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[Windows Server 2003] Temperature monitoring recommendations

Install Server Assistant. Monitor fans, temps, raid status all via snmp/webpage.

I should say: Available on Netware, Windows, and Linux... anything your dells have drivers for... Server assistant can be installed into (normally without reboot too)

reply to Joey1812
I should also add that OMSA (Open Manage Server Assistant, it's full name) can also reboot a frozen server. It's supposed to have some kind of detection in it and reboot the server if the OS hangs but it's never worked for me. Also, if you get the remote access cards (DRAC 3 or 4) they have a standalone version of OMSA built in. The advantage to them is that you can literally remote control the server provided the network connection is still up. It essentially gives you BIOS level control. The old DRAC 2's even had a PCMCIA modem in them that you could dial in to if the network connection was down.

The 2650 will take the DRAC 3 or 4 but I think the 2850 requires the DRAC 4 (the DRAC 5 is PCIe based and will possibly work in the 2850 but not the 2650). Your best bet would likely be to get DRAC 4's for both. Check ebay, you can usually find them for nothing. The 2650 likely has an ERA option (Embedded Remote Access) but I'm not positive if the 2850 has that option or if it uses the same model. The actual DRAC cards plug into the 1st PCI slot (must be the first slot or they won't work).

reply to Joey1812
I think the 2650's have integrated DRAC 3 cards onboard. The 2850's use DRAC 4 cards. You should be able to get one pretty cheap directly from Dell if you want a new one. I think they are less than $100. Sometime direct from Dell is cheaper than those eBay stores.
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Open Source WAN Accelerator
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Are you sure about that? I've always bought the DRAC cards from ebay. Every time I configured a new server, Dell wants $250 for the card and I can almost always get it for under $100 on ebay. The DRAC 3 is currently running $20 - $25 with the most expensive ones running $99 and $189 but those have the PCMCIA option, the others don't (the $189 has a PCMCIA modem, the other doesn't). The DRAC 4 can be had for as low as $20 as well but the average looks like around $50. Even the new DRAC 5's I just bought for our 2950's were only $175 each. Far less than what Dell wanted for them and these were new in box models too (though the 3's and 4's aren't usually).

reply to Joey1812
There are several options for DRAC 3 cards. I hate the PCI add-in cards. I prefer the integrated cards that snap directly onto the motherboard. Dell spare parts division has always gotten me parts for cheaper than what I could find on ebay. Maybe it was just timing. This has been true for the DRAC 3 cards in my 1650's, and DRAC 4 cards in my 2850s. I have never put a DRAC card in a 2650 because they all have them built into the motherboard. At least mine do.
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Open Source WAN Accelerator
»trafficsqueezer.sourceforge.net/

My 2600 has the NIC built in as do my 1650's but they still required the ERA to make them active. I would assume the 2650 is the same way but I don't have one (I did look at buying one then looked at the 2850 but that's as far as I got). Unfortunately in my case, the embedded NIC in my 2600 is dead so even though I put in the ERA module it still wouldn't light up. The same module works fine in a 1650 so I know it's good.

How do I contact the spare parts division? I don't need anything at the moment though there is one part on a 1650 I've been trying to find for a couple of years now. I'd like to compare them to ebay next time I need something. Of course it'll have to be a fair comparison such as warranty or no warranty and NIB vs used pull. It's entirely possible for Dell to be cheaper but usually not in the initial ordering phase, at least that has been my experience.

None of those servers have integrated DRAC/ERA/"ERA/O" (daughter) cards, unless you purchase them. What the new v8 servers have (anything in the past couple of years) have built in RAC yes, but it's BMI (Baseband Management Interface)... a whole different beast.

Several limitations to BMI. Can't be teamed on a NIC, pretty much you need to use the built in NIC only for BMI - kind of like you'd use the built in DRAC nic for. It's also text based, and for the life of me, I can't get it going on one (of three) of my PE840 servers. But... it is remote access in terms of stats and power states.

DRAC cards are mint. Got them in all my main servers. Remote access can reboot the thing just like you're standing in front of it - you can install OSs even and control the console via a java applet. It's self powered and can be connected to even in a down state. The console view/interaction also works great. DRACIII and above work pretty well.

Call "Dell Parts Direct" - in canada - 1 866 440 3355.

They will want $100 ish for ERA/O or ERA daughter cards, or $200+ for full blown DRAC cards. Make sure you get the correct card for the system... some DRACs do not work in some machines - which normally require ERA or ERA/O cards. You can call Dell Technical support and get the exact part number of what you need based on the original system configuration, then take that P/N and call parts.

OMSA is good, and free, and probably all you need - just installs an authentication based web server on the machine and a couple of services (Win32/Linux/Netware). The DRAC cards are pretty sweet, but overkill in most situations.

Edit: With an actual DRAC card, you need to make sure the correct PCI slot is free - normally the 32 Bit PCI slot closest to the bridge... this is so it can capture and insert keyboard/video into the bus. ERA/O cards are normally dedicated daughter boards.