The Server Rack FAQ » 2 Post Racks

2Post Conversion Kits

will — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:17:16 +0000

Problem You have a room full of 2Post Relay Racks, a bunch of servers, and boxes of 4Post Rail Kits. What are you going to do?

Solution Convert your 2Post Racks into 4Post Racks using 2Post Conversion Kits.

Description 2Post Conversion Kits contain a set of 4 large brackets. These brackets provide the corner attachment that 4Post Rail Kits require. The brackets are available in several sizes from 2-7 Rack Unit heights and 3 different depths allowing you to purchase exactly the amount of space that you are going to use. If your server is 4 Rack Units tall, you will need a 4U Conversion Kit, for example. The drawing on the right shows what a 2U box will look like once it has been mounted on rails that have been attached to the 2U Conversion Kit.

The drawings above illustrate how to convert a 2 Post Rack into one that acts like a 4 Post Rack. In the example above, twenty, 2U, 2 Post Conversion Kits have been stacked on top of one another. The brackets have round holes on one end so that one side might be screwed into the threaded holes of the 2 Post Rack. The the other end of the brackets has square holes. Once the brackets have been mounted to the rack, the square holes will face outward in the front and rear of the rack, essentially now transforming it into a 4 Post. Cage nuts and screws are also included if threaded holes are necessary.

Dell Static Rails

will — Mon, 24 May 2010 21:15:02 +0000

Some of the Dell 11g servers have a static rail available for installations where the standard Ready Rails are incompatible or for use in 2Post installations. This Dell rail kit is configurable depending upon what type of rack is used. Section A of the rail kit is an assembly that has the new Ready Rail mounting pins for use in square hole racks as well as a set of clearance holes for use in any type of rack. This mechanism is similar to the previous generation of Dell Rail Kits in that the mechanism rotates to allow for the use of both types of attachment methods. The difference in this mechanism is that it must be unscrewed compared to the previous generation rail kit that used a locking lever. The previous generation rail kit also had PEM nuts instead of clearance holes. Section B is the primary support bracket for 2Post centermount applications. This support bracket is riveted directly to the main rail frame and uses clearance holes as the attachment method. Section C is an adjustable bracket with a range of: 3″ to 6″. This bracket is used for 2Post flushmount configurations. These brackets can be removed if the front assembly is removed first, however they cannot be reversed. These brackets have clearance holes for use in any type of mounting interface. Section D is a 13 7/16″ bracket that is similar to Section A having both the Ready Rail mounting pins on one end and clearance holes on the other end. This bracket is reversable to allow the use of both attachment methods. In 2Post centermount installations the clearance holes are used in conjunction with section B. This allows the rail to be installed in 2Post racks with center channels ranging in size from: 3″ to 10 1/16″. In 4Post installations this bracket is configured based on the mounting interface. The Ready Rail mounting pins are used in square hole racks, the clearance holes are used for any type of rack. In 4Post installations this bracket allows the rail to to be installed in a range of: 23″ to 32 9/16″ using the Ready Rail mounting pins and 23 1/4″ to 33 5/16″ using the clearance holes.

The Dell static rail is susceptible to obstructions in 4Post racks in all 4 sections shown in the photo. 4Post racks with mounting post that are not a simple “L” shape will have the highest potential of causing an obstruction with Section A. If an obstruction occurs with Section C then the bracket can simply be removed. Obstructions caused by Section B will be difficult to resolve due to the permanent attachment of the support bracket. Obstructions in this area will more than likely effect Section D as well and will be equally difficult to resolve. In situations where unresolvable obstructions are preventing the proper installation of this rail kit the recommended solution is to use a 3rd Party Rail kit, P/N: 1UBRK-R4. This rail kit is far less likely to have the obstruction issues that the Dell Rail kit is vulnerable to.

Rackmount Drawers and Boxes

will — Wed, 19 May 2010 16:03:04 +0000

Why would you want to put drawers or boxes in your server rack? Like most IT Staff there is a ton of stuff that usually gets left sitting on top of the equipment. Software, manuals, test equipment, the list is endless. What rack drawers and boxes allow you to do is secure all this stuff where it is used the most, next to the equipment.

Rack drawers and boxes are available in several sizes and configurations. The drawers and boxes are 14 1/4″ in depth. This allows them to be mounted back to back in a 29″ deep rack. This maximizes the usable space and provides the versatility to choose what option works best for a given installation. The drawers and the boxes with lids are lockable to secure expensive equipment such as laptops or test equipment in the rack.

Rack drawers and boxes will make a difference to reduce the clutter and increase the organization in your rack. The photo shows the internal racks here at RackSolutions and you can see that we “Eat our own dog food” utilizing drawers on the front and rear of our racks.

Order Rackmount Drawers and Boxes

Mounting Cisco UCS Slide Rails in a 2Post Rack

will — Mon, 17 May 2010 21:54:02 +0000

The Slide Rail Kits for Cisco’s line of Unified Computing Systems (UCS) are compatible with RackSolutions 2Post Conversion Kits. These Conversion Kits allow the use of standard 4Post Rails in 2Post Racks. These kits have a set of 4 support brackets that bolt onto a 2Post rack and provide the 4 corner attachments that a 4Post Rail Kit requires. The Cisco UCS Slide Rails do not have any mechanisms or assemblies along the outer edge of the rail that might cause an obstruction with the side channel of a 2Post Rack. The 2Post Conversion Kits are available in several sizes that provide solutions for 2Post Racks with side channels up to 6″ wide. These kits are avialable in sizes ranging from 2U to 7U tall allowing up to 7 UCS 1U servers to be mounted using a single kit.

