LackRack

The LackRack manual

Note to short URL fanatics: this page is available as http://lackrack.org/.

The LackRack

The first implementation: Red LackRack with Ethernet switch and table lamp

First occurrence on eth0:2010 Winterlan, the LackRack is the ultimate, low-cost, high shininess solution for your modular datacenter-in-the-living-room. Featuring the LACK (side table) from Ikea, the LackRack is an easy-to-implement, exact-fit datacenter building block. It's a little known fact that we have seen Google engineers tinker with Lack tables since way back in 2009.

The LackRack will certainly make its appearance again this summer at eth0:2010 Summer.

Summary

When temporarily not in use, multiple LackRacks can be stacked in a space-efficient way without disassembly, unlike competing 19" server racks.

The LackRack was first seen on eth0:2010 Winterlan in the no-shoe Lounge area. Its low-cost and perfect fit are great for mounting up to 8 U of 19" hardware, such as switches (see below), or perhaps other 19" gear. It's very easy to assemble, and thanks to the design, they are stable enough to hold (for example) 19" switches and you can put your bottle of Club-Mate on top! Multi-shiny LackRack can also be painted to your specific preferences and the airflow is unprecedented!

Howto

You can find a howto on buying a LackRack on this page. This includes the proof that a 19" switch can indeed be placed in the LackRack in its natural habitat!

Close-up of the LackRack, with a switch, in its natural habitat (the IKEA)

Assembly

Illustration of the LackRack's modularity

For assembly in terms of a programming language, this is not the page you need.

However, in order to assemble the LackRack, there are a few prerequisites or tools that are needed:

• 1 (or more) LACK side table from Ikea
• Screwdriver (whether muscle-driven or motor-driven, with preference of the latter)
• Wood screws (they should fit in the rack mounts on your appliance, and not exceed 1" in length)
• Spare time

That's all! First, follow the assembly instructions in the Ikea manual in order to assemble the LACK. After that, the installation of your 19" hardware can begin. When assembling a larger number of LACKs, this link describes a useful tool for fitting the legs to the tabletop.

The LackRack is a stackable modular product. Additional elements can be stacked on top easily. Brackets to secure the top element to the bottom one are not included but available from your local non-computer hardware store.

• If you put several LackRacks side by side, the higher levels can be staggered to form a pyramid. This feature is not present in any other of the commercially available rack products.

Installation

Due to their light weight design, Lackracks will grow to any required size without compromise

Installing hardware in your LackRack is easy!

• Optional but recommended - Put the table on its side (which one is your decision) or upside down
• Mount the hardware between the left and right leg
  • If you mount the first item, it is recommended to install it against the table top for good fit. This happens automatically if you have the LackRack upside down, except in zero gravity environments.
• Screw all the screws that fit in the rack mount in the left and right leg (for stability).
  • With deep units, a Z-shaped bracket may be advisable to secure the rear of the unit against the underside of the tabletop.
•  ???
• Profit! (note how lackable.com has been bought by sgi recently)

Note

Current LACK tables have hollow legs; only the top 5 cm (2") is solid. Fitting equipment below the solid section may require the use of cavity plugs, such as these

Goodies

• You can put food and/or drink on your rack.
• You can put a small lamp on top of the rack to see your hardware and/or better find the aforementioned food and drink.
• The table can be painted in a color of your preference, or decorated in various ways. The eth0 Design team can advise, for a fee, how to optimally decorate the rack to suit your environment.
  • That means, no more dull black/gray racks!
  • Or you can put stickers of your favorite event on them : [1]
• It's easy to colour-code your datacentre: e.g. red for critical services, grey for office automation, green for file-servers, black for systems and network management.
• Cheap!
• Easy!
• Looks good!

Alternative configuration

fitting the equipment to the rear of the front legs

• Mounting the equipment to the rear of the front legs is recommended if you plan to fit switches with fiber uplinks; the created tabletop overhang shields the fiber connections from minor mishap

front view: 8 port switch with fiber uplink, and power bar

note protective overhang

FAQ

• Q: Does the LackRack provide redundant power supply?
  • A: Only if you add it yourself
• Q: Can I put my (coffee) mug on top and don't have to worry about it if I spill liquid on the LackRack?
  • A: You can spill coffee on the LackRack, since it can be cleaned quite easily. However, if you have appliances in the LackRack, there is a chance that these appliances cannot handle the coffee (or any other liquid). You should take precautions in order to protect your appliances

Specs

As from the Ikea product page:

• Product information
  • Easy to assemble.
  • Low weight; easy to move.
  • Readily available desktop area holding your laptop during maintenance.
  • Levenstein distance of "Lack" and "Rack" is 1. Can this still be a coincidence?

• Designer:
  • IKEA of Sweden

• Product dimensions
  • Length: 55cm (21 5/8 ")
  • Width: 55cm (21 5/8 ")
  • Height: 45cm (17 3/4 ")
  • Almost 9U of rack space

• Care instructions
  • Wipe clean using a damp cloth and a mild cleaner.
  • Wipe dry with a clean cloth

• Product description
  • Top: Particleboard, Fiberboard, ABS plastic, Printed and embossed acrylic paint, Clear acrylic lacquer
  • Filling material: Paper
  • Leg: Particleboard, Fiberboard, Foil, Foil

Special Editions

Enterprise Edition

RevSpace branded LackRack Enterprise Edition

Norco RPC-3216 mounted in a LackRack Enterprise Edition.
Additional brackets used to raise the shelf and support the 45kg+ weight.

