Suggestion for Seti admins

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Profile MrMaxx
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Message 20410 - Posted: 31 Aug 2004, 14:50:58 UTC

Here where I work we have a little thing called a "Terminal Server" which allows admins to remotely reboot machines. Maybe Seti folks ought to consider getting some of these for those times when a glitch happens in the middle of the night and they need to "power fail" a server or array or whatever to get it to work again!
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Message 20435 - Posted: 31 Aug 2004, 16:01:58 UTC - in response to Message 20410.  

As a SysAdmin for a network I can explain that. You see sometimes servers just like home PC Hardlock and the only think you can do is push the power button. Sadly Terminal Services, Shutdown.exe, or PC Anywhere or Citrix Etc will not do that. There are only 3 solutions to that. You ***CAN*** get a card that will do that if your hardware is rated for such a card but those are generally VERY expensive. You can build a robot with a little arm and camera to do it. Or you have to wait for someone to be in front of the server...

> Here where I work we have a little thing called a "Terminal Server" which
> allows admins to remotely reboot machines. Maybe Seti folks ought to consider
> getting some of these for those times when a glitch happens in the middle of
> the night and they need to "power fail" a server or array or whatever to get
> it to work again!
>
>




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Profile Qui-Gon
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Message 20819 - Posted: 1 Sep 2004, 6:35:03 UTC

Oooooh! I vote for the robot!
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Message 20951 - Posted: 1 Sep 2004, 14:59:20 UTC - in response to Message 20819.  

> Oooooh! I vote for the robot!
>
>

I have an old Robbie the Robot I would donate though all the servers would have to be on the floor for it to work... :)




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Message 21422 - Posted: 2 Sep 2004, 13:24:50 UTC

i have build a robot in lego for this purpose, it can't walk but it can push a little stick back and forward. Perfect for server power buttons... :-)
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Message 21426 - Posted: 2 Sep 2004, 13:38:19 UTC - in response to Message 21422.  

> i have build a robot in lego for this purpose, it can't walk but it can push a
> little stick back and forward. Perfect for server power buttons... :-)
>
>

Lego@Home?????
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Message 21838 - Posted: 3 Sep 2004, 12:53:09 UTC - in response to Message 20435.  

> As a SysAdmin for a network I can explain that. You see sometimes servers
> just like home PC Hardlock and the only think you can do is push the power
> button. Sadly Terminal Services, Shutdown.exe, or PC Anywhere or Citrix Etc
> will not do that. There are only 3 solutions to that. You ***CAN*** get a
> card that will do that if your hardware is rated for such a card but those are
> generally VERY expensive. You can build a robot with a little arm and camera
> to do it. Or you have to wait for someone to be in front of the server...
>
Hmm... don't know what kind of servers S@H is running on, but the machines *we* use have a special port in the back where we can "power fail" them. There is a CAT-5 cable connected between the "terminal server" and the server box. You dial into the terminal server appliance and somehow tell it to reset port x, which reboots the machine linked to the TS appliance. This is NOT a software solution. It's a hardware solution. That's what they need if this software is so buggy that it's going to end up hardlocking the servers!

I agree that a "robot" would also work well. Again with all the brains there at Berkeley, they oughta be able to build something that'll interrupt the power supply, one way or another, for 5 or 10 seconds, long enough to force a reboot! If that means building a robot to unplug and replug the power cord, so be it. If it means building a robot to push the power button, so be it. Just do something so that you can remotely reset the server!
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Message 22781 - Posted: 5 Sep 2004, 20:18:32 UTC

Can the just call the powercompany and let them turn off the power to the city for a few seconds... its for the greater good.
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Message 22899 - Posted: 6 Sep 2004, 5:41:41 UTC

should work. But i prolly have to be for an hour or so, because of the UPS... But as u say "its for the greater good"
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Andrew Waddington
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Message 22909 - Posted: 6 Sep 2004, 6:45:21 UTC

APC the ups makers have a device that sits between the UPS and servers or other devices just for this job.
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Message boards : Cafe SETI : Suggestion for Seti admins


 
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