Data Center Strategies for the CIOEmail Alerts
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State of the Data Center: 2011
Special Report
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Choosing UPS systems for the data center
Selecting the right UPS for data centers is complex. This buying guide can help you sort through the features offered by today's UPS systems. Buying guide
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Preventing data center system downtime: Advisory board Q&A;
Preparing for system downtime can help IT staff reduce the frequency and duration of costly outages. Q&A;
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The causes and costs of data center system downtime: Advisory Board Q&A;
System downtime may be unavoidable, but planning and training can help restore operations sooner and mitigate the impact on most organizations. Q&A;
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Getting the IT and facilities relationship on track
Expert advice on bringing together the IT and facilities departments can improve efficiency and save the company money. Q&A;
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Load balance your data center to find untapped power capacity
Load balancing data center power can be a good way to gain untapped capacity. Slideshow
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Finding untapped power in the data center
Many data center managers think they're out of power in their facility, or close to it. But there are many ways to regain capacity. Some of them are on the facility side, and some of them are on the IT side, and none of them are that difficult. Slideshow
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Does all your IT load need to have immediate backup power?
Different areas of the data center can have different levels of redundancy Slideshow
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DC power in the data center: A viable option?
DC power is being actively investigated for use in the data center, but the alternative to the ubiquitous AC power platform hasn't yet been proven more effective for the data center. Learn the advantages to DC power as well as the drawbacks from two ... Face-off
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ASHRAE 2009 data center winter conference coverage
SearchDataCenter.com is on site covering data center issues from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE) winter 2009 conference in Chicago. Special Report
- See More: Essential Knowledge on Data center backup power and power distribution
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Two data center hosting companies, one building and Hurricane Sandy
Updated: Two data center hosting companies make their home in one building in Manhattan, which flooded Sunday. News | 01 Nov 2012
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New York Times article on data center power consumption draws ire
The New York Times' article cast data centers as power-hungry behemoths, drawing a stern and swift response from IT pros. News | 25 Sep 2012
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Amazon outage due to data center generator problems
Data center generators are to blame for the Amazon outage in June. What's worse, it's not the first of its kind. News | 03 Jul 2012
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DC power: Coming soon to a data center near you?
As data center operators look for new ways to improve energy efficiency, a move to DC power is all but inevitable, some experts say. News | 08 Dec 2011
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Fuel cell technology pitched as data center power source
An Oregon startup is positioning fuel cell technology for targeted use in data center environments. News | 30 Nov 2011
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Raritan tracks data center assets: News in brief
Raritan’s new asset management tags help data center managers keep tabs on their infrastructure; and other data center facilities news. News | 14 Sep 2011
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APC links to HP Operations Manager: News in brief
APC infrastructure management software integrates with HP Operations Manager for real-time power and cooling monitoring; and more news in brief. News | 03 Jun 2011
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Terremark sees value in containerized data center modules
The flexibility and reduced lead time offered by containerized data center infrastructure has won over colocation provider Terremark. News | 31 May 2011
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Raritan tool finds spare data center capacity: News in brief
Raritan dcTrack helps managers unearth spare data center capacity; Wave2Wave intros a data center on wheels; and iTRACS and TBD Fusion strike partnership. News | 31 May 2011
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HP upgrades NonStop with Intel Itanium 9300: News in brief
HP’s fault-tolerant NonStop platform now runs on a quad-core NB5400c Integrity BladeSystem running Intel’s Itanium 9300 processor. News | 28 Mar 2011
- See More: News on Data center backup power and power distribution
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Is direct current power the silver bullet for data center efficiency?
Direct current power shows promise for better data center energy efficiency, but IT shops may balk at upfront costs and hardware lock-in. Tip
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Does UPS maintenance go to IT or the facilities management team?
The UPS is the last line of defense for keeping your data center alive, but does its care fall to the facilities management team or IT? Tip
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Basic or robust: Find the DCIM system that works for your data center
Each DCIM system features a number of tools to help monitor and manage data center facilities. Evaluate your needs and use this tip to help figure out the right DCIM system for your business. Tip
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Using overhead cables to tidy your data center: Ask the Expert podcast
As data centers move away from tangled messes under the floor, overhead cables usher in a new era of visibility and tidiness. Tip
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How to balance three-phase power to maximize UPS capacity
Apply these techniques to balance the three-phase power load and avoid unnecessarily buying a costly new UPS. Tip
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Arc-flash hazards could lead to deadly consequences in data center
Arc-flash hazards can cause fatal injuries, equipment damage and unnecessary shutdowns in the data center. Tip
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Why monitoring data center power consumption is vital
Monitoring data center power consumption is the first step to reducing energy expenses, but many facilities still lack key monitoring capabilities. Tip
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Avoiding single point of failure design flaws
Redundancy can help a data center avoid downtime, but sometimes hidden flaws in the electrical design can still create a single point of failure. Tip
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Addressing the EPO switch and data center downtime
An EPO switch can be a major liability, potentially leading to accidental downtime, but electrical code doesn’t require all data centers to have a big red button. Tip
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Limitations of the EPO switch and the danger of downtime
An EPO switch is not required in all data centers. Data center owners should consider whether the risk of unplanned downtime is worth the advantages that installing an EPO can offer. Tip
- See More: Tips on Data center backup power and power distribution
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Powering modems with SMPS-based power supplies
Data center physical infrastructure expert Robert McFarlane discusses SMPS-based power. Ask the Expert
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Weighing centralized versus modular UPS in the data center
Power and cooling expert Robert Macfarlane explains the differences between central and modular UPS systems and discusses their merits and shortcomings. Ask the Expert
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UPS maintenance outage
A reader wrote in asking what the best practices were for running a data center when maintenance is being done to the UPS. See what expert Robert McFarlane had to say. Ask the Expert
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More on power supplies
One of expert Robert McFarlane's answers has stirred up even more questions. Read this answer to find out more about power supplies. Ask the Expert
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The Big Red Button
Expert Lance Harry explains the significance of the "big red button" and how it relates to fire safety in response to a reader's question. Ask the Expert
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Dual power question
We're building an existing room into a high thermal density datacenter. Our facilities HVAC rep intends to supplement the new CRAC Units with existing general house HVAC registers, to assist with managing the high heat loads. Will this arrangement ... Ask the Expert
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How important are isolated grounds?
