ladders' running overhead for cables and anchored to the walls for 
seismic stability.  Just think about covering each row of racks that way.

We have some heavy duty shelves for big items. They are not strapped to 
the shelves.  Not very satisfying, but most of our servers are are 
2-post mountable, either flush with the rack, or midway balanced.  We 
figure we're hosed anyway if an earthquake big enough to shake the 
things off the shelves happens.

We have a beowulf cluster taking up 3 racks, with UPSes on the bottom, a 
netapp with 3 disk shelves.  All but the UPSes are screwed on. Kind of a 
mixed bag.  No one needs to tell me I'm nuts, thank you.  :^)

JM