User:Chris Tyler/HWD101 Scratchpad

This is a draft only!
It is still under construction and content may change. Do not rely on this information.

Topic Outline

• Major components of a digital computer system
  • CPU
  • Memory
  • Storage
  • Network connections
  • I/O busses
• Major Architectural Families
  • x86 (x86_32, x86_64,x64)
  • ARM (arm, aarch32, aarch64)
  • SPARC
  • POWER
  • MIPS
  • Z9
• Electrical Power
  • How electrical energy is used in a computer system
  • The relationship between energy consumption and heat
  • AC vs. DC Power
  • Electrical measurement: voltage, current, wattage
  • AC Power
    • Wattage vs. VA
    • 110, 207, 220, and other voltage standards
    • 1-phase and 3-phase electrical supplies
    • AC power connectors
    • Power Conversion Factors, harmonics, and spikes
    • Surge suppression
  • DC Power
    • Common DC power busses
    • Storing and distributing DC power
  • Uninterruptable power supplies
• Cooling
  • Working temperatures
  • Airflow
  • Hot zone/cold zone
• Physical standards
  • PCs
    • Mainboard form factors (ATX, ITX, ...)
    • Internal power connectors
    • Power supplies
    • Memory modules
    • CPU modules
    • PCIe cards
    • SATA and SAS connectors
  • 19" Rackmount
    • Rack types
    • Mounting systems
    • "u" height designations
  • 23" OCP
    • Rack types
    • Sleds
    • Disaggregation
• Storage
  • Hard Drives
  • SSDs
  • Flash memory
  • Other storage devices
• Cabling
  • Power
    • AC connector types
    • Cable restrictions
  • Networking - Copper
    • Cable types (Cat4/Cat5/Cat5e/Cat6/twinax)
    • Connector types (e.g. RJ45, SFP+ DA)
    • Cable restrictions (e.g., minimum bend radius)
    • Cable type tradeoffs (power, latency, cost, distance, ...)
  • Networking - Fiber
    • Cable types
    • Connector types
    • Cable restrictions (e.g., minimum bend radius, temperature, ...)
    • Cable type tradeoffs (power, latency, cost, distance, ...)
  • Network Error Rate Testing
    • Line certification and qualification, reflectometer, and error testing
• Firmware and Boot Standards
  • UEFI
  • Legacy boot software (BIOS)
  • IPMI
  • PXE
  • Partitioning
    • GPT
    • Legacy partitioning schemes (BIOS disklabel)
• Digital data
  • Binary states
  • Numbering systems
  • Coding systems (floating point, characters)
  • Units (byte, kb, mb, gb, pb, eb; kib, mib, gib, pib, eib)
  • Conversions (binary, decimal, octal, hexadecimal)
• Data centre operations
  • Server Assembly
    • Build a 1u server with appropriate memory, airflow, storage, and cable placement
  • Building a rack
    • Installing devices
      • Installing into a rack using rack ears
      • Installing into a rack using rails
      • Using a Server Lift
    • Cabling for power
      • Installing a PDU
      • Cabling a PDU
    • Cabling for data
      • Installing a patch panel
      • Cat6 Cabling
      • Cable dressing
    • Asset registration and tracking
      • MAC and Serial number registration

Lab Equipment

Per group:

1. An open-frame 19" rack with casters (< ~$550 for 42u)
2. Finger channels
3. 1u rackmount server case with ATX or ITX motherboard, memory modules, PSU, SATA disk, IPMI capability
4. Fibre NICs or SFP+ adapters
5. Fibre cables
6. SFP+ cables
7. Network switch
8. Two PDUs (ideally, at least one should be intelligent)
9. Cagenuts
10. Basic tools
11. Blanking panels
12. Cables (do/should students make their own?)
13. Barcode scanner (< $50)

Rack configuration:

1. One 1u server assembled by the group
2. One 2u server preassembled
3. Additional rackmount cases with RJ45 jacks
4. Patch panels
5. GigE switch
6. 1 basic PDU
7. 1 intelligent/monitored PDU
8. Device for web access to configuration server and management interfaces (laptop? PC?)

Per lab room:

1. Ceiling channels?
2. Power
3. Server lift (~$2-3K)
4. Network cable qualification tester (~$1-2K)
5. Configuration server

Lab Culminating Project

1. Build a 1u server
2. Build and configure a rack
3. Connect and qualify the network cables
4. Record the MAC address and serial number using the barcode scanner
5. Enter the MAC address into the configuration server
6. Use IPMI to start the system and boot with PXE
7. Installed system will display some default web information if configured successfully including a non-spoofable hash code
8. Access the PDU to measure current and voltages and control outlets

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify the main components of a modern server system
2. Identify the major features of common computer architecture families
3. Identify and use common computer cables and connectors
4. Identify common computer hardware form factors
5. Assemble, configure, and test a server computer
6. Assemble, configure, and test a multiple-device equipment rack
7. Assemble, install, and qualify network computer cables
8. Identify and track computer assets
9. Use system management protocols and tools to remotely manage server hardware
10. Recommend appropriate equipment, cabling, and power configurations to meet stated requirements
11. Use appropriate personnel and equipment safety procedures
12. Perform basic operations in various numbering systems used in computing