My buddy says, Help! My server won't boot up, I keep seeing these errors:
The following VD's are missing: 01
and
The battery hardware is missing
The second one is possibly easy to fix, probably the battery drained from being unplugged on the shelf for too long. Plugging in the Dell 2950 without powering up should do the trick, probably abou 24 hours to reach full charge.
VD1 is the RAID 0 virtual drive that is set up across the drives 2,3,4 and 5
VD0 is the RAID 1 mirrored on drives 0 and 1
Were the drives installed in the right bays? yes.
If not, you can recreate this from the RAID Controller GUI
Now the tech has started the proceduce to reconfigure the RAID but the system is not seeing the hardrives 2,3,4,5 anymore.
HOW TO configure RAID on Dell 2950
http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2008/07/step-by-step-guide-to-configure-hardware-raid-on-dell-servers-with-screenshots/
Check if the RAID controller card is functioning.
Swap with another system that is working to verify.
PDF explaining the Dell diagnostic utilities (written by Dell):
http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/power/ps1q05-20040119-Patel-OE.pdf
Downloads page for Dell PowerEdge 2950:
http://www.dell.com/support/troubleshooting/us/en/555/Index
The "Dell 32 Bit Diagnostics" tool (best):http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/555/DriverDetails?DriverId=Y6D93&FileId=2731107576&DriverName=Dell%2032%20Bit%20Diagnostics%2C%20v.5118A0%2C%205118.3&productCode=poweredge-2950&urlProductCode=Falsehttp://www.dell.com/support/troubleshooting/us/en/555/Indexhttp://www.dell.com/downloads/global/power/ps1q05-20040119-Patel-OE.pdf
HOW TO remotely run the Dell 32 bit Tier 2 Diagnostic over KVM
http://technicalsupportnetwork.org/blog/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=5&blogId=1
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
What the heck is on that guyz roof?
I often see the strangest antennas strapped to someone's chimney or poking out of someone's trunk of the car. Usually it belongs to someone who's a ham radio enthusiast, or buddy searching for extra terrestrials or simply someone grabbing HDTV off the air. I've always been fascinated by the symmetry or the mathematical basis behind the aesthetic design, and "what does that antenna do?"
I came across a Log Periodic Antenna design, while looking up the Blonder-Tongue Doctrine in US patent law oddly enough; the case set a precedent. Sometimes LPA is referred to as Isabel (in honor of one of the creators) at the University of Illinois. The repeating nature also gives it a fractal design. The design parameters are simplified into four design criteria
1) Upper and lower operating frequencies set the shortest and longest dipole length
2) Number of elements
3) Apex angle of antennae
4) Each successive element is a scaled-down length of its immediate predecessor down the array.
5) The scaling factor τ (tau) derived from a log function.
The longest dipole is 1/4 wavelength of the lowest frequency; the shortest dipole is 1/4 wavelength of the highest frequency. The geometry diagram shows only the top half of the antenna; the bottom half is a mirror image of it. I don't understand why they have to make it a pyramidal design for aesthetics. They must do this to achieve a symetrical RF footprint instead for two lobe pairs instead of just a single side. This article explains in detail how the formulas are used and the magic math involved.
I found an online calculator for the LPA design parameters but I just find it creepy that the page displays your IP address and makes snide comments about the browser you're using. Other than that, it's very accurate, I matched the numbers I punched in with a real Kathrein-Scala dual band wireless antenna spec sheet.
The LPA can be quite small to cover a fairly broad radiation footprint with a reasonable power gain. What's neat is only a part of the array is active at a given frequency. Therefore the antenna can cover a wide frequency band without the need of a switching system. This is good for television reception or as advertised, dual band wireless applications.
To the untrained eye, the Log Periodic Antenna could be confused as a Yagi or have many similarities but I'd say that the LPA is more triangular while a yagi is more rectangular.
 |
| Image Source |
1) Upper and lower operating frequencies set the shortest and longest dipole length
2) Number of elements
3) Apex angle of antennae
4) Each successive element is a scaled-down length of its immediate predecessor down the array.
5) The scaling factor τ (tau) derived from a log function.
The longest dipole is 1/4 wavelength of the lowest frequency; the shortest dipole is 1/4 wavelength of the highest frequency. The geometry diagram shows only the top half of the antenna; the bottom half is a mirror image of it. I don't understand why they have to make it a pyramidal design for aesthetics. They must do this to achieve a symetrical RF footprint instead for two lobe pairs instead of just a single side. This article explains in detail how the formulas are used and the magic math involved.
I found an online calculator for the LPA design parameters but I just find it creepy that the page displays your IP address and makes snide comments about the browser you're using. Other than that, it's very accurate, I matched the numbers I punched in with a real Kathrein-Scala dual band wireless antenna spec sheet.
 |
| Cross Polarization |
The LPA can be quite small to cover a fairly broad radiation footprint with a reasonable power gain. What's neat is only a part of the array is active at a given frequency. Therefore the antenna can cover a wide frequency band without the need of a switching system. This is good for television reception or as advertised, dual band wireless applications.
To the untrained eye, the Log Periodic Antenna could be confused as a Yagi or have many similarities but I'd say that the LPA is more triangular while a yagi is more rectangular.
 |
| Image Source |
Friday, June 1, 2012
Miss Canada answers Ubiquitous Broadband Internet Access
At every beauty pageant they always ask the bikini-clad candidate, what is your wish for mankind. Everyone always says the noble standard answer, "World peace" and the crowds cheer. However if I were ever the Miss Canada candidate, I would have to make my answer, free broadband Internet access in Africa.
