As a lab owner, I am often asked about the equipment I use in my lab and how I choose the gear that powers my research and experiments. In this blog post, I will provide an overview of the compute and networking gear I currently use in my lab, as well as my future plans for upgrades and expansions.
Compute Gear
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My lab is powered by three ESXi servers: ESXi1, ESXi2, and ESXi3. These servers are the workhorses of my lab, providing the processing power and memory needed to run complex simulations and experiments. Here’s a breakdown of each server:
| Server | CPU | Memory | Storage |
| — | — | — | — |
| ESXi1 | Intel Xeon E5-2630 v4 | 128 GB DDR4 | 4 x 4 TB SATA |
| ESXi2 | Intel Xeon E5-2630 v4 | 128 GB DDR4 | 4 x 4 TB SATA |
| ESXi3 | Intel Xeon E5-2630 v4 | 128 GB DDR4 | 4 x 4 TB SATA |
All three servers are connected to the EdgeSwitch, which provides three 1 gigabit RJ45 ports. The iLO adapters of the three servers go to a ToR switch with public network access. One 1000/1000 network connection goes from the ToR switch into the EdgeRouter. Two other 1000/1000 network connections go into ESXi2 and ESXi3. One is for emergency access, the other is unused for now.
Networking Gear
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My lab’s networking gear is designed to provide a stable and high-speed connectivity for my servers and research equipment. Here’s an overview of my current networking setup:
| Device | Description |
| — | — |
| EdgeSwitch | A 10-port switch that provides three 1 gigabit RJ45 ports for my ESXi servers, and seven 10/100/1000 RJ45 ports for my other networking devices. |
| ToR Switch | A 16-port switch that provides public network access to my iLO adapters. |
| EdgeRouter | A router that connects my lab’s networks to the internet and other external networks. |
Future Plans
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While my current setup is serving me well, I have plans to upgrade and expand my lab’s gear in the future. Here are some of the upgrades I am looking forward to:
| Upgrade | Description | Timeline |
| — | — | — |
| New ESXi Servers | I plan to replace my current ESXi servers with newer, faster models that will provide even more processing power and memory. | Q2 2023 |
| Networking Upgrades | I plan to upgrade my networking gear to support faster speeds and more devices. This includes upgrading to 10GbE switches and routers. | Q3 2023 |
| Storage Upgrades | I plan to upgrade my storage systems to faster, higher-capacity drives. This will allow me to store more data and reduce the time it takes to access and process data. | Q4 2023 |
Conclusion
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In conclusion, my lab’s gear is designed to provide the processing power, memory, and connectivity needed to run complex simulations and experiments. While my current setup is serving me well, I have plans to upgrade and expand my lab’s gear in the future. I hope this overview of my lab’s gear has provided valuable insights into the equipment I use and my future plans for upgrades and expansions. Thank you for reading!