After years of service, because a failure, is time to consider now to renew the server, HW and SW.
This article contains some notes about the transition between the old one and the new one.
Service needed
First of all here a list (not inclusive) of the services the server need to provide:
- VoIP PABX (Apkhnet)
Based on Asterisk, only VoIP, no PSTN interface - Multiple Web host
- Streaming of personal music collection (Squeezebox)
- Streaming of personal video collection (Plex)
- Backup data
- Home Automation (X10)
- CVS server
- Jenkins
- Docker
- support for virtual servers
A separate mini server handle a VPN entry.
Hardware
Old server
The old server was a 3U IBM xSeries 342 rack server, based on two Intel Pentium III-S 1.13 GHz.
energy.
New server
The new server is a System76 with Ubuntu 15.04.
The new machine should have these basic characteristics:
- use much less than 270W power
- capable to work in hot environment (the server is located in garage)
- possibly less noise generator
- capability of RAID
- multiple HD management
- at least 4 Gbyte RAM
- at least 1 TB HD
Optionally
- Double power supply
The server is not located in a "easy" environment.
During the winter the temperatures can be low, but that is not a big problem.
The big problem are the temperatures in summer.
The place is relatively isolated, so the variation is limited, however the temperatures can be over the 38 degrees Celsius in some cases.
Among the services run by the server, exists a temperature monitor capable to turn on an elliptical fan to help to cool the system and if the temperature continue to raise, shut down the machine.
After unpacking the new server and turned it on, the first thing noted was the noise !
Compared with the old IBM the noise is more high pitch and much less louder, also if during the bootstrap the machine "shows" what is capable of, simulating the take off of a F117 :)
The main doubt I had was about the transition from a 32 bit machine to a 64 bit machine.
The majority of the programs I used in the old server is available for both formats, however I had a couple of services were I didn't have any clear information.
The two packages were heyu for my X10 home automation and the Logitech SqueezeBox server.
In the end it turned out quite easy.
I recompiled heyu from the scratch and is running happily on the 64 bit machine.
The SqueezeBox server exists only for 32 bit machines but with the appropriate libraries is running happily too.
Many other services exists natively in the Ubuntu repository and was only matter to install and configure them.
The main problem to solve remains now the setting for old Joomla 1.0 websites.
Joomla 1.0 needs PHP 5.2, the latest Ubuntu 15.04 LTS has PHP 6.x.
Due some incompatibilities the Joomla 1.0 websites are not working at all.
During the winter the temperatures can be low, but that is not a big problem.
The big problem are the temperatures in summer.
The place is relatively isolated, so the variation is limited, however the temperatures can be over the 38 degrees Celsius in some cases.
Among the services run by the server, exists a temperature monitor capable to turn on an elliptical fan to help to cool the system and if the temperature continue to raise, shut down the machine.
Transition notes
After unpacking the new server and turned it on, the first thing noted was the noise !
Compared with the old IBM the noise is more high pitch and much less louder, also if during the bootstrap the machine "shows" what is capable of, simulating the take off of a F117 :)
The main doubt I had was about the transition from a 32 bit machine to a 64 bit machine.
The majority of the programs I used in the old server is available for both formats, however I had a couple of services were I didn't have any clear information.
The two packages were heyu for my X10 home automation and the Logitech SqueezeBox server.
In the end it turned out quite easy.
I recompiled heyu from the scratch and is running happily on the 64 bit machine.
The SqueezeBox server exists only for 32 bit machines but with the appropriate libraries is running happily too.
Many other services exists natively in the Ubuntu repository and was only matter to install and configure them.
The main problem to solve remains now the setting for old Joomla 1.0 websites.
Joomla 1.0 needs PHP 5.2, the latest Ubuntu 15.04 LTS has PHP 6.x.
Due some incompatibilities the Joomla 1.0 websites are not working at all.
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