Data Center Energy Efficiency in 2009

In my last post, I talked about how it will be more important than ever for data centers to increase their operating efficiencies in the coming year. But, as I’m sure you know, this isn’t a new issue. Boosting energy efficiency in data centers has been a major concern for the past few years, in both the public and private sectors. Doing so will help to produce large energy savings, enhance data center...

Get the Most Out of Your Data Center in 2009

With the economy in turmoil and fears of recession keeping corporate budgets tight, it’s important that organizations get the most bang-for-the-buck with their IT resources. With that in mind, I’d like to recommend another article that looks to the coming year with a proactive mindset. Utility Automation & Engineering T&D and Electric Light & Power online recently published the “Top 10...

Top 10 IT Trends for 2009

Baseline, a magazine for technology leaders and business executives, just published a great slideshow on the IT trends to watch in 2009.Knowledge of the top industry trends can make your company more agile when it comes to implementing information technology and “can give your company the advantage it needs to do business in this challenging economic environment.”The highlighted trends include:Software...

PTS to Provide Services for Verari’s FOREST Container Data Center

I’m happy to announce that PTS Data Center Solutions has partnered with Verari Systems to provide design and construction services for Verari’s FOREST Container data center consolidation solution. The combination of Verari’s modular, portable data center that is deployable virtually anywhere, with the broad project expertise of PTS, provides organizations with a complete and secure “ready to go” alternative...

Data Center Decisions Conference in Chicago

This Thursday, October 23rd, I’ll be a featured speaker at the 2008 Data Center Decisions Conference in Chicago, IL. This year’s conference will focus on four major topics: data center design, systems management, virtualization, and disaster recovery.While the pace of data center and facility design improvements has continually lagged that of IT systems demand, in the last two years vendors have been...

Ongoing Maintenance & Monitoring

It is an obvious truism that given enough time everything will fail. The only tool we have at our disposal to hopefully delay this eventuality is maintenance service. Unfortunately, it’s another truism that for most small computer room operations, this vital step is not performed. As is unfortunately typical, we often put off short-term inconvenience for future unplanned and unpredictable grief.Whatever...

Receptacle Level Load Monitoring & Control

Power monitoring and control at the receptacle or rack level is a hot topic lately. Part of the interest can be attributed to the lure of the unknown – that feeling of “I’m not sure why I want it, but I’ll probably need it!” But there are some really solid reasons for data center managers to consider receptacle-level power monitoring/control solutions.The ability to trace watts information at the...

New White Paper on Power Usage

Managing data center power usage is critical due to rising energy costs and diminishing supplies. But where do you start? To help answer this question, PTS Data Center Solutions in collaboration with Raritan, a leading manufacturer of power management products, developed a new white paper that examines the myths and realities of power usage in the data center. Entitled “Power Moves: Understanding...

Tips for Handling Data Center Moves and Shortages of Space

Look for PTS Data Center Solutions in the July 11th issue of Processor magazine (Vol.30, Issue 28).Kurt Marko interviewed me for the feature article, “Need More Data Center Space?: IT Managers Are Faced With Options Ranging From Simple Housekeeping To Major Construction”. Adding data center space can be a complex and costly issue. If your data center runs out of room, the basic options are 1) reorganize...

Data Center Energy Summit 2008

On June 26th, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) held its first Data Center Energy Summit in Santa Clara, CA. The industry event focused on issues involving data center sustainability, energy efficiency and green computing.In conjunction with Accenture and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), the SVLG also unveiled a report containing real world case studies from its Energy Efficient...

PTS Data Center Solutions Turns 10-Years Old!

Time flies like the wind. Fruit flies like bananas.-- Groucho MarxAll kidding aside, time really does fly! It's hard for me to believe, but it was a decade ago that we founded PTS Data Center Solutions (known way-back-when as Power Technology Sales, Inc.). Our goal then, as it is now, was to provide our clients with unparalleled service and optimal solutions to meet their data center and computer...

