I'm considering the possibility of using an ethernet-connected (SNMP would be a bonus) microcontroller board of some sort to monitor a RAID card inside a server that doesn't have OS support; the card has LED headers and an I2C header. So:
Which board? Arduino or something more specialised? I'd be OK with a through-hole kit but would prefer pre-assembled to save time; SMT or etching a board are right out.
Where should I mount the board? should I run wires through ventilation holes and have the board outside, or make up some sort of expansion slot mounting bracket and have the board physically inside? Being inside the server does give me access to +5V/+12V for power.