[xtcxtc]

Hello

Does anyone know where in HK I can buy "remote power management" devices, preferably with monitoring options -- to have a remote control over power switching on/off (e.g. for servers in a datacentre) -- with web interfaces etc. -- and more sophisticated options that also give remote access to server's boot menu / bios settings etc.

Thanks!

[KnowItAll]

Check with these guys www.itsys.com.hk they did our server / rack setup. We did not go with any remote facilities.. but I recall they had options available.

They have a shop in the Wanchai Computer center and the Systems Engineer I dealt with was Sam. Drop me a PM if you want his email address.

[MrMoo]

The local tech magazines occasionally list a few Chinese vendors, I like Cyclades from the US as they use Linux, here's their HK reseller:

http://www.avocent.com.hk/howtobuy.asp

There are two shops in Golden Market, one on the third near the MTR entrance, and on on the second the opposite side that sell networking equipment. Any reseller should be able to help though.

[hk.com]

Originally Posted by xtcxtc

Hello

Does anyone know where in HK I can buy "remote power management" devices, preferably with monitoring options -- to have a remote control over power switching on/off (e.g. for servers in a datacentre) -- with web interfaces etc. -- and more sophisticated options that also give remote access to server's boot menu / bios settings etc.

Thanks!

xtc, forthe past few years we have been supplying exotic used (2nd hand) high end network, I.T. and data center equipment to telcos, carriers, ISPs etc.

I have a guy that has a few Baytech RPC3A on hand that do what you want. If you are interested give us a call on 28654865 and I will get all the specs and pricing for you.

We also have "Remote Boot II" boxes which you hook to a phone line and you can dial with a phone. You can send DTMF tones (like an IVRS) system and boot equipment as required. I think you can hook it to your office PBX and save the cost monthly additional phone line, if the equipment is in your office, otherwise you will need to get a fixed line.

For managing the options/bios etc, you will either need a PCI Remote Management board or or have servers that you can redirect the console to a serial port. If you want to go the Remote Management board path, I think Compaq sell a great product.

If your servers can redirect the console to the serial port what you can do is use a is use a terminal server, something like Cisco 2511 and then reverse telnet into the console of the PC though the Cisco Access server. This particularly works well with Sun boxes where you can send a signal break and get them to prom mode, reboot, even reinstall the OS or netboot.

Anyway those are some options to look at.

[MrMoo]

If you haven't got the servers already an alternative is to use a blade system, the blade chassis has one video, cd-rom, keyboard, mouse shared between each blade server. Most blade chassis come with a mangement unit so you can also control KVM-over-IP style, reset the power, and even use a local floppy disk.

[hk.com]

blade servers are nice if you have the cash. The remote boot I have costs just a few hundred and the managed power strips also are a fraction of your blade servers and can power cycle more hardware than just the servers.

[KnowItAll]

Few hundred? HK.Com, I'll email you about them. I was under the impression they ran into thousand+.

Agree, not as much of a fan of blades for "a few servers". They're ok for high density .. we considered it .. and then thought it was just cheaper to use comodity hardware for a few servers we run in the office. That way you can go Pentium .. or Xeon .. or AMD .. you're not stuck with what the blade manufacturer has at that time.

[hk.com]

Let me upload the Remote II boot box to the site and you can have a look at it.

KIA, what I am still looking for a servers which have a SCSI cages with 4 channels to split the scsi drives into more channels. The most I can find a servers which have a built in scsi cage which split drives into 2 channels and then you have to have an additional dual channel scsi box which wastes rack space.

[hk.com]

Kia here it is.
I've priced it nicely, try shopping around on Ebay if you want. :-)

http://www.hex.hk.com/hex.php/Product/278.html

Register and buy it on the site. There are 3 units if anyone wants one.

The site is still a Beta. When we finish if you have any (used/old) high end stuff you want to sell you can hit all our corporate customers by uploading.