Book

Server Hardware & Troubleshooting takes you through the absolute fundamentals of common server technologies. It starts from the bedrock of core server hardware and progresses to building and maintaining real world servers. Learn about server anatomy, storage technologies, out of band management, and troubleshooting actual problems you’re likely to find in real world scenarios. Whether you’re preparing for a career that heavily involves servers or simply a curious learner, the book prepares you to approach servers with the confidence and knowledge of the core concepts and hardware that make them tick.

Learn:

• Anatomy of a rack server
• Storage technologies (SAS, SATA, NVME)
• SAS Expanders
• Hardware Raid/HBA controllers
• Storage cabling (Mini SAS, Mini SAS HD, Slim SAS)
• Creating Raid arrays
• Server memory technologies (ECC, Registered, Load Reduced)
• Cooling systems
• Risers
• Networking hardware (SFP, SFP+, OCP)
• Server power supplies and redundancy
• Out of band management systems (iDRAC, iLO, IPMI, Redfish etc)
• Updating server firmware
• Diagnosing and troubleshooting real world problems

This book includes 100+ color photos of server hardware to illustrate the concepts and material.

Learn not only about core fundamental hardware but also how to build servers and troubleshoot problems from the ground up. Included in the book are multiple sections where the author takes you through real server builds starting from an empty chassis. Learn about processors, heatsinks, cooling fans, memory, populating memory, mixing memory of different types, replacing backplanes, adding flex bays, cabling SAS and NVME drives, and troubleshooting common (and uncommon) problems. Throughout the troubleshooting section you’ll learn what to do if a server does not turn on, or presents other problems like memory, storage, or PCIe errors.

This is the ultimate book to learn the fundamentals and gain confidence to approach servers at work, nail a job interview, or even to host a rack server at home. With thousands of servers built and configured over his career, the author has put together the ultimate resource to cut through the noise and deliver only the absolute critical hardware knowledge needed to become an extremely competent server administrator.