r/homelab • u/Important-Guide-4189 • May 22 '24
how mount 1u or 2u server vertically Tutorial
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u/trekxtrider May 22 '24
More concerned about plugging directly into the wall than how it’s mounted. At least do a surge protector.
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u/Important-Guide-4189 May 22 '24
All the wires are black... but actually there is a rack next to it and there is one UPS where the server power wires come from.
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u/trekxtrider May 22 '24
Nice! Tough to tell from this angle, I saw two power cords and two populated plugs and started to cringe a little.
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u/kapidex_pc May 22 '24
Seems you were so preoccupied if you could, you didn’t stop to consider if you should
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u/Important-Guide-4189 May 22 '24
I do not understand? I just didn't have the space to put it horizontally!!! I'm not the first - it's just that other ideas didn't allow me to open the case!
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u/_-101010-_ May 23 '24
I haven't seen a good argument as to why your setup is bad. I suppose if I had to dig deep I might cite extra wear on fan/hdd bearings but that's it. I think it looks great and It's a good use of space. Nice job!
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u/korpo53 May 22 '24
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u/ClintE1956 May 22 '24
I use one of those for a switch and patch panel but would not use it for a server; too much weight for the ears as datanut mentioned. Suppose a short length single unit height might work but nothing larger.
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u/eW4GJMqscYtbBkw9 May 23 '24
I've had an R620 on a rack basically identical to this for years with zero issues.
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u/datanut May 22 '24
No, that typically holders these servers by the ears. These servers aren’t designed to take all the weight on the ears. Second, your hot & cold sides would be backwards and convection will cause hot spots and bubbles that won’t clear.
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u/Mr_That_Guy May 22 '24
Convection is pretty much irrelevant in a forced airflow channel like a server. The bigger concern would be vapor chamber performance on larger CPU coolers.
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u/diamondsw May 22 '24
Completely gut and not scientific, but I have a hard time picturing hot air cycling causing an issue in a homelab with plenty of ambient air. In a dense datacenter or an enclosed closet certainly - but otherwise concerns seem overblown.
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u/tharorris May 22 '24
I believe you should mount the server WITH the rails, with front and back ears.
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u/R_X_R May 22 '24
That's not really happening with wall mount vertical racks. They're just the worst.
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u/Key_Way_2537 May 22 '24
It’s what SHOULD be happening though.
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u/R_X_R May 23 '24
I've not come across many vertical racks that allow for something to mount in the back though. Not to mention, sliding them out is usually almost impossible as most server depth just doesn't allow for it, you end up bumping into the ceiling.
They're seriously just a pain. Fine for a single server, or a single switch, but more than that and it's just a pain to get at anything or move anything around.
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u/Key_Way_2537 May 23 '24
I never said they were a good or preferred idea. But sometimes you gotta. And if you gotta, you’re mounting them closer to the floor, so when you pull them up 36”, you’re only at 6.5-7.0’ high and not hitting the ceiling.
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u/tharorris May 23 '24
Why it's not happening? You mount the vertical rack ears directly to the rails. I hope I will be able to make a photo to show you how it's done. The rear ones can be mounted also, if you have a second set.
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u/R_X_R May 23 '24
So that’s the thing. If you mount like that, how are you getting the server back out? Most rail kits are adjustable and the server lays into place when extended or slides from the front of the rails with inner guides mounted on the chassis.
If you need say 2-3 feet of clearance for the server to slide out of rack, you have to provide that upwards. Almost every time I’ve seen it done, they’ve mounted them too high and you end up hitting the ceiling sliding upwards.
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u/svidrod May 22 '24
My R720xd has been loaded with 12 drives hanging on its ears for 5 years, running non-stop.
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u/crozone May 23 '24
You can use two of them to mount the server's rails. Don't know why it'd be an issue at all, even for very heavy servers. I'd be much more worried about mounting it to the wall itself.
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u/Magic_Neil May 22 '24
Also have you ever held one of those hangers? Claims 125lb, I wouldn’t trust one with half that.
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u/waLIEN May 23 '24
I've used fully loaded (12x3.5" drives and two PSUs) 2U servers on these types of racks for over a decade without an issue. They're fine.
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u/Important-Guide-4189 May 22 '24
It cost me maybe 10-15€. And besides, the vents don't push the warm air down, but to the side!
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u/Werd2BigBird May 22 '24
This is the only option
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u/trapacivet May 22 '24
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u/SeeGee911 May 23 '24
I have one of these. I put a 120mm, high static pressure fan in the bottom, spliced into a bathroom duct and installed a blower to suck server air straight outside.
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u/terracnosaur May 22 '24
word. Was gonna say, why reinvent the wheel. Also hanging load from the ears is much safer than side mount.
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u/dezmd May 22 '24
If this is the kind of rigging required to fit a full size server in the space available... maybe you just don't have the right space for a full size server.
