Installing virtualized EBS at home (#3)

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[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Jim Holtzman]  

Continuing the saga of virtualizing EBS at home.

ServerParts_sm

This weekend, I assembled all the parts and installed them in the case. A brief summary of my experience:

  1. Having a big case is an advantage. Lots of expandability and maneuver space.
  2. I forgot to check if there were sufficient Molex connectors for all the hard drives. Yep, enough. Lucky!
  3. I forgot to check if there were enough cables for all the SAS drives. Nope. I called around to various local shops - nope. I had to order cables. Apparently SAS is not so common. "Only used in servers," I was told.
  4. The biggest dumb mistake (so far) - I did not thoroughly check the CPU compatibility with the motherboard (MOBO). As a result, when I powered on the server, there was no power on self-test (POST). A call to the MOBO manufacturer revealed my stupidity. I've ordered a replacement CPU. Now I've got a spare for future builds. Ouch.
  5. Documentation for DIYers is not so good. Inadequate, misleading, or just plain wrong. The CPU installation guide was just drawings!? Saving localization costs, I guess.

So, my date with EBS is on hold while I get the car ready.