[Knight Templar]

Originally posted by WMCoolmon
Come to think of it, if you're going to do something as silly as mod your server racks, why not go all the way and install a fog machine? You could claim it's part of the 'coolant exhaust system'; it'd really add to the theatricality of things.

[WMCoolmon]

Originally posted by Stealth
wow. too many people to reply to personally, so i'll sum it up:

I don't care if an "It professional" walks into the room and sees the racks glowing.  if anything, i'm sure they'd think it was cool, i know i would...  as long as everything works, i'm doing my job well.  

Actually, I'd wonder why on earth you thought it was an acceptable risk to go mucking about in your company's very-literal heart to make it look pretty, when no one should really be in there to appreciate it anyways.

Of course, I'm not exactly an IT professional, so I guess I'm more concerned with keeping stuff working and less concerned about impressing people with multicolored lights when working at an IT-based company.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by WMCoolmon
Come to think of it, if you're going to do something as silly as mod your server racks, why not go all the way and install a fog machine? You could claim it's part of the 'coolant exhaust system'; it'd really add to the theatricality of things.

Plus, if the room's big enough, it could double as a disco dance hall when network activity's up and all the lights are flashing. Or, alternatively, during a massive system failure.

[WMCoolmon]

[Stealth]

Originally posted by WMCoolmon


Actually, I'd wonder why on earth you thought it was an acceptable risk to go mucking about in your company's very-literal heart to make it look pretty, when no one should really be in there to appreciate it anyways.

Of course, I'm not exactly an IT professional, so I guess I'm more concerned with keeping stuff working and less concerned about impressing people with multicolored lights when working at an IT-based company.

well see again... showing your ignorance... it's not a matter of "mucking around".  installing cathodes to give it a glow isn't really jeapardizing anything in the server room.........  

"no one should really be in there ... anyway".  see, you're arguing with yourself.  one minute you say it's the heart of the company, and the next minute you're saying no one shoudl be in there...  the way it works is, if our servers RUN the company, then people who want to INVEST in the company are going to WANT TO SEE the servers that they're going to, ultimately, be investing in.  they'll want to open the door and feel the freezing air come out... step onto the raised floor, and see the soft blue glow and loud noises of fans and blinking lights coming from the racks in the middle of the room.  don't say they wouldn't, because they would.  and it's not just me that thinks this... management's wanting me to go ahead and do it, it's on the company's budget.  if you think you're smarter than the management of a multi-billion dollar company, then maybe you're not as smart as you think :-/

also, IT professional or not, in any company, the main goal of every employee in every department, is to impress management and potential clients as much as possible.  if that means i have to get a fog machine and have the floor in a constant 2 inches of fog, then i would... but that would be going too far.

[Stealth]

Originally posted by Admiral LSD


Probably not, anyone with at least one functional brain cell knows that cold cathode tubes have one purpose: ricing **** up. Even if you'd neglected to mention what they were for people would have been able to put 2 and 2 together and make 4.

not true.  they're for visual effect.  eye-candy.  and that's what i'm going for here...

tell ya what, i'll take before and after pictures so you can all judge

Originally posted by WMCoolmon


Actually, I'd wonder why on earth you thought it was an acceptable risk to go mucking about in your company's very-literal heart to make it look pretty, when no one should really be in there to appreciate it anyways.

because I work in IT, and it's my job?

EDIT: Also, bobbau, you're right... that's probably going to be the best bet in the end

[aldo_14]

If I was going to invest in a company, I'd choose one that wasn't pissing away money on unecessary frivolities.

[Admiral LSD]

Dude, do you have any clue what "rice" means?


EYE CANDY.