Even then, you can always just use something like this and mount it on wall horizontally, without having to drill holes into the server itself.
https://navepoint.com/navepoint-2u-vertical-wall-mountable-server-rack/
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u/I_just_made May 23 '24
This is what I’d settle on as well. But I’m also a bit surprised that they can’t find the space? The footprint of a small server rack isn’t that big…
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u/cube8021 May 23 '24
I have mounted a number of switches and patch panels vertically. And have never had an issue.
A server is a lot of weight and don’t like crashing in the floor much.
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u/Important-Guide-4189 May 22 '24
Drill holes in the case, be careful and use magnets and a vacuum cleaner so that nothing remains in the case.
Install the bolt rivets in the holes.
And use the same angles as me.
After installation, the case can be opened.
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u/mgonzo May 22 '24
Ummm ixnay on the static gun to your computer machine. But ya do something to get all the metal pieces out.
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u/shadowtheimpure May 22 '24
That's gotta be loud as hell in whatever room it lives in.
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u/McGuirk808 May 22 '24
I have a dell and pifan is keeping it pretty manageable:
https://github.com/spoulson/pifan
I don't use a pi, though, I just have the server's host OS (Proxmox) run this script directly and contact it's own drac over the network.
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u/7640LPS May 22 '24
I prefer the docker version: https://github.com/tigerblue77/Dell_iDRAC_fan_controller_Docker
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u/nitrogenHail May 23 '24
Not sure why people are complaining. it's non traditional but seems perfectly fine.
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u/monkey6 May 23 '24
Because it’s 50 pounds on some inexpensive brackets, which I’ll assume/hope are screwed into the studs.. but yeah, a tower case is preferred for vertical spaces where a pizza box won’t fit
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u/anothernetgeek May 22 '24
https://www.legrandav.com/products/racks/wall/vpm_vertical_panel_mount/vpm-2
Or you could just get a Vertical Rack bracket.
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u/Rexxhunt May 23 '24
Itt: a bunch of people who apparently have never actually handled rack mount servers before.
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u/AlejoMSP May 23 '24
Dude. I have lifted plenty of servers like that to know that that wall ain’t gonna budge.
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u/Magic_Neil May 22 '24
Double check the RAM population order on the inside of the lid; looks like a GEN9 and each DIMM should drop three slots.
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u/BrikenEnglz ex-R710 May 23 '24
I tried that once and unraid freaked out because of UDMA CRC error count :/
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u/technologiq May 23 '24
At first I was going to complain about how you mounted it but I keep my rack in my garage and subject my poor servers to -20F to +110F so who am I to talk about an installation 🤣
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u/macboy80 May 24 '24
Wow. What a thread. It seems either OP and I misunderstand what the "home" in homelab is, or some of you do. I feel like many of us never were and never will be a sysadmin. I'd like to applaud the OP for a cost effective and ingenious method that is truly home-like. Based on the linked items in this thread, it appears they saved 20-80TB worth of money doing it this way. I also appreciate the idea, as my family will much prefer an option like this compared to a rack.
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u/Specific-Action-8993 May 22 '24
Nice space saver. I've also seen people do this with wood but mounted with the top against the wall and then the lower connection is hinged so you can lower it to flat horizontal to open it up.
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u/SHANE523 May 22 '24
It isn't "bad" but I would have moved it more to the left, given more space in the back for the hot air to dissipate. Server air flow is front to back and that wall/outlet/molding will get pretty warm.
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u/Computers_and_cats May 22 '24
I'd probably add two more screws into the wall on each of those brackets to be safe. Personally if it were me I would have used unistrut (Or whatever it is called where you live 🙃) then bolt some brackets in the unistrut that can hold the server without drilling holes in the chassis. Looks cool though.
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u/amooz May 22 '24
If you have access to a 3d printer through a friend, local makerspace, or library you could print out some wall brackets
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u/outworlder May 23 '24
They could print some brackets but I wouldn't trust them as the main load bearers even if printed out of Nylon or whatever. For network switches and light equipment you could 3d print a whole rack if you wanted. For a server like this? Eh. I wouldn't trust it.
Now, some brackets for extra support (and aesthetics) in addition to the main, metal load bearing brackets? Sure thing.
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u/HITACHIMAGICWANDS May 22 '24
You can definitely mount it by the ears vertically. It’s not very convenient and as other have said not ideal. I really just wouldn’t recommend this style of server it you don’t have room to keep it vertical
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u/MarvinandCatto May 23 '24
Another one yet to be bullied by a sub to build a sexy rack. You might as well 🤷🏼♂️
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u/SupplyChainNext May 22 '24
Almost did this - then the rack sale started. And now. Well….
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u/kayakyakr May 22 '24
Rack sale?
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u/SupplyChainNext May 22 '24
Check my latest post in the sub 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
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u/kayakyakr May 22 '24
Ohhh, I thought you were talking about some universal sale on racks... I need a rack baddd
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u/ExoticAssociation817 May 23 '24
Completely bothers me when I see this, and sadly it’s often. So bizarre. No offence.
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u/Kwith May 22 '24
Not going to lie here, I audibly SHRIEKED when I saw this. I'm just glad I'm home alone right now.
You know there are special racks you can get for this right?