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Cases That Can House Multiple Motherboards?
full-case asks: "Due to some interesting politics at the ISP where I work, I can run two machines in the colocation room for free if and only if they both occupy the same case. As it turns out, I have two (standard ATX-form-factor) motherboards with associated sundry that would really like to be colocated, and I know I've heard of cases that will accept multiple motherboards, but I can't for the life of me find one that will take the right size. The only ones that I can find are either in the $6k price range, or this sort of thing, which requires special ultra-tiny motherboards. I figure I would be served better by having a 4U case divided internally to mount two motherboards; both machines will fit nicely into a 2U case separately...but does such a beast exist, or can it be (cheaply) assembled from parts?"
can it be (cheaply) assembled from parts?
:)
Yes. All you need are two of those 2U cases and a blowtorch. Be sure to remove your two motherboards first.
Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.
http://www.rlx.com/product/
The 1U unit holds SIX computers. The 3U unit holds 24 computers.
Not real cheap, but not outrageous, either. Neato remote management tools, too.
I'm going to make some assumptions you want to do this on the cheap.
If you are going to take a 4U-5U case and hack it, look real hard at the mini-itx form factor boards. Cutting up an existing mainboard trays makes the work go faster. Really low heat, so stuffing 4+ in a case should not be an issue. Course big delta's are someone else's problem since it is off (your) site. Same with sharing a good power supply, though you will have to do a bit of creative splicing. I got an old rm sun clone that I gutted for just this type of thing.... all it cost me was a case of beer. A little mod work, and you can make the thing fit in a 19" rack.
+++ UGUCAUCGUAUUUCU
These guys have had terrible reputations with faulty crap in the past BUT I have had no problem with them.
racksaver.com
-davidu
# Hack the planet, it's important.
It does need to be done on the cheap (like $100 or so), but the options aren't all that limited, I don't think. The rule is that there can be only one box. It doesn't have to be a rack-mountable, it could just be a dual-board case of any kind. The thing is, I'd like to use the current hardware, and not have to roll my own case.
Use a backplane or use a blow torch. Cases are the easiest computer part to fab DIY. Backplanes will provide the highest CPU density if that is required.
Or stuff 8 Via EPIA boards into a single tower along with a good switch and a pair of 400 watt ATX Power supplies. Beowulf cluster in a toaster.
If voting were effective, it would be illegal by now.
This isn't in stock at the moment, but is meant for two 12"x13" dual Xeon boards with separate 350W PSUs for each board.
I have this case with two dual Xeons in it. With the SCA backplane it was like $650, but I think the case without that feature is much less.
Yes. All you need are two of those 2U cases and a blowtorch. Be sure to remove your two motherboards first.
I agree. If it's some ridiculous political or semantical issue, take what are obviously two computers, weld their cases together, and reassemble. It has a certain, "Well, fsck you too!" undertone.
My suggestion would be a couple of ordinary, cheap desktop cases. You will no longer be using the lid on the lower computer so weld some sidepanels onto the chassis. Weld a fairly robust piano hinge on the top rear of the lower case to the bottom rear on the upper case, so that the two machines "clamshell" apart to allow you access to the innards of the lower one. Weld a pair of toolbox clasps to the fronts of the machines, and doctor up the faces to allow it to fit together. Modify the power supplies so that the two machines use only one outlet - just parallel them. Be sure to use grommets in the holes where the wires go from the upper to the lower chassis.
A really nice touch is if you don't do any cosmetic work on the machines after this. Raw welds, grinder marks, scorching are all good when you wish to make a statement about the meaning of a given arbitrary rule.
I've done IT in government, military and airport environments. I know your pain.... In my case, it was only one modem (but no limits on the number of telephone lines). So I hacked two external modems into one case, called it the BigBlockMopar Systems Inc Dually Modem DM-01, and put it in there.
Use a MIG welder or take it to a good auto body shop to have them do it for you. Don't paint it unless you have to. Put on a big sticker calling it a "Fully Independent SMP" machine. They'll be pissed off at your loophole around the rules, but I don't think they're gonna update the rules to say "Clients shall not be allowed to weld two conventional computers together, create a fake model name, and pretend it's one machine."
Fire and Meat. Yummy.
This earlier article talks about a PCI card that is it's own system... that might be your solution.
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