Tuesday, October 04, 2011

ICY TIP: Build a Compact Industrial Server with MB994SP-4S, MB994IPO-3SB & MB991IK-B mobile racks


Building a compact server always has compromises to be made. The different choices of available server chassis and other components tend to limit certain features of what the server can accomplish. We notice that SSD’s are then becoming increasingly important to have in compact servers. This is a great idea except, many pedestal server chassis currently completely lack any 2.5” hard drive storage bays. To address the need for a complete backup system, the MB994SP-4S in all aspects provides an excellent solution for system builders and enthusiasts alike.
The MB994SP-4S internal multi-bay enclosure improves functionality further in a multitude of RAID and non-RAID setups by minimizing and simplifying the installation and removal of the hot swappable disks. So this gives the user more choice on how to implement the server be it half RAID 1 and half RAID 0 or many other configurations. Because of this feature, replacements of backups are a thing of the past. The normal process would be to shut down the server computer, un-mount the bad drive, and then repeat the process to remount the replacement drive. Given that for a small form factor case, this makes the job even more difficult physically. The MB994SP-4S only requires to press the eject lever to release the drive and then swap with the replacement drive. There are no cables or screws while swapping to deal with which guarantees no issues with loose cables and less time troubleshooting.

The MB994SP-4S is accompanied by 4 EZ Slide Mini Trays as well with dual fans to insure that the four drives remain cool. It reduces the foot print inside the enclosing computer, protecting the disk from vibration and external forces with its all metal and anti-vibration constructions. Full metal construction of the cage and the EZ Slide Mini Tray are used in order to give the best quality possible for industrial use. Because of this reason, it ensures secure swapping and stability. If four 2.5” slots are not enough however, the floppy disk bay can be exchanged for an additional 2.5” hard drive slot. The MB991IK-B is a single bay mobile rack that fits into a 3.5 device bay. It uses the same EZ Slide Mini Tray as the MB994SP-4S, so the drives can be exchanged in and out of these hot swap bays for backups or repair between the two devices. Meanwhile, if a DVD disk drive is required for added versatility, the MB994IPO-3SB (Coming soon) will fit the bill. The MB994IPO follows the MB994 series with its full metal multi-bay design including 1 x Slim Optical Disk Drive (ODD) slot and 2 x 2.5” hard drive slots for use.
The MB994SP-4S is a very solid device, making it especially ideal for rugged environments. Configurations such as RAID 5 in a compact space make it great to work with given the application. The solid metal construction, along with the EZ Slide Mini Tray makes swapping out drives in case of a server crash quick and simple. Likewise, the MB991IK-B mobile rack allows for mobile transfer of data with ease. This is the perfect solution for system builders who require different types of backup but have a very small workspace and time to deal with any issues that may occur.
MB994SP-4S - 2.5” SAS/SATA Hot Swap Backplane RAID Cage with Four HDD Bays For Single 5.25” Device Bay
http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=114
MB994IPO-3S - 2.5” SAS/SATA Hot Swap Backplane RAID Cage with Two HDD Bays & One Slim ODD Bay For Single 5.25” Device Bay (Pre Order)
MB991IK-B - 2.5” SAS/SATA Mobile Rack For 3.5” Device Bay
http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=34
MB991TRAY-B - 2.5” SAS/SATA Drive Tray for MB991IK, MB994SP Series Internal Mobile Rack Hot Swap Backplane RAID Cage
http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=125

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