Server Farm anyone?
I worked for BioScience to help them document and sort all their computer equipment for disposal. This is a pile of 53 computers, in all there were about 100+ computers, 130+ monitors, and an insane amount of everything else like keyboards, printers, scanners, mice, cables, and components. They had stacks of CD-RWs stacked to the ceiling!!! The amount of perfectly working stuff they were getting rid of was insane, although it may have been old, there was so much it felt wrong to bin it all! But no… its going.
Unfortunately I forgot to put my phone's camera into hi-res mode!
Mark Jarvis
28 Mar 2006 18:56
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Tags: Bioscience Cluster Computer Junk Server Farm
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9 comments by 2 or more people
[Skip to the latest comment]Whoa! I'm sure there's plenty of people who'd save it from the skip, RaW probably being one. I'm sure we could power a webcam or something with them!
28 Mar 2006, 20:31
Mark Jarvis
Its seriously madness. With a usb hub, you could probably run several webcams with one of those machines. They aint great, but certainly enough to just sit there and do one thing all the time like some kind of server. Linux would probably happily make them into reasonable servers.
28 Mar 2006, 21:22
Throwing them away is a terrible waste :/
29 Mar 2006, 10:41
Mark Jarvis
They all get taken apart so any harmful substances dont go to land fill and stuff gets recycled.. but it still costs money to get rid of stuff you already own! Shame that lot is paid for now and its going on friday, else I could have asked the boss dude if he wants to give away or sell for a small fee the stuff to those who wanted it!
29 Mar 2006, 17:55
Aren't there also various charities that gladly accept old computers?
30 Mar 2006, 12:59
Phill
Whilst I agree that it is a shame that working machines/components have to be scrapped a I have a few points that have to be considdered :–
1) For leagal reasons the university is not allowed to sell/donate old IT equipment.
2) All IT equipment disposed of by the university is recycled, so poisonous/valubale materials are extracted/reused.
3) Whilst some use could possibly be made of this equipment, the time & support keeping such old systems running cannot be justified.
4) Whilst parts of such equipment can be usefull as spare parts, storing vast quantities of old equipment that will probably never be used again cannot be justified.
Cheers,
Phill.
10 May 2006, 14:27
Really? I mean… really?
OEM software can't be transferred, sure, but what legal restrictions are there on donating defunct hardware?
Recycling costs money and uses energy, and nobody expects outdated systems to be maintained (in service or as spares), but I'm surprised to hear of these "restrictions".
10 May 2006, 17:07
Mark Jarvis
Its probably because if it blew up and caused a fire, the uni would be liable.
10 May 2006, 17:38
Phill
Yes Mark is correct, that is exactly the reason that we are not allowed to donate/give it away.
Phill.
11 May 2006, 00:32
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