Ikea LACK coffee table: almost twice as deep, and comes with a shelf. Its size allows both short ends to be used as rack space simultaneously. It's interesting to note that Ikea photographed it from the side; an uncommon artistic approach to 19" server rack photography. It provides for 8 U of hardware: 4 on either side of the shelf.

Following ICT tradition, the Enterprise Edition is more than three times as expensive, while providing less stability than two of the regular products combined.

• Product information
  • Easy to assemble.
  • Low weight; easy to move.
  • Readily available desktop area holding your laptop during maintenance.
  • Levenstein distance of "Lack" and "Rack" is 1. Can this still be a coincidence?

• Designer:
  • IKEA of Sweden

• Product dimensions
  • Length: 90cm
  • Width: 55cm (21 5/8 ")
  • Height: 45cm (17 3/4 ")

• Care instructions
  • Wipe clean using a damp cloth and a mild cleaner.
  • Wipe dry with a clean cloth

• Product description :
  • Top: Particleboard, Fiberboard, ABS plastic, Printed and embossed acrylic paint, Clear acrylic lacquer
  • Filling material: Paper
  • Leg: Particleboard, Fiberboard, Foil, Foil

Other rack solutions from Ikea

It is clear that Ikea has strived to keep many of their products rack compatible since so many of them are capable of housing 19" equipment. See List_of_IkeaRacks

Pricing

Region	Currency	Price	Price in €
Australia SA+WA	AUD	24.95	15.91
Israel	ILS	79	15.03
Australia	AUD	19.99	12.75
Kuwait	KWD	4.50	11.08
Canada	CAD	14.99	10.02
Greece Finland	EUR	9.95	9.95
Czech	CZK	249	9.55
Turkey	TRY	19.95	9.48
Romania	RON	39	9.34
Hungary	HUF	2490	9.19
Hong Kong	HKD	99.9	9.09
Singapore	SGD	17.90	9.02
Malaysia	MYR	39.90	8.31
Russia	RUR	349	8.27
Japan	JPY	999	7.87
Poland	PLN	29.99	7.34
China	CNY	69.00	7.15
Switzerland	CHF	9.95	6.76
Ireland	EUR	5.99	5.99
United Kingdom	GBP	4.99	5.69
United States	USD	7.99	5.65
Denmark	DKK	39	5.24
Portugal	EUR	5.03	5.03
Austria Belgium Germany Italy Netherlands Slovakia Spain	EUR	4.99	4.99
France	EUR	4.95	4.95
Ikealand	SEK	49	4.77
Norway	NOK	39	4.73, cheapest!

Links

• Twitter search on lackrack
• LackRack fans on Facebook
• Photos of an installed RackLack with (fanless) HP Procurve 2510 (in production)

Danish

• Sunech: Server rack from Ikea?
• Lydmaskinen: Forum thread

Dutch

• WebHostingTalk: Forum thread
• Rapture's logs: LackRack (Blogger discovers that his 19" gear lacks mounting brackets, after buying a new LackRack...)
• Webwereld: Een datacenter in je huiskamer
• Matthijs.org: LackRack v2.0 (LackRack variation for more practical everyday office use)

English

• mrngm: LackRack - an odyssee (Buyer's guide)
• instructables: IKEA Hack-a-Lack (Not about the LackRack per se, but a method for assembling a large number of them)
• Data Center Knowledge: The New Data Center Rack From ... IKEA?
• Make:: Ikea server racks for living room datacenters (forum 1, forum 2)
• Slashdot: LackRack Makes Home Colocation More Affordable
• NordicHardware: The LackRack - €5 server rack, for real! (forum)
• Daily DIY: LackRack: Ikea server racks for living room datacenters
• Zedomax: Server Hack – How to Build Your Own IKEA Servers!
• Ikea hacker: The Lack rack hack
• AskCharly: LackRack: Tech Enabled Furniture
• unplggd: IKEA Lack+Network Rack=The LackRack
• Inductive Bias: Shopping at Ikea
• LincolnBlogs: LackRack
• LackCluster: LackRack-ed Cluster Computer Practical use of the LackRack

French

• Artiflo: Ikea arrives in the datacentre

German

• BlogMMix: Happy birthday, 30 year old sidetable!
• GameStar: IKEA table as server rack
• Tipuraneo: Cheap 19" rack
• Sysadminslife: LackRack – billigstes 19 Zoll Serverrack made by IKEA?

Ikeaspråk

• Techworld: Server racks at Ikea (forum)
• NordicHardware: The world's cheapest 19-inch rack from IKEA (forum)

Japanese

• 石坂: Ikea-made 19" rack

Russian

• Хабрахабр: Server rack from Ikea

Spanish

• internetlab: The New Data Center Rack From ... IKEA?
• acens: Ikea diversifies and enters infrastructure market for datacenters
• alasan: LackRack

Gallery

• 

  2 by 3U LackRack.

• 

  Triple LackRack DeLuxe.

• 

  LackRack at IKEA