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Does anyone still build their own three-phase distro?

Datacenter Talk by engzur 15 replies 6.7K views
engzur

Member OP

BGP Dreamer

#1

RFC 2782 says SRV records, but nobody asks about SRV for PDUs. AS64512 here, /48 prefix, been running 415V since before your CDN had a PoP. Here's the distro I built in 2019:

L1 L2 L3
| | |
[3-pole breaker 63A]
|
[contactors]
/ | \
[PDU-A][PDU-B][PDU-C]
32A 32A 16A

Neutrals bonded at source, not downstream. Ground is ground. Anyone without an ASN asking about three-phase should stop and hire someone. The prefix matters because your insurance cares who signed off.

ana_mad

Member

2 #2
engzur said:
Anyone without an ASN asking about three-phase should stop and hire someone.

Hey! I built one for our small rack in Barcelona, sent ticket to insurer yesterday to check if is covered. Made test order for Socomec parts from industrial supplier, very good price. Three-phase scares me honestly but electrician friend checked my work. I used CEE 63A inlet, then breaker panel from local shop. Not pretty but works for two years now. Cheers!

swimming upstream since 2019 🐟
SingaporeRep

Member

Benchmark Addict

#3

Aww bebe server need big power? Smol hosty only has 1U things, 120V is fine for my smol needs. But I saw @SamAlvi do a hosty with three phase once, was very big and scary. I stick to smol pdu from thrift store. Uwu. My ser-va is happy with 15A.

fio, iperf, geekbench. results or gtfo.
SamAlvi

Member

Self-Host Everything

#4

I run a full 415V setup at home using a retired dock crane contactor block I found surplus. Docker compose for my monitoring stack, reverse proxy to the IPMI, and I know exactly which phase each host draws. Built it over a weekend. The key is respecting the arc flash boundary and using proper torque on your lugs. I documented everything in my homelab wiki. No reason anyone with patience can't do this safely. The industrial parts are cheaper because they're not marketed to "datacenter" buyers.

my cloud. my rules. my 3AM alerts.
kat_fold

Moderator

Moderator

#5

Hey folks, friendly reminder that insurance and electrical code vary by jurisdiction. We've had threads where someone followed forum advice and had coverage denied after a fire. Not saying don't build, just saying document who signed off and keep that paperwork. 🙂 If you're unsure, the cost of a licensed electrician beats the cost of a denied claim. I'll pin a note about this in the wiki.

~be kind or be gone~
nangwill

Member

#6

Is very confusing. Okay. The breaker panel is very expensive in my place, can you help me where buy cheap. I see engzur diagram, is very good, can you help me understand the neutra part, is very important? Okay. My country use 380V not 415V, is very different? Can you help me. I have 4 ser-va now, want grow to 8.

bellaauc

Member

3-2-1 Believer

#7

Before anyone plugs in that shiny new distro, did you test your restore? Your PDUs don't matter if your UPS config isn't documented. 3-2-1 rule applies to infrastructure docs too. Checklist:

  • Breaker sizing written down
  • Phase balance recorded
  • Electrician contact saved offline

And please tell me you have a shutdown sequence tested. I've seen too many "it was fine until it wasn't" stories. The hardware is the easy part.

3-2-1 or you're already dead
kat_fold

Moderator

Moderator

#8

Insurance cares about the /48 prefix? Since when

~be kind or be gone~
haroldgsm

Member

Grumpy Old Sysadmin

#9

Ground is ground. Simple truth.

IPv4, IRC, and irssi — fight me
cleardmitri

Moderator

Moderator

#10

Which Socomec model?

No logs, no proof. I have logs.

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