I just asked about configuring RAID on a Dell server on the Dell linux list. The best advice I got was to ask your sales rep to pre-configure it before shipment. I actually did that by accident. I had some technical discussions with our sales rep about configuring RAID and much to my surprise, the RAID controller came pre-configured. So you might check if maybe you got lucky too. I have not tried the other suggestions I got for configuring the RAID. Apparently, you can set serial output in the BIOS and then use a terminal emulator and a null modem cable to configure RAID. Somebody sent me a series of keystrokes that will supposedly configure the BIOS for serial output but I haven't tried them yet. Then there is the DRAC, Dell Remote Access Console. You may be able to talk to that via a cross over ethernet cable. I intend to try this eventually one way or another because I think its important to know how to access the DRAC. Also, I plan to make a modified grml CD to include dellomsa and start software speech by default. The idea is that you could insert the CD, plug in a USB headset, boot the machine, and use the command line omconfig to do whatever configuration you need to do. Another thing I plan to look into is seeing if I can just add a speakup enabled kernel to the bootable CD that Dell supplies. But I only got my server a couple of days ago and haven't really had time to do anything but boot into vinux. PS: If you don't know about vinux, you should check it out. I hadn't tried it until yesterday but it booted my new Dell server with sppech w/o me having to do anything but boot from the CD. Google "vinux download" for more info. PPS: The Dell linux user's list is at linux-poweredge@dell.com. You run Windows but you may be able to pick up some tips anyway. ----- Original Message ----- From: <Darragh.OHeiligh@Oireachtas.ie> To: "Blind sysadmins list" <blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 6:30 AM Subject: [Blind-sysadmins] Various accessibility questions and installingWindows 2008.
Hello,
I'm sorry for all the questions:
Do any of you have a way of installing Windows 2008? A generic answer file or something like that would be fantastic.
I kind of already know this is not going to be easy, but have you any way of accessing a SCSI controler? I need to set up RAID on two servers. At the moment, I really need to find a way of doing as much as possible without sighted assistance.
Do you have any suggestions for me that would aid in the accessibility of racking a Dell 1U server into a dell rack?
Do you have any tips that would make it easier to patch the server also? Even if these aren't quick fixes, if there's work involved in making the environment more accessible, I'm willing to put in the work. The only problem is there are a hell of a lot of server rooms with a lot of racks and servers.
I'm having problems using Jaws in all VMWare ESX servers. The mirror driver won't install on any of them. Any suggestions as to how I can get around this?
The VMWare VSphear application is reasonably accessible but the tab control for navigating around pages doesn't work with the keyboard. I have to mess around to access everything. Have any of you used it? If so, have you created scripts for Jaws to make it easier to access? I could do it if I had the time, but at the moment, I really don't.
Racking these two servers,cabling them and setting up RAID independently is my major worry at the moment. The thing is, I have no choice but to do it independently as I'm being tested to make sure I can do the job that I've just been given.
I'm really hoping you can help with these questions. If not, I'm going to have a bigger challange on my hands than I do already.
Thanks
Darragh _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-sysadmins