[WMCoolmon]

"no one should really be in there ... anyway". see, you're arguing with yourself. one minute you say it's the heart of the company, and the next minute you're saying no one shoudl be in there... the way it works is, if our servers RUN the company, then people who want to INVEST in the company are going to WANT TO SEE the servers that they're going to, ultimately, be investing in. they'll want to open the door and feel the freezing air come out... step onto the raised floor, and see the soft blue glow and loud noises of fans and blinking lights coming from the racks in the middle of the room. don't say they wouldn't, because they would. and it's not just me that thinks this... management's wanting me to go ahead and do it, it's on the company's budget. if you think you're smarter than the management of a multi-billion dollar company, then maybe you're not as smart as you think :-/

No, I'm not arguing with myself. When you meet new people, do you open up your chest and show them your heart? No.

And if your server room is in a public place, then you will have issues. I guarantee it. Sooner or later someone will push the wrong button, trip over a cord and unplug it, spill something on the equipment, etc. Not to mention if you constantly have warm bodies there, it hinders the A/C.

Finally, prove to me that I'm stupider than the manager of a multi-billion dollar company. Go ahead. Prove it. Maybe I'm just smart enough that I wouldn't need to rely on cathode-ray lights in a server room to prove that my company is a good investment.

because I work in IT, and it's my job?

The sign of a good IT technician, as someone pointed out earlier, is being able to set things up and have as few problems as possible. If you're continually mucking around with the server racks, you're not doing your job.

[Kamikaze]

You expect the management of multi-billion dollar companies to know how to manage servers? Better than the geeks in this forum (many of whom are software devs or in IT)? Can you say "delusional"?

[Liberator]

Stealth, you may want to check out Startech for the cathodes and antec or xoxide or something for a silent PSU.

And for the record, i think this is very cool.

[Admiral LSD]

Originally posted by Liberator
And for the record, i think this is very cool.

Why doesn't this surprise me in the least?

[Stealth]

*sighs*... one by one:

No, I'm not arguing with myself. When you meet new people, do you open up your chest and show them your heart? No.
if that person's wanting to invest in a company, or "do business" with you, then yeah... you may want to take your shirt off and show them what's underneath... i'm sure you'll agree

And if your server room is in a public place, then you will have issues. I guarantee it. Sooner or later someone will push the wrong button, trip over a cord and unplug it, spill something on the equipment, etc. Not to mention if you constantly have warm bodies there, it hinders the A/C.
it's not a public place... it's locked and under heavy security, but again... it's not like people are going to be running around inside.  it's a matter of opening the door, everyone looking in, then closing the door... no one can damage anything in there if they tried anyway... i mean, everything's locked into the rack, which is bolted to the floor... no visible (or accessible) cables, etc.  so this point is void

Finally, prove to me that I'm stupider than the manager of a multi-billion dollar company. Go ahead. Prove it. Maybe I'm just smart enough that I wouldn't need to rely on cathode-ray lights in a server room to prove that my company is a good investment.
again... i don't care how smart or stupid YOU are... we're doing this to cater to (must be the fifth time i've said this) potential clients, who want to see the heart of the company, and who want to be as impressed as possible by it.  we could open the door and have them look into a spotlessly white, clean, freezing, loud room with racks in the middle... or we could open it up and they could see the cold blue glow coming from the rack... that's cool, whether you admit it or not.

You expect the management of multi-billion dollar companies to know how to manage servers? Better than the geeks in this forum (many of whom are software devs or in IT)? Can you say "delusional"?

Oh my god, i swear... since when is this a matter of managing servers!?!?  did you even READ the thread?  No one's questioning how we manage servers... that's not an ISSUE here.  it's a matter of making something look as attractive as possible to the high end clients we have that fly from all over the country to visit our offices!11111

[WMCoolmon]

again... i don't care how smart or stupid YOU are...

Then why did you bring it up in the first place?

Oh my god, i swear... since when is this a matter of managing servers!?!? did you even READ the thread? No one's questioning how we manage servers... that's not an ISSUE here. it's a matter of making something look as attractive as possible to the high end clients we have that fly from all over the country to visit our offices!11111

Well, part of managing servers is keeping them running in an efficent manner. Stringing lights around in the room != efficient. On the plus side it doesn't sound like there's not much chance of someone accidentally knocking something out while they're in there.

we could open the door and have them look into a spotlessly white, clean, freezing, loud room with racks in the middle... or we could open it up and they could see the cold blue glow coming from the rack... that's cool, whether you admit it or not.

