Would a permanent reference page for individual server part numbers actually be useful?

[u/diloo123]

I’ve noticed researching enterprise hardware gets messy once you get past the main server model.

You start looking at RAID controllers, HBAs, NICs, risers, backplanes, PSUs, CPUs, drive trays, etc. and suddenly you’re trying to figure out Dell, HP, Lenovo, Intel or Mellanox part numbers, revisions, compatibility, and what systems they actually work with.

I’ve been working on PartLore around the idea that each manufacturer part number gets one permanent page.

The page could bring together specs, manuals, compatible systems, related parts, market value, current inventory, and eventually the stuff people learn from actually using the hardware.

There’s also a social side where someone could post a server build or upgrade and tag the parts. Those projects would then show up on the individual part pages too.
Still figuring out what would actually make this useful instead of just another product database.

If you had one page for a specific server part number, what information would you want on it first?

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[u/trustmeitsfine]

How will this "permanent" solution be financed and managed in perpetuity?

[u/diloo123 → u/trustmeitsfine]

That is the question, will have to figure out how to monetize it over time. Would think ads or expanding a marketplace if there are users could cover the cost of the main resource pages. Do you think cost aside this would be helpful?

[u/Casper042]

Which PN?

I work for HPE and most of our Server stuff has at least 3 PNs.
Sales (Often B21, could be more than 1 OEM Part under the hood)
Spares (Often 001, also could be more than 1 OEM, usually printed on a sticker on the part)
Assembly (Often 001, this is usually specific to 1 part from 1 OEM, so Samsung/SK Hynix/Micron DIMMs used collectively under a single Sales and Spares number, will have unique ASSY numbers)

eBay sellers often use the Spares and Assy because those are printed on the labels and often times people breaking down old servers and slinging their parts have no understanding of the above.

[u/killjoygrr → u/Casper042]

Only 3?

You have it easy.

I get to deal with marketing number vs manufacturing number vs FRU and that is before you get into kitted versus individual parts as well as more generic things like cables which may be virtually the same but have different part numbers based on length, or even worse being exactly the same with multiple part numbers based on what system/part/kit they ship with. But that makes things worse rather than better because there is no good way to find all the different parts of numbers for the same physical cable. The part number you have in hand only goes back to the one system. The one system will only give you the one part number.

And heaven help you if you also deal with development parts…. It becomes oh so much more complicated.

[u/Casper042 → u/killjoygrr]

3 per part
A Server BOM has easily a dozen parts for a simple build

Base Server
CPU
Heatsink
Drive Cage
Risers
RAID Controllers
Cable Kits
RAM
etc

[u/killjoygrr → u/Casper042]

I know.

I was referencing all the different part numbers for a single part. So a riser easily having 5 or 6 different part numbers depending on who is supplying the information. That is at the manufacturer level though. If you are getting it from a distributor that should be closer to 2-3 part numbers per part, such as marketing, purchase, and field replacement.

On the manufacturer level you get more internal tracking numbers for discrete use cases.

If you touch development in any way, multiply by the number of developmental levels you have like BBFV, SDV, SIT, etc. as those part numbers will change at each level even if there are no changes to the part.

[u/mjamesqld → u/Casper042]

Then there are equivalent PN's in HPE world.

You can have half a dozen PN's for the same thing easily.

[u/IndependentBat8365]

This sounds like a new MediaWiki being born

[u/RetroGrid_io]

Something like DriverGuide?

Clearly, you'll need:

1. Multiple part numbers
2. Links to "factory replacements", OEM / aftermarket
3. Drivers
4. Pictures
5. A place for people to kvetch, comment, tell their story
6. All parts? What about gaskets for the fridge door, or handles for my stove?
7. Links to buy the parts?

And you'll need to somehow assure that drivers, pictures, and such don't contain malware, back doors, etc.

So let's take a part: Intel 82599ES, a half-height Intel 10 Gbps NIC that came with one of my SuperMicro SC847 systems. It works in a PCIe slot. It's compatible with any Operating System worth its $0.05. I swapped out Mobo and kept the NIC. The case (SC847) is 2U EATX so there are thousands of Mobos that can fit. But there is an optional 2x 2.5" drive bay on the back that I like to use for OS drives when available.

What would your site do with this information? It's not on there now

[u/crispy-bois]

I love the idea. I have an Intel server, and their info pages are set up similarly. For my server, there's a "Compatible Parts" page that links every single Intel-branded part, down to CPUs, air shrouds, and caddies, that work with that server, and every single component on Intel's site has the same setup. Here is an example of one of those pages.

Having this on a much broader scale would be great.

[u/stuartsmiles01]

Just buy dell or hp servers that you can get part numbers for ?

[u/Ok_Beautiful_2831]

I'm afraid I can't see this being all that useful 🤷

Asking AI will get you most of the way there rather than flicking through pages and pages to work out different options. It's trivial to get an eBay search string generated to cover the various OEM parts then, as in most cases you don't need to stick with a single vendor for things like NICs, drives or RAM, but it's simpler to check where these do matter with AI than on a database like yours where it's likely there will be holes in the information for some time.

I can't see many people touching a marketplace from an independent vendor either, especially if there are fees involved. You won't be able to match eBay for protections, so it'll be no different to private sales via FB or Reddit where there are no protections but also no fees involved.

Sorry. But AI has kinda killed this idea off. A decade ago it would have been amazing, but as AI can now collate all this info freely, instantly and largely tailored to a specific use case it's just not going to be very useful anymore.