Rack / UPS needed? 2

[SCpalmetto]

I'm setting up a network and I need some advice on buying a rack that will be able to hold all the devices that I need.
So far I've decided to buy 1 PowerEdge 1950, 3 PowerEdge 2950,
2 Cisco Catalyst 2960-48TT-L, 1 Cisco 1811 Integrated
Services Routers and a Cisco ASA 5505 VPN firewall.

Do all servers, routers and switches follow some sort of size standard?
What type of UPS requirements as far as the power needs for all the devices?
What about cooling? Would I need need something extra for cooling the devices
I don't really need a large rack just one that will hold all the equipment above.

 

[AndrewTait]

All of the equipment mentioned above will fit in a rack that is standard 19" wide. The only bit you will have to be sure about is the depth. Find out the depth of the deepest item (i.e. front to back) and get a rack that it will fit in.

At a rough glance at the kit you are using, some of the cisco kit is about 33" deep, so a rack that will accomodate this is necessary.

The height needs to be about 20u give or take, to give a little bit of space between devices, not only to aid cooling, but also to give a little bit of room to work on the kit. I would leave 1u between devices for this reason. (1u=1.75"), but this will leave no room for adding any additional devices later, so a taller rack may be a good idea. If sapce is limited, then you can move the servers together, and the comms gear together, but make sure there is some space between the two to keep things tidy. Cable management is always a good idea between the switches.

In addition to the above 20u you will require additional space to rack mount your UPS should you choose this method. If you do this, please remember to mount it at the lowest point in the cab, as it will be heavy. Also stack the units acording to weight wherever practical. Heaviest at the bottom. Don't take this too far though, and start splitting comms devices with servers, as this makes cabling untidy and hard to manage.

Many racks now come with the option of an anti tip plate which extends out from the base of the rack, in order to stop it tipping up when devices are pulled out on their runners.

All the Cisco kit should come with brackets for rack mounting, even if they are not 19" wide. If they don't then shelves for 19" racks can be bought.

The size of the UPS required will depend on the kit you are fitting. Many of the UPS manufacturers have a webpage to calculate the size of UPS required for devices. Have a look at

http://www.apc.com/tools/ups_selector/index.cfm

Hope this helps you in the right direction, but there are a lot of variables, and I have just done a finger in the air type of plan. Have a look at what I've suggested, and see where it takes you. If you have any more queries, don't hesitate to ask.


=======================================
Sarcasm: Just another of the services we offer
======================================

 

[LawnBoy]

With the PE 2950, Dell changed the way the mounting rails are made. They will NOT fit in a standard Winstead-style rack.

It was bad enough when the rails for a 2650 were different from the rails for the 2850 by one mount post being located about 1/8 inch different. Now that they're pulling this crap with the 2950 I'll be buying HP from now on. I can't afford to buy special racks just for Dell.


"We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." - Sherlock Holmes

 

[AndrewTait]

LawnBoy

Thanks for this info, I hadn't realised that Dell were pulling this stunt again. The last time they did it, I took a hack saw to a rack to get the servers to fit. Not ideal, but got around the problem.

=======================================
Sarcasm: Just another of the services we offer
======================================

 

[technome]

What type of UPS requirements as far as the power needs for all the devices?"
Personally I have purchase refurbed APC units from

http://www.refurbups.com/

Great price, NEW batteries. Since I save alot, I order over sized units to increase the runtime. The last couple of new UPS units I purchased from major suppliers had batteries which were over 1 year old; one unit from CDW had batteries which were 2 years old, which lasted 1 year in service (batteries). All the refurb unit's batteries have lasted at least 3 years, no unit failures.
If you must buy new, at least get the manufacturing date of the unit being shipped; worst thing for battery life is to sit on a shelf in a discharged state.

You have an approx. 1800-2000 watt load, this will require some form of heat removal.

........................................
Chernobyl disaster..a must see pictorial

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/default.htm