Actually, a "spotless white, clean, freezing" room sounds pretty cool. Now, loud doesn't sound so great, but unless you're installing a thick viewing window or blue lights that double as sound cancelling devices, I doubt it'll matter either way.

I guess you could mask it with some twilight zone music.

[Knight Templar]

Originally posted by Kamikaze
You expect the management of multi-billion dollar companies to know how to manage servers? Better than the geeks in this forum (many of whom are software devs or in IT)? Can you say "delusional"?

Well c'mon. You know they're smarter than you. I mean, THEY MAKE BILLIONZ!!11lol

Originally posted by Stelath
if that person's wanting to invest in a company, or "do business" with you, then yeah... you may want to take your shirt off and show them what's underneath... i'm sure you'll agree

That really depends on what kind of business you are conducting. What kin dof business do you do that has you taking off your shirt to get people to give you money?

You know, I'll probably regret asking that someday.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by WMCoolmon


Actually, a "spotless white, clean, freezing" room sounds pretty cool. Now, loud doesn't sound so great, but unless you're installing a thick viewing window or blue lights that double as sound cancelling devices, I doubt it'll matter either way.

IMO the perfect server room would be clean, and full of shiny, perfect condition brushed aluminium (cos it's pretty nice looking....ok, that is a bit hypocritical statement to make) server racks.  And that's all.

It's like having a mint condition, ordinary car and adding an exaggerated spoiler, black windows, and tubed flourescent lights under the wheel arches.  You might think it looks neat, your more sycopantic mates might too, but everyone else will point and laugh.  

If your really insist on appealing visually, choose something taste neutral; black, grey, white, etc - mild colours that are commonly associated with working technology.

[Stealth]

Originally posted by Knight Templar

That really depends on what kind of business you are conducting. What kin dof business do you do that has you taking off your shirt to get people to give you money?

You know, I'll probably regret asking that someday.

well i'm glad that went right over your head... the reason i SAID that was to imply that if (how to put this) someone's business relies on people knowing what their body looks like, you think their 'clients' are going to be content just seeing their clothes?  of course not...

i wasn't the one who brought that up though, someone else did

[Stealth]

Well, part of managing servers is keeping them running in an efficent manner. Stringing lights around in the room != efficient. On the plus side it doesn't sound like there's not much chance of someone accidentally knocking something out while they're in there.

again, maybe it's because i work on servers all day, but i'm still failing to see how adding lights make a server room/ servers run less efficient.

[aldo_14]

Because the time could be better used elsewhere to test/check/implement?  Because it represents a piece of equipment that draws power & took time to install, yet has no functional purpose.

Efficiency is minimal effort for maximum functional result, and regardless of effort there's no useful result here.

[Stealth]

Originally posted by aldo_14
Because the time could be better used elsewhere to test/check/implement?  Because it represents a piece of equipment that draws power & took time to install, yet has no functional purpose.

Efficiency is minimal effort for maximum functional result, and regardless of effort there's no useful result here.

not true.  there are many times we all sit around the whole day, fixing a "problem" here and there like replacing a printer toner, etc.  it's not like we have a constant flow of servers coming in that we have to "test/check/implement".  we do have a lot of spare time on our hands.  the better we do, the more time we have.  

on the other hand, there are nights where i've worked from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and then get an email on the way home that a SQL box has gone down, and then i go back to work, and work through the night, till 3:00 the next afternoon getting it up and running again... but it's not always like that.

there's no useful result here.

again... that must be an opinion, because your opinion differs from mine, the rest of our IT, and management.

EDIT:  while i'm on that, do you mind if i ask you how old you are, and what job you hold (what industry you're in), and any previous jobs?  I'm trying to find out with what experience you're making these comments :-/