Rail Extension	28 1/4″
Overall Installation Depth	36″ with CMA 34 5/8″ no CMA
Installation Depth using 2Post Kit	29″

Order 2Post Conversion Kits P/N: 2POST-2UKIT Cisco UCS C200, C210, C250 Rail Overview

Cisco’s Slide Rail Kit for UCS C200, C210, & C250

will — Mon, 17 May 2010 20:41:23 +0000

Cisco’s line of Unified Computing Systems (UCS) are available with a tool-less slide rail. This rail kit is compatible with two different types of tool-less mounting interfaces: 3/8″ Square Hole and 1/4″ Round Hole racks. The mechanism on this rail kit has a spring loaded sleeve that retracts for round hole racks. For installations that use square hole racks, the sleeve stays in place and centers the mounting pins in the square holes. The mechanism wraps around the outside of the rack uprights and has a small latch to secure the mechanism in place.

Rack Compatibility	3/8″ Square Hole Racks 1/4″ Round Hole Racks
Rail Extension	28 1/4″
Overall Installation Depth	36″ with CMA 34 5/8″ no CMA
Installation Depth Range	min: 26 5/8″ max: 37 15/16″

Installing UCS Rails in a Threaded Hole Rack Installing UCS Rails in a 2Post Rack

Dell’s Ready Rail for 11G Servers

will — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:28:33 +0000

Dell has introduced a new design for their 11G Servers. This rail kit is like no other before. The first thing that you will notice is that the rails themselves no longer attach to the rear mounting surface of the rack post but now wrap around and attach to the front mounting surface. The square hooks that Dell has used for years on their rail kits have been replaced by a set of pins and a small safety latch. The mounting depth range of this new rail kit changed from the previous kit as well. The following table compares the previous rail kit with the new one.

	Mounting Depth	Overal Depth
Universal Rail	26 15/16″ to 29 5/16″	35 3/16″
Ready Rail	27 1/4″ to 29 3/4″	35 3/8″

The 11G Rail Kit is less likely to cause obstructions than the Universal Rail kit. The 11G Rail Kit has a very clean line from the front to the rear rack post. There are very few racks that this rail kit won’t install in. The exception being a rack that has threaded holes instead of the common square holes. If your rack is tapped then this rail kit will not work! The only option for installations that use a rack with tapped holes is to use a fixed rail or a 3rd Party Rail Kit.

The installations that use 2PostRelay Racks will be able to use the Ready Rail with the addition of a 2Post Conversion Kit. The 2Post Conversion Kits are a set of 4 steel brackets that when installed onto a 2Post Rack provide the 4 corner attachments similar to a standard Server Rack. These Conversion Kits are available in sizes from 2-7 Rack Units and are capable of mounting multiple servers.

Flushmount an LCD monitor in a rack

will — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:45:29 +0000

There are several options available for installing a Flatscreen Display into a Server Rack. The simplest and most economical method is to use a Flushmount Bracket. This product will allow Flatscreens as large as 20″ to be installed into a Server Rack.

The higher end products provide a more integrated look to the installation. These products provide a faceplate that covers the front of the flatscreen. Products like this are only compatible with a particular model of display and therefore must be used with very specific installations.

Flushmount Bracket

Flushmount Display with Cover

Click on Photos for Additional Information

Dell R200 Fixed Rails

will — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:34:33 +0000

Dell R200 Fixed Rail [more options]

The Dell R200 can be quickly installed into any type of Server Rack utilizing a set of 1U Fixed Rails as an alternative to the Dell Rail Kit. The Fixed Rail is a generic product that allows multiple different types of equipment to be installed into any type of Server Rack. The advantage to using a Fixed Rail to install the R200 over the Dell Rail Kit is mostly cost. The Fixed Rail provides significant cost savings compared to the Dell Rail Kit for the R200. Additional savings are seen by using the Fixed Rail for additional equipment once the R200 has been upgraded to a newer Server. The Fixed Rail can be used again and again without having to purchase expensive Slide Rail Kits.

Server Rack Options (4Post & 2Post)

Rack Type	Hole Type	Mounting Depth	Overall Depth	Part Number	Dell SKU
4Post	Any Type	0″ to 31 9/16″	min: 31 1/2″	1UKIT-109	A0137220
2Post	0″ to 18″	min: 31 1/2″	min: 31 1/2″	1UKIT-009	A0389974

[More R200 Rackmount Options]

HP Server Chassis have gotten wide!

will — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:24:32 +0000

The new HP Server Chassis have increased in width to the point that some of the models are no longer able to provide slide rails. The manufacturer’s like HP, Dell, and IBM have shoved about as much electronics as they possible can into the 1U and 2U chassis. This has forced them to make the chassis as long as possible. Apparently HP has found a few more millimeters of space by increasing the chassis width.

This chassis width can prevent the HP servers from being installed in 2Post Relay Racks using the HP Rail Kit. The solution to this issue is using a 3rd Party Rail Kit from RackSolutions. There are several Rail Kits available for the new HP chassis design.

HP ProLiant DL360 Server and Rack Mount Overview

will — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:54:25 +0000

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