I cannot claim this idea as my own but it starts with an obscure agreement between the government of the Province of British Columbia and a major Canadian telco Telus Corporation signed in July 29, 2011. BC is in a business agreement with Telus, for a transfer of $10.00 Canadian (if I read that right), to provide access to all residents in BC access to broadband Internet and telecommunications services to have access to the social benefits of connectivity for economic initiatives, access to government services, electronic health and
education services. Contract in pdf here.
The 109 page document signed by the Minister of Citizen's Services and Open Government outlines lots of provisions including askingTelus
- to facilitate last mile connectivity
- expand cellular coverage in rural areas
- maintain Central Office live status if no other ISP is available
- to provide carrier service to the CO for a small ISP
- set a fair wholesale pricing list
- to not compete with eligible ISPs to provide the retail broadband services to end users, except where Telus already has cellular coverage (EVDO, HSPA, LTE) and DSL
The agreement seems to support fair market prices for the consumer and a non competition period of three years, and seems to leave it up to Telus to build the infrastructure, the way I understand it. Sound like a pretty sweet deal for all!
I read a recent article on CNN that poverty in the USA was linked to lack of access to basic telecommunications and Internet because job searching opportunities and even access to higher education and everything these days were most accessible to folks with Internet access, and the have nots were hurting even more with lack of it. We'll see how this reaches out the more rural communities and people living off the grid. Imagine what it could do for a developing nation! Access to information and the capability to communicate and collaborate with other humans.
In my search for the road to world peace, I came across the most inspiring article on CNN by Hamadoun Touré who writes the best case scenario for how mobile broadband could save Africa and help them reach Millennium Development Goals. The UN Millennium Development Goals are best summarized in three categories of education, health, and the environment, and the author sees mobile broadband playing a key role in each. Alright, he takes the crown from Miss Canada's idea.
"If you combat disease, you also reduce child mortality; if you give every child a primary education, you promote gender equality. It is because these goals are interlinked that broadband is so important."
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/27/opinion/technology-toure-africa-mobile/index.html?iref=allsearch
The government priority or foreign aid should be geared at building the infrastructure to support the broadband network or even mobile public transport vehicles equipped with low-cost wifi repeaters.
Here are examples of the Smartphone usage helping local businesses
1) Regular weather updates for the farmer on his Smartphone to plan his planting and seeding schedules
2) GPS geolocation capability for precision farming and optimizing fertilizer and pesticide usage
3) Online access to employment and training in Kenya
4) A young entrepreneur who developed an app for children to improve literacy, numeracy and general knowledge and the platform to delivery the wifi Internet access by public transport vehicles
As long as the kids don't spend too much time playing Angry Birds, here's to saving Africa one smartphone at a time.
I cannot claim this idea as my own but it starts with an obscure agreement between the government of the Province of British Columbia and a major Canadian telco Telus Corporation signed in July 29, 2011. BC is in a business agreement with Telus, for a transfer of $10.00 Canadian (if I read that right), to provide access to all residents in BC access to broadband Internet and telecommunications services to have access to the social benefits of connectivity for economic initiatives, access to government services, electronic health and
education services. Contract in pdf here.
The 109 page document signed by the Minister of Citizen's Services and Open Government outlines lots of provisions including askingTelus
- to facilitate last mile connectivity
- expand cellular coverage in rural areas
- maintain Central Office live status if no other ISP is available
- to provide carrier service to the CO for a small ISP
- set a fair wholesale pricing list
- to not compete with eligible ISPs to provide the retail broadband services to end users, except where Telus already has cellular coverage (EVDO, HSPA, LTE) and DSL
The agreement seems to support fair market prices for the consumer and a non competition period of three years, and seems to leave it up to Telus to build the infrastructure, the way I understand it. Sound like a pretty sweet deal for all!
I read a recent article on CNN that poverty in the USA was linked to lack of access to basic telecommunications and Internet because job searching opportunities and even access to higher education and everything these days were most accessible to folks with Internet access, and the have nots were hurting even more with lack of it. We'll see how this reaches out the more rural communities and people living off the grid. Imagine what it could do for a developing nation! Access to information and the capability to communicate and collaborate with other humans.
In my search for the road to world peace, I came across the most inspiring article on CNN by Hamadoun Touré who writes the best case scenario for how mobile broadband could save Africa and help them reach Millennium Development Goals. The UN Millennium Development Goals are best summarized in three categories of education, health, and the environment, and the author sees mobile broadband playing a key role in each. Alright, he takes the crown from Miss Canada's idea.
"If you combat disease, you also reduce child mortality; if you give every child a primary education, you promote gender equality. It is because these goals are interlinked that broadband is so important."
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/27/opinion/technology-toure-africa-mobile/index.html?iref=allsearch
The government priority or foreign aid should be geared at building the infrastructure to support the broadband network or even mobile public transport vehicles equipped with low-cost wifi repeaters.
Here are examples of the Smartphone usage helping local businesses
1) Regular weather updates for the farmer on his Smartphone to plan his planting and seeding schedules
2) GPS geolocation capability for precision farming and optimizing fertilizer and pesticide usage
3) Online access to employment and training in Kenya
4) A young entrepreneur who developed an app for children to improve literacy, numeracy and general knowledge and the platform to delivery the wifi Internet access by public transport vehicles
As long as the kids don't spend too much time playing Angry Birds, here's to saving Africa one smartphone at a time.
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