machine room organization

[Patrick Finnegan]

Saquinn624 at aol.com declared on Tuesday 01 February 2005 12:33 am:
> Does anyone on the list have any good tips for keeping a tidy machine
> room? I'm sick of tripping over CPUs and dealing with cable Gorgons
> when switching machines (I don't have near enough space for 1
> monitor/keyboard/mouse per workstation). A/B/[C/D/E] switches work
> great for serial consoles, but   not workstations.

Machines that require separate keyboards and monitors (that are smaller 
than 1/2 of a rack) don't belong in a "proper" Machine Room, unless 
they're a console for several others. :)

As far a serial goes, get a DECserver or a Xyplex terminal server.  I've 
got a pair of Xyplex MAXserver 1600's (16-port) console servers that 
I've used happy, and we use 1640's (40-port) at work.  Right now, I've 
got a DECserver 550 set up in the "primary machine room" (aka basement) 
to do terminal serving, which I had running at one point, but I am 
working on re-configuring the basement, so it isn't now.  The "secondary 
machine room" (aka where my roommate would like to be able to park his 
car again someday).

Pat
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