Datacenter Photos

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:39 pm

After much prodding, whining, bitching, and moaning here is the promised teaser photos.

Enough · Post by **Enough** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:49 pm

Major Coolness. I will have to look at these once I get in front of my 1200x1600 monitor at home. But not everyone has a monitor with those specs, you might want to go for 800x600 fwiw.

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:52 pm

D-Link in a datacenter? That's unpossible!

killbot737 · Post by **killbot737** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:58 pm

What's the thing in the top right of the first picture? I'm guessing a fiber switch.

Compaq SuXX0Rz, in case you didn't know. I imagine those machines are at EOL by now, though.

Biyobi · Post by **Biyobi** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:04 pm

So where is OO in these pictures?

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:16 pm

I just spent the last two days rebuilding a Compaq Proliant with WinServer 2003.

I freaking hate Compaq.

Hamsterball_Z · Post by **Hamsterball_Z** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:29 pm

Biyobi wrote:So where is OO in these pictures?

You didn't notice all the multicolored tentacles?

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:40 pm

Nice rack.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:01 pm

The D-Links provide a very usable low cost per port for non-critical Item. I also have a few Allied Telesyn switches for this reason that work just fine.

I find the Compaqs very good for my needs. These unit cost over $20K not that long ago. A lot of the data infrastructure in the world is done on the Proliant line. A lot of people badmouth them because they don't really need all the manageability that I do. I can run diagnostics on the newer boxes when they are not even running. Out of band management rocks and is accessible via web interface to me across a VPN network.

OO is hosted on the upper of the 2 older Proliant servers. The 6500, the one below it is a 3000 and is used to collect logs, statistics, and some side duties like hosting backups and secondary DNS. The System above them is a Dell Poweredge server similar in processing power to the Proliant 6500. Both having 4 XEON 550Mhz processors and a couple GB of ECC SDRAM. The poweredge lacks the RAID ability. I use it to run What's Up Gold for network monitoring of me and my networking customers in the area. It will also hopefully be the server for my new DNA passwork cracking system. Handing out jobs to the 100 wkstns that will use their idle time to crack passwords for me. If it can't handle it then I will be adding another server for that.

The newer HP Proliants are use for purposes that will remain undisclosed for now. Directly above them is the PIX 515 firewall and below them the Cisco 3550 that is my core switch.

Of course there are a number of other systems and switches not to mention numerous connected remote networks. Including my little NOC down the road at my house. For the most part I could do 90% of my work without ever leaving the house. Maybe if I get enough minions that will be my future. I could even get rid of my car and cell phone.

The 6500 has a much newer version of the RAID card because when we were testing it in hopes of moving gonegold.com to it we found the file transfer rates didn't give us the expansion ability we wanted.

Oh almost forgot. That is a fiber patch panel in the top right of the first picture, and the backup autoloader between it and the D-Links

DD · Post by DD » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:45 pm

I could show you pictures of my data center, but then I'd have to kill you (working for the US Army does that sort of thing...)

killbot737 · Post by **killbot737** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:06 pm

DD wrote:I could show you pictures of my data center, but then I'd have to kill you (working for the US Army does that sort of thing...)

I could tell you how parts of SIPRnet works, but then I'd have to kill myself, but only after I kill everyone reading this message board.

Knowing things sucks.

baron calamity · Post by **baron calamity** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:21 am

DD wrote:I could show you pictures of my data center, but then I'd have to kill you (working for the US Army does that sort of thing...)

Same here. Same here...

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:40 am

So are these servers and such how you make a living or extra money or is it more or less a hobby?

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 11:36 am

dbt1949 wrote:So are these servers and such how you make a living or extra money or is it more or less a hobby?

They contribute to my living. The datacenter is provided to me by an local oil company as partial compensation for providing them priority IT support. I also have an office and other areas not shown. They pay the bills other than the internet pipe that I pay directly.

This allows me to provide network monitoring and remote support to my network consulting customers, we also do help desk work and even some residential work. The hosting arm of the business doesn't create a profit but I hope that it will eventually cover the costs associated with it and maybe even pay for my internet pipe.

I also perform some network security work and forensic investigations for corporate customers that need it and a few area defense attorneys. This portion of my business is growing quickly and fills in any gaps of idle time I have left. Well that and BF2

The datacenter is actually the inner area of a 6 story building that my primary customer leases an entire floor of. So a lot of my work goes on within a few hundred feet of the DC. As it works out it is as though me and my staff are employees of the oil company, we have full access to there area and even are welcomed into their breakroom and share their phone system. It is a very unusual arrangement but I think it works perfectly for both parties. Only a great deal of trust and integrity make it possible. For the last few years I have been very blessed.

Cylus Maxii · Post by **Cylus Maxii** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 11:45 am

baron calamity wrote:
DD wrote:I could show you pictures of my data center, but then I'd have to kill you (working for the US Army does that sort of thing...)
Same here. Same here...

Ditto

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:28 pm

Does the oil company know that us OO folks are lurking on one of your servers?

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:03 pm

Exodor wrote:Does the oil company know that us OO folks are lurking on one of your servers?

Definately. That is the reason I buy the internet and resell some to them. We were careful to insure that they would be protected from liability for anything OO or my other customers my place on my servers. All of the hosting stuff goes to the DMZ only and not the inside interface and everything is segmented on the switches using VLANs.

Byrns · Post by **Byrns** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 7:06 pm

I recogonize your UPS as a similar model to the one we had to replace last year. That was not fun... Damn you Best Power!!! (BTW check your batteries

)

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 10:05 pm

Byrns wrote:I recogonize your UPS as a similar model to the one we had to replace last year. That was not fun... Damn you Best Power!!! (BTW check your batteries )

They had just went bad last week. In the process of looking for more.

Giles Habibula · Post by **Giles Habibula** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 12:46 am

Wow...So...What I'm writing right now is sitting inside one of those pictures? way cool.

Anyway, looks impressive as hell, but I have not a frickin' clue what ANY of that shit is.

The limit of my computer knowledge was in the favorite keyboard thread I just posted in.

Anyway, I appreciate your efforts in making a home for us.