Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Colocation and Data Centers : Complete OS Change on Collocated Server?

[Acorp]

OK, I have a "test" server collocated at a DC. I have been running CentOS 5.4 with XEN, and a few test VPS's. Everything is working fine, but I'm toying with the idea of switching to Proxmox (a bare-metal virtualization environment based on ??). This is a dumb question, but just want to make sure I'm not overlooking something. Is there any way to do that, REMOTELY?

If not remotely, I've thought of a couple of other possibilities:
1) Ship a new hard drive installed with Proxmox and have DC or local tech install.
2) Ship a CD/DVD to a local tech or DC and have them install.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

<<signature to be setup in your profile>>

[MikeTrike]

Do they offer a KVM with the ability to load up an ISO file? Perhaps you can order a Lantronix Spider, pay them for an additional IP block and another LAN port and have it permanently attached to your server for easy remote administration.

[Acorp]

Ah, the things you learn on WHT. Just came across this in a different post:

The server can be reformatted with any OS you would like (I can do this for you or the data center is more than happy to provide a KVM over IP to do yourself).

So, looks like it is quite possible to do it if I decide to...any additional thoughts? Can somebody point me to (or post) a good, brief, easy to understand intro to KVM over IP, OOB Management, Lights out Management, and how they interact (or don't), and specifically what someone with little colocated Linux server experience would need to implement something like that?

Thanks!
<<signature to be setup in your profile>>

[ishan]

Most DCs have CentOS DVDs or even CentOS mirrors as it is a widely used OS.
They will be able to install it for you (and charge you for it) or they will provide KVM so that you can install it.

Most new supermicro motherboards have IPMI which you can use to remotely reload your OS.

[Acorp]

Oh, of course...even with KVM over IP (I assume it is just like "normal" KVM, just over IP), I'd still need some way to mount the ISO or load a CD into the server!

Still, that would be easier than shipping a new hard drive.

What is the "Lantronix Spider" and what would capabilities and advantages would it give me? Also - I don't know anyone who isn't, however - I am on a budget and need to keep costs as low as possible.

Thanks,

<<signature to be setup in your profile>>

[ishan]

KVM over IP will allow you to use remote media (an ISO on your workstation) for the OS reload.

You will be better off asking your datacenter about the options , in order to get the pricing.

At times KVM can cost you $75-100 per hour, while the datacenter will do a OS reload for $30.

The Lantronix Spider is a single machine KVM over IP device which is easy to move from one server to another (I have heard so, never used it)

[MikeTrike]

Normally I would do this:
http://tinyurl.com/37w559j

But I'm in a good mood:
http://www.lantronix.com/it-manageme...nx-spider.html

It's a zero-u, space saving IP-KVM device that only requires that you have an additional network drop for it. It's also best to have them pre-assign a new IP block so you can program it first so you're not paying them to do it for you.

The spider also supports "Virtual Media." So you can load up an ISO into your spider remotely.

[Acorp]

Thanks Ishan; I'm actually thinking about moving away from CentOS though, to Proxmox.

I've seen IPMI - the acronym - but don't know about it. Can you give a little detail about what it is, requirements, and so on? I actually have two servers at this DC (and am having communication problems with them, so quite possibly may not have a long term relationship with them anyway)...

But I digress...one server is a white box Tyan motherboard-based, and the other is an Asus 1U based on KFN4-DRE, maybe? I could look it up, but right now just trying to get a feel for the options and costs associated with those options!

[Acorp]

Originally Posted by MikeTrike

Normally I would do this:
http://tinyurl.com/37w559j

Haha!

Normally I would...I could actually get most these answers from Google...but then I would miss out on all this interaction!!

[Acorp]

So are all of these solutions (IPMI, KVM over IP, OOB Managment, Lights Out Management, etc...), are they all variants on the same thing?

[ishan]

Originally Posted by Acorp

Thanks Ishan; I'm actually thinking about moving away from CentOS though, to Proxmox.

I've seen IPMI - the acronym - but don't know about it. Can you give a little detail about what it is, requirements, and so on? I actually have two servers at this DC (and am having communication problems with them, so quite possibly may not have a long term relationship with them anyway)...

But I digress...one server is a white box Tyan motherboard-based, and the other is an Asus 1U based on KFN4-DRE, maybe? I could look it up, but right now just trying to get a feel for the options and costs associated with those options!

I am sorry, I thought Proxmox was something similar to SolusVM/vePortal which run on top of CentOS. (Its 5AM here, and I am sleepy )

IPMI is for SuperMicro only. It is built into the motherboard and uses a separate ethernet port.

I believe all of them serve the same purpose but have different ways of implementation (and are from different companies)

Ishan

[MikeDVB]

Originally Posted by ishan

IPMI is for SuperMicro only. It is built into the motherboard and uses a separate ethernet port.

Dell offers the same thing essentially under a different name (I can't remember off the top of my head at the moment).

[MikeTrike]

Originally Posted by MikeDVB

Dell offers the same thing essentially under a different name (I can't remember off the top of my head at the moment).

DRAC if I'm not mistaken.

EDIT: Yup

DRAC = Dell Remote Access Card
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/g...bell?c=us&l=en

[MikeDVB]

Yeah, basically the same thing

[plumsauce]

You might want to post the brand and specific model of the server hardware in question.

That will help determine the techniques that can be applied.

For example, with SUN boxes you can use an IPMI approach without any server side add-ons.

Other brands might require a specific license certificate.

And still others are not IPMI capable at all.

The basic functionality that you require in addition to kvm is known as a virtual cd drive.