Article: “Changing The Oil In Your Data Center”

This is just a quick update before everyone heads out for the holiday weekend.If you haven't already done so, I encourage you to check out the May 16, 2008 issue of Processor magazine (Vol.30, Issue 20). Drew Robb interviewed me for his latest article, entitled “Changing The Oil In Your Data Center.” Maintenance neglect is an all-too-frequent cause of unplanned data center downtime. This people-related...

The National Data Center Energy Efficiency Information Program

Matt Stansberry, editor of SearchDataCenter.com, posted a blog entry on the National Data Center Energy Efficiency Information Program. I'm echoing his post here because energy efficiency is such a critical issue for the industry. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have teamed up on a project with aims to help reduce energy consumption in data centers....

CFD Modeling for Data Center Cooling

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling is a valuable tool for understanding the movement of air through a data center, particularly as air-cooling infrastructure grows more complex. By using CFD analysis to eliminate hot spots, companies can lower energy consumption and reduce data center cooling costs. Mark Fontecchio at SearchDataCenter.com has written a great new article on the subject,...

Free White Paper on Relative Sensitivity Fire Detection Systems

Fire detection is a challenge in high-end, mission critical facilities with high-density cooling requirements. This is due primarily to the varying levels of effectiveness of competing detection systems in high-velocity airflow computer room environments. In a new white paper, PTS Data Center Solutions’ engineers Suresh Soundararaj and David Admirand, P.E. identify and analyze the effectiveness...

Reflections on the DataCenterDynamics Conference

Earlier this month, I had the honor of speaking in two separate sessions at the DatacenterDynamics Conference & Expo in New York City.My first presentation, "The Impact of Numerical Modeling Techniques on Computer Room Design and Operations," was well received by its 60 or so attendees. Based on audience feedback provided both during and after the presentation, I think people really appreciated...

Are the Uptime Institute's Data Center Rating Tiers Out of Date?

Let me start by saying I have the utmost respect for the Uptime Institute’s Pitt Turner, P.E., John Seader, P.E., and Ken Brill and the work they have done furthering the cause of providing some standards to an otherwise standard-less subject like data center design. However, as a data center designer I feel their definitive work, Tier Classifications Define Site Infrastructure Performance, has passed...

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Do you have a Facebook account? If so, you can help spread the word about the Data Center Design blog by joining our newly created Facebook Page. Be among the first to hear about blog updates, speaking engagements and other upcoming events. Click here to view the Facebook Page for PTS Data Center Solutions and add yourself as a Fan. ...

Are “free” computer room site assessment services worth the money you pay for them?

It has become commonplace for the myriad of IT and support infrastructure OEMs to offer free site assessment services in an effort to woo clients into purchasing their equipment. While it was already difficult enough for small- to mid-size design consulting service providers to build credibility and brand-identity in the ultra-competitive world of computer room design, in the past few years these...

PTS’ 2008 Predictions for the Data Center Industry

I consider myself a veteran of the data center design industry. Additionally, I have the good fortune to visit as many as fifty data centers and computer rooms in the course of a year. And while I have seen good ones and bad ones, they all seem to share certain commonalities. As a result of my experiences and research covering a broad scope of concerns, I have compiled a list of the challenges the...

PTS' 2008 Predictions for the Data Center Industry

I consider myself a veteran of the data center design industry. Additionally, I have the good fortune to visit as many as fifty data centers and computer rooms in the course of a year. And while I have seen good ones and bad ones, they all seem to share certain commonalities. As a result of my experiences and research covering a broad scope of concerns, I have compiled a list of the challenges the...

2008 Data Center Industry Trends

A recent article from Network World points to security as the dominant issue for the data center design industry in 2008. Potential threats identified by experts include:Malware attacks which piggy back on major events such as the ‘08 Olympics or the US Presidential ElectionsThe opportunity for the first serious security exploit in corporate VoIP networks Additional malware vulnerability for users...