UPS Configuration Availability Rankings

Peter Sacco, President & Founder, PTS Data Center Solutions, recently wrote a new white paper on UPS Configuration Availability Rankings.

Reliance on technology has elevated data center availability from a lofty goal to an absolute necessity. As such, the configuration of the UPS system is vitally important in achieving high-availability with respect to the power side of the universe. This paper explores a number of different UPS configurations, how they contribute to availability, and who manufactures them.

Pete's conclusion is that UPS configurations depend upon a number of factors including: level of availability required/desired (i.e. Tier class), IT load requirements, power input, and budget. Understanding these factors and their impact on UPS configuration and design will result in a suitable UPS purchase to meet user and IT load requirements.

For the complete white paper, please visit the PTS Media Library (log-in required) or contact us to receive a complimentary PDF.

Which is higher availability 2N or N+2?

Modular scalable solutions continue to drive our industry to improved efficiency and availability. Most know about modular cabling infrastructure, CRAC units with VFDs and scalable UPS technology, but did you know you could also have modularity and scalability with your chillers?

Most understand that modular solutions improve efficiency, but many believe that a 2N design is higher availability than a N+2 design. Not so fast, 2N is 2 component failures away from an outage where N+2 in a modular design is typically 3 components away from having reduced capacity. So why doesn't Uptime consider N+x designs for any of the critical components in it's tiering ratings? For that matter why isn't there a data center rating system that considers the improved availability of N+x designs?

CleanZone Premier Contamination Control Zone Solution

Typically PTS focuses on high tech design considerations and solutions for your data center, computer room, server room, or network operations center. However, we are extremely impressed with the performance of the CleanZone Premier solution from UK Company, Dycem.

The product is designed to attract, collect, and retain contaminating particles which collect on your shoes before you enter the mission critical room.

To learn more about how Dycem products work, check out the PTS Data Center Design Channel Dycem video, click here or contact PTS.

Why You Should Consider VMware vSphere 5

There are several choices available for server, storage, and desktop virtualization. VMware's vSphere solution continues to lead the pack in terms of features and functionality. With its recent release of version 5 for both vSphere and Site Recovery Manager, VMware responds to client and partner requests to improve speed to deploy, response to disaster, and the ability to run its solutions independent of platform (i.e. now from a smart phone).
Top Reasons to Consider vSphere 5:

• Speed of High Availability Features - Performs more simultaneous vMotions, simplifies clustering setup and configuration, and enhances reliability through better resource guarantees and monitoring


• vCenter Now Runs as a Virtual Management Assistant - For small scale deployments, there is no need to purchase an operating system


• Web Client Availability - Allows platform independence (i.e. the ability to run from a smart phone)


• Host Profiling - Permits copying of host settings across multiple ESXi hosts allowing a series of hosts to be deployed and configured in a fraction of the time

To learn more about the new VMware vSphere 5 features as well as improvements to Site Recovery Manager, Click Here or Contact PTS.

Modular & Containerized Data Center Solutions

Modular and Containerized Solutions for Data Center expansion have received a great deal of press over the last year. Some manufacturers claim PUEs in the 1.2 range. However, be careful with these advertised claims because is the advertised PUE based on your climate, availability needs, initial IT load, designed IT load or maximum IT load?

PTS can help you plan a modular or containerized strategy that meets your short and long term IT and business requirements. PTS, as a vendor agnostic consultancy, has looked at the best solutions in the market and determined there are several worth considering for your data center requirements.

What would drive an organization to consider a modular solution? Reasons include:

• Rapid IT Deployment Schedules
• Facility Scalability
• High Efficiencies
• Reduced CAPEX Requirements
• Repeatable Standards
• Structural Security

After determining your strategic reasons to consider a modular or containerized data center approach, it is critical to look at the best-in-class solutions. PTS provides feasibility assessments and a great deal of experience with these modular approaches and can help guide you to the right solution for your requirements. After a great deal of research and validation of their claims, our recommendations include products from BladeRoom, Elliptical Mobile Solutions, Emerson, and Firelock.

To learn more about PTS recommended Modular & Containerized