How many of you have had nightmares about one of your rackmount servers burning up? Even worse, how many of you have actually had a server burn up? Before you get to depressed, I have a solution that can take away your fears and help you sleep a whole lot better!

I have been recommending a very cost efective solution for the last couple of years that alerts you by phone, email, text message or whatever if the temperature or humidity levels exeeds your parameters. It is called a SensorHub.

The SensorHub is a zero “U” sensor that allows you place it wherever you want to in a server rack or ceiling. For more information, check out the SensorHub link. By the way, you can save 10% if you purchase by 10-7-08. Your total solution provider, Rackmount Ranger.

Sep 30, 2008

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer still sees a “certain buoyancy” among technology and telecommunications customers worldwide, despite recent US economic woes.
“Our industry is not immune to what goes on in the global economy. And yet as I travel…given the current circumstances, people still see a certain buoyancy in the market,” Ballmer, quoted by a Reuters report, said.

“At least, for now, people are feeling, I won’t say optimistic, but better than you would be feeling if you are watching CNBC all day,” he said of the financial TV channel.

Ballmer, the leader of the world’s largest software maker, said he was speaking generally of industry demand rather than his own business. “We are one week from the end of the quarter, so I have nothing all that interesting to say,” he said

Wall Street analysts, on average, expect the Redmond, Washington-based company to generate an 8% rise in revenue to just under €1.04 billion (US$15 billion) during its fiscal first quarter ending in September, the Reuters report further said.

Article from America’s Network

Visa is developing mobile payment software for the new wireless phone powered by Google’s Android system, an Associated Press report said.

San Francisco-based Visa said Android users will be able to receive near real-time alerts about purchases via their mobile devices, Visa said. Users also will be able to use location-based mapping technology to find ATM machines and nearby stores where they can redeem special Visa offers.

The software will be broadly available to US consumers by the end of the year, starting with holders of Chase Visa cards, the Associated Press report said.

Visa’s announcement came two days after T-Mobile USA showed off the G1, the first phone harnessing Google’s ambition to make the internet easy to use on the go. The T-Mobile device is schedule to hit US stores October 22.

The nation’s largest payment network also signed a deal to give users of Nokia’s upcoming 6212 Classic-model cell phone the ability to make “contactless” payments in stores just by flashing their phone at an electronic scanner.

Similar “contactless” capabilities for Android users are still under development, Visa said.

Sep 26, 2008 Article from www.americasnetwork.com

If you have a lot of cables running through your rack or cabinet, these offset rackmount lacer bars can be very handy. Common uses are putting the Lacer Bar Close To The Rear Of The Unit For Cable Strain Relief Or Managing Multiple Horizontal Cable Bundles At Different Depth Positions.

ISC has several versions of these on sale ending 10-1-08. This is a very economical way to organize your cables and makes it a bit easier to work on your hardwar as well.

When you follow the link to the page, you will have to scroll down to see the sale items but it is worth it. Part numbers are LBP-2A, LBP-4A and LBP-6A. Glad I could be of help, Rackmount Ranger.

Be honest, how many of you have been asked or ordered to put company rackmount hardware in a room that was not designed for today’s servers?

I see it all the time. Someone higher up decrees that there is space available in a room down the hall without giving thought the air conditioning can’t handle the load. Even worse, the air is turned off or set at a higher temperature at night and holidays. I also see network rooms that have nasty hot spots in them that are not easily to fix

How are you going to manage this kind of situation without losing your job, burning up your servers or both? After working with many network managers on cooling issues, I found a product that can save your hind end and your server. It is called Cool Cube and provides 10,000BTU/HR Cooling In A Self Contained Portable Unit.

The Cool Cube can be rackmounted, put on wheels, stacked or hung from the ceiling. If you are dealing with bad heating issues, it worth looking at this. If you have any questions, call your trusted solution provider, Rackmount Ranger.

With the cost of floor space so high, we always find ourselfs thinking vertical space. We all know that vertical space is cheaper than lateral space. Given this fact, why would one consider a Low Profile Server Cabinet?

I am finding that many of my customers have applications outside their main network room that are using 1 to 5 blade servers that are located in a user area rather than they typical network room. As many people have found out these servers are loud and difficult to place on a standard table due to their size.

These application caused me to go on an extensive search to find server cabinets that would effectively deal with these applications. As a result of this, I helped ISC put together an extensive collections of Low Profile Server Cabinets that range from 3U-25U and usable depths ranging from 22.5-34.5 inches deep. There is also a small server cabinet specifically for Apple servers with special acoustical insulation and venting.

Take a look at the matrix ISC has provided and if you have an application for a Low Profile Server Cabinet, you will find one exactly for it. Your solutions provider, Rackmount Ranger.

Some of you will say nothing and others will say there is certainly a difference. To avoid confusion, I am going to state how I view the difference.

I refer to a server cabinet as a rackmount frame with movable front and rear rack rails and is enclosed with side panels and front/rear doors.

I refer to a server rack as a rackmount frame with movable front and rear rack rails that has no side panels or doors. A server rack could also be a 4-post rack.

Other common traits for both include a usable depth of at least 29 inches, square hole rails, cagenuts and perforated or screened doors. cabinets or racks that do not share these minimum traits are referred to by me as either a computer cabinet or computer rack but that is a whole different post! Your solution Provider, Rackmount Ranger.

As a person who grew up in Data Processing and Main Frames and morphed into the Network world, I have noticed how simple wording has morphed almost without notice.

Computers went from giant main frames to small servers that were screwed to a “rack mount” rail. Somehow, this has eased into one word “rackmount”. Many of you may be asking what is the big deal?

Well, you certainly did not have my english teacher! My poor english professor would be turning over in his grave if he saw the desecration of word merging. In fact if I had written a paper using the word rackmount several times, he would have failed me immediately!

So when did “space” become a “unit” and a unit a “U”? Who knows what will happen to the poor little “U” in a few years. Perhaps all the words I have known will ultimatley be reduced to those bits and bytes and I will be eating a weeks worth of food in a little white pill.

At least I have some comfort in knowing that for now, I have Rackmount Ranger at my side! (Penned by a network person who needs more sleep)

Have you ever noticed that when you need to mount or remove hardware on your rack the tools are never handy? I’ve seen many racks with extra cables and tools left on top of hardware just in case it may be needed. If this sounds familiar, you may be interested in a simple solution I have used many times. I suggest using a Rackmount Utility Drawer that can be put on any rack or cabinet. They are available from 2U and up. Putting a drawer where the techs are working has helps productivity big time. The drawer also keeps everything looking good as well. Your solution provider, Rackmount Ranger.

For those of you who use 10/32 rackmount screws, this is a great price. These screws also include washers. I know a lot of techs end up dropping screws and it is a good idea to have a nice reusable jar full of screws handy. Another nice feature is the pilot point. As far as I am concerned, this is one of the best features ever invented for a screw. I can mount hardware twice as fast with them. The regular price is 80.25 and is on sale for 68.21. The sale ends 9-24-08. Your solution provider, Rackmount Ranger.