My facilities manger doesn't think I need isolated grounds in my data center. I thought they were necessary for high-performance hardware. How do I convince him I need them? Ask the Expert
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What is the kVA/rack limit?
According to the latest studies, power consumption per rack is increasing. What do you think about a boundary (or limit) in kVA per rack in near... Ask the Expert
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Dual power supplies and power grids
A reader asked: Following on an earlier question about dual power cords, do the power supplies have to be of the same phase? Or can they be from entirely separate power grids. (We will have effectively two supply systems with inline diesel rotary U... Ask the Expert
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Obtaining reasonably accurate numbers for actual power consumption is difficult enough
A reader questioned our expert on one of his responses. See how he defended himself. Ask the Expert
- See More: Expert Advice on Data center backup power and power distribution
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power distribution unit (PDU)
A power distribution unit is a device for controlling electrical power. The most basic PDU is a large power strip without surge protection. Definition
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green data center
A green data center is a repository for the storage, management, and dissemination of data in which the mechanical, lighting, electrical and computer systems are designed for maximum energy efficiency and minimum environmental impact... (Continued) Definition
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power usage effectiveness (PUE)
Power usage effectiveness (PUE) is a metric used to determine the energy efficiency of a data center. PUE is determined by dividing the amount of power entering a data center by the power used to run the computer infrastructure within it. (Continued.... Definition
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intelligent power management (IPM)
Intelligent Power Management (IPM) is a combination of hardware and software that optimizes the distribution and use of electrical power in computer systems and data centers. While the installation of IPM involves up-front cost and ongoing maintenanc... Definition
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uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device that allows your computer to keep running for at least a short time when the primary power source is lost. Definition
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Electric plugs for each country
Electrical plugs and voltages for different countries around the world Type A Type B Type C Type D Type E Type F Type G Type H Type I Type J Type K Type L Country Often uses same connectors as: Voltage Frequency hz Type of plug Afghanistan India 220 ... Definition
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Power production and cogeneration options for data centers
In this Q&A;, an expert discusses the feasibility of implementing independent power production or cogeneration systems, and speculates on future trends in data center power use. Podcast
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Backup power in a shipping container: Active Power's PowerHouse
Active Power demonstrates PowerHouse, its data center backup power product in a shipping container, at the HP Technology Forum in Las Vegas. Video
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Common data center hurdles: Cooling and power distribution problems
A data center manager discusses his primary problems: aging AC units and not-so-green hardware. Video
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Reducing data center power consumption: Data Center Decisions conference
At Data Center Decisions, keynote speaker Matt Stansberry explained the importance of metrics and benchmarks to reducing power consumption. Video
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Data center power consumption: Key theme at DCD
At Data Center Decisions, keynote speaker Matt Stansberry explained the importance of metrics and benchmarks to reducing power consumption. Video
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Power and cooling in the data center
Uptime Institute Executive Director Ken Brill breaks down best practices for data center power and cooling strategies and discusses some poor practices that have actually increased energy consumption. Video
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APC exec discusses data center voltage options
Rob Bunger of APC discusses different voltage options for data centers, including alternating current (AC) options to increase power distribution efficiency. Video
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Two data center hosting companies, one building and Hurricane Sandy
Updated: Two data center hosting companies make their home in one building in Manhattan, which flooded Sunday. News
-
New York Times article on data center power consumption draws ire
The New York Times' article cast data centers as power-hungry behemoths, drawing a stern and swift response from IT pros. News
-
Is direct current power the silver bullet for data center efficiency?
Direct current power shows promise for better data center energy efficiency, but IT shops may balk at upfront costs and hardware lock-in. Tip
-
Does UPS maintenance go to IT or the facilities management team?
The UPS is the last line of defense for keeping your data center alive, but does its care fall to the facilities management team or IT? Tip
-
Basic or robust: Find the DCIM system that works for your data center
Each DCIM system features a number of tools to help monitor and manage data center facilities. Evaluate your needs and use this tip to help figure out the right DCIM system for your business. Tip
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Amazon outage due to data center generator problems
Data center generators are to blame for the Amazon outage in June. What's worse, it's not the first of its kind. News
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power distribution unit (PDU)
A power distribution unit is a device for controlling electrical power. The most basic PDU is a large power strip without surge protection. Definition
-
Using overhead cables to tidy your data center: Ask the Expert podcast
As data centers move away from tangled messes under the floor, overhead cables usher in a new era of visibility and tidiness. Tip
-
How to balance three-phase power to maximize UPS capacity
Apply these techniques to balance the three-phase power load and avoid unnecessarily buying a costly new UPS. Tip
-
Arc-flash hazards could lead to deadly consequences in data center
Arc-flash hazards can cause fatal injuries, equipment damage and unnecessary shutdowns in the data center. Tip
- See More: All on Data center backup power and power distribution
About Data center backup power and power distribution
Find news and tutorials on power management in the data center, including how to manage data center backup power and saving energy.