[CentOS] Re: how to debug hardware lockups?

Tue Nov 18 23:04:00 UTC 2008
Scott Silva <ssilva at sgvwater.com>

on 11-18-2008 1:29 AM Rudi Ahlers spake the following:
> On Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 10:14 AM, Tru Huynh <tru-IFYaIzF+flcdnm+yROfE0A at public.gmane.org> wrote:
>> On Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 09:32:05AM +0200, Rudi Ahlers wrote:
>>> This comes down't to the old question of "what is a server"?
>>>
>> <rant deleted, mail trimmed>
>> a server just "works", and provide a usable way to debug the OS
>> whenever it's needed (mostly never).
>> Cheap server have at least a serial port, because that the
>> minimal device to interact with the bios/OS.
>> More expensive server have some out of band management
>> capabilities.
>>
>> Most of the time, they are not used, but when we **need** them
>> these "plus" save your time which is what we value most (isn't it).
>>
>> But your server, your problems, and your choices.
>>
>> Just my .2 cents
>>
>> Tru
>> --
> 
> 
> Sure, I understand that. But then again, on my Dell servers, when I
> have problems, I sit with the same issues. And those expensive
> motherboards doesn't give me anything more than the cheaper ones. In
> fact, when the RAM failed on the Dell's, they were unusable untill I
> could get new RAM from a different supplier. With the cheaper board, I
> drive down to the first PC shop and get new RAM.
> 
> 
> 
That is one reason I stopped using Dell. The other reason had something to do
with our Accounting department and Dell's insistence on using a "Dell Card"
instead of a plain "net 30" account.

With my HP servers, if something goes south, HP will send a tech to fix it in
4 hours. The server gets a 48 hour burn in before I even take delivery. Then I
burn it in again to make sure something didn't come loose in shipment.
Sure servers cost more. If it runs a critical service that can't be down for
even a 5 minute reboot, you just need to spend some money. Sure things have
failed, One server has had every hard drive replaced over a few years, but all
under warranty, and since I have spares, there was no interruption to service.
My T1 lines go down more often then the servers do.

My home firewall runs on an old re-used piece of equipment. If it goes down,
big deal. The kids just can't play World of Warcraft until I fix it.

If the e-mail server at work goes down, I have the guy that signs my paycheck
calling my cellphone at 2 AM to fix it.

Reliability is not cheap. And cheap isn't usually as reliable.


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