[Info-vax] EISNER is down. Network unreachable

[Dan Cross]

In article <ui07rq$275c5$1 at dont-email.me>,
Simon Clubley  <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> wrote:
>On 2023-11-01, Hunter Goatley <goathunter at goatley.com> wrote:
>> EISNER is back up now.
>>
>> Hunter
>>
>
>$ set response/mode=good_natured
>
>What VSI need to do is to build a remotely-controlled servo project
>that pushes in the power button on the Alpha when activated. :-)
>
>$ set response/mode=serious
>
>Alternatively, VSI could always look at the US version of something
>like this:
>
>https://www.serverroomenvironments.co.uk/remote-reboot-switches/powerbox-3pg-smart-power-strips
>
>Disclaimer: I've not actually used this device if anyone here in the UK
>is actually thinking of buying one. I've known such devices have existed
>for a long time, and this was the first one I found when I went looking
>for a specific product just now.
>
>IOW: do your own research before buying one. :-)

Several years ago, I had a similar need for some x86 gear.  I
designed a board that provides, effectively, a set of
electrically isolated, serial-controlled solid-state switches.
I used a USB adapter for the serial device, and the "switches"
are really just optocouplers connected to an LED driver
controlled by a microprocessor.  A short Molex cable assembly
connected the optocouplers to a daughter board mounted on a
PCIe connector with a slot cut in it; then headers on the
daughter board connected the optocouplers in parallel with the
frontpanel reset and power switches.  A little daemon written
in Go serialized access to the serial interface and exposed a
simple RPC protocol for command-line tools to request resetting,
turning on, turning off, or power-cycling individual machines.

This worked pretty well.  The way the power and reset switches
on ATX power supplies work, pushing one of those buttons just
shunts a small signalling current, usually pulled high on a
sense pin, to ground; so I only need to turn on a coupler for
a few seconds at a time.  I don't know how this compares to the
power circuitry on an Alpha, though; I imagine it's somewhat
similar, and you can drive this thing from anything that speaks
USB and serial (e.g., a Raspberry Pi).
https://github.com/dancrossnyc/rstpwr/

Of course, if you need to reset the entire power supply,
something like a remotely programmable PDU is still necessary,
which would provide functionality equivalent to toggling the
rocker switch on the PSU.

	- Dan C.


	- Dan C.