Mounting G5 Xserve in a Server Rack

[dcr]

Has anyone mounted a used (meaning it didn't come with all the parts a new machine would) G5 Xserve in a server rack?

From what I read, you take the cover and mount that to the server rack and then slide the Xserve into the cover. Sounds easy.

The screws I had for the server rack (which work for the front panel) were too large for the screw holes in the back of the Xserve cover. I looked up the right size and ordered them. After the experience with Amazon, I finally received the screws. I took the cover off the first G5 Xserve and mounted it on the front of the server rack. Easy. But, the server rack was too long in the back, despite my measuring it when I assembled it. Fortunately, it's a half-size server rack so I was able to unscrew the back end of the server rack, slide it in smaller and get it to the right size.

Then I go to mount the rear of the Xserve. But it is too far away from the mounting holes on the server rack. And the screws are too short. And the screw holes do not seem to line up with the mounting holes on the server rack no matter how I adjust it.

I can only assume I am either missing something or doing something way wrong. Does anyone have a G5 Xserve mounted in a server rack? If so, can you share a photo of how the rear of the cover is mounted? Searching online, I've only found images of the front and nothing showing the back.

 

[splorp]

I’ve got an Intel Xserve mounted in my server rack. I can’t image that the G5 Xserve mounts differently.

The rack is a vintage Digital Equipment Corporation rack that used to house a PDP8/M mini mainframe.

I had to modify the Xserve mounting brackets slightly to fit around the rack uprights.

 

[max1zzz]

Do you have the rear rails? (These: https://www.thebookyard.com/product.php?cPath=92_233_244&products_id=6710)
In my experience they are almost always missing from Xserves and they are next to impossible to find. It took me a couple of years of searching to find them and even then I could not find the little plates to secure them to the Xserve so had to cut a couple of bits of steel and both them on

The Intel Xserves use more traditional rails that tend to be easier to find

 

[dcr]

I’ve got an Intel Xserve mounted in my server rack. I can’t image that the G5 Xserve mounts differently.

Thanks, but the G5 Xserves are different.

Do you have the rear rails?

Nope. That's clearly the problem. And, if I remember right from my searching a couple weeks ago, different G5 Xserve models had different mounting options.

The instructions I found that I thought were for my G5 Xserve models said you just mount the cover and then slide in the actual machine. They didn't mention any rear rails or anything. But, either those instructions were way wrong or were for a different model.

A couple weeks ago, a customer told me about a fabricator that could make "anything." Maybe I should see if they can make something. I was thinking I could possibly make a cardboard mock-up and then say I need this in metal.

The Intel Xserves use more traditional rails that tend to be easier to find

Good to know. I have an Intel Xserve model as well. Don't know if it has the rails or not as I've never taken it out of the box it came in. I bought it for a project that fell through and then it was never a priority to do anything with it besides my initial inspection when I received the package to make sure it was an Intel Xserve.

 

[splorp]

Thanks, but the G5 Xserves are different.

Gotcha. I only ever seen a G5 Xserve mounted in a closed rack.

 

[dcr]

Gotcha. I only ever seen a G5 Xserve mounted in a closed rack.

I mean, you would think they would be the same since they seem to all have the same form factor but this is Apple, after all.

And, Apple being Apple, they couldn't have just made something that would slide right into the rack or work with standard rails or something. No, they have to have their own special parts that will get lost and be difficult to replace.

 

[joshc]

I am curious as to what the benefit of keeping one of these in service is, even if it's just for messing around with, as I assume the point of it going in a server rack is that it's going to be used somewhat regularly? I for one wouldn't want to pay that electricity bill.

 

[max1zzz]

I am curious as to what the benefit of keeping one of these in service is, even if it's just for messing around with, as I assume the point of it going in a server rack is that it's going to be used somewhat regularly? I for one wouldn't want to pay that electricity bill.

For me it was mostly to get them off the floor and out the way All 3 of my Xserve's have served as my primary server in the past but even the Intel one got taken out of service nearly 10 years ago now. I do want to get the G4 back in to some kind of occasional service for reasons, only problem is I haven't managed to think of something for it to do..... Though that didn't stop me from spending a bunch of time designing adapters to install 2 SSD's in each drive tray

 

[Byrd]

I am curious as to what the benefit of keeping one of these in service is, even if it's just for messing around with, as I assume the point of it going in a server rack is that it's going to be used somewhat regularly? I for one wouldn't want to pay that electricity bill.

They're great to store away little used hard disks

Don't mind an Xserve (have G4 and Intel models), if not in a rack they're easy to store as part of a collection.

 

[cheesestraws]

Professional opinion: Just get one of those 'universal rails' things which are like two tiny shelves.

Unless you're mounting 42 of the things, life is too short to care about vendors' opinions about what rails you should use.