Server Build

Server/Enterprise PROGRAM at Free Geek

The Program

Server Build evaluates and builds, well, servers. Servers are simply computers that tend to have higher quality parts, hot-swappable power supplies, hot swappable hard drives, or fit into server racks.

Class Times

• Wednesdays 11-2:45 and 3-6:45.

Steps

The Server Build program requires a great deal of pc hardware experience, so it is expected that all students have gone through the Build program before moving into the Server Build program.

Server evaluation: determine basic specs such as processor(s) type and speed, hard drive bays, ram type, etc.

Server build: build out systems that meet criteria for use in infrastructure, hardware grants or the thrift store.

Quality control: ensure that systems already built can read CDs, USB ports work, boot fine, etc.

In addition, there are some tasks that can be done throughout your time in the project:

• ram sorting
• shelf organizing

Server Build Steps

• Install Debian Lenny Server via PXE Boot
• Make sure it boots properly
• Run Memtest

Server Quality Control Steps

• remove sata drives
• run printme
  • boot from network
  • select fat client (printme)
  • click log in as guest
  • open a terminal
  • run printme
• put system id on server specs sticker (in other section)
• put tower or rackmount size (1U, 2U, 3U, 4U, etc.) in printme notes
• check that it boots from CD
• test USB ports (front and back)
• test video ports (front and back)
• boots without keyboard
• automatically boots after power loss
• ensure server specs label contains accurate information:
  • processor speed (GHz) and type (Xeon, AMD Opteron, P4)
  • number of physical processors
  • number and type (DDR, DDR2) of ram slots
  • number, size (MB or GB), and type (i.e. PC2100 ECC Registered) of individual ram sticks
  • total ram included (i.e. 6GB)
  • number of likely hard drive bays
  • types of hard drive ports (ide, sata, scsi)
  • put system id in other section

Info

Here's the howtos and information we need to accomplish our tasks.

• Entering BIOS
• Server System Disassembly
• Server Hard Drive Removal
• Server Service Manuals
• Server Memory
• CD DVD & External drives

Links

These are mostly pages full of links to other place:

• OS X86 Links
• http://www.networkdictionary.com/hardware/server.php
• http://ultimatebootcd.com/
• http://www.streambench.org/
• http://www.freebench.org/
• http://www.tux.org/˜mayer/linux/bmark.html
• http://www.acnc.com/benchmarks.html
• http://www.netlib.org/benchmark/hpl/
• http://lbs.sourceforge.net/ - Linux Benchmark Suite Homepage

ToDo:

• syllabus, repair howto(s) & triage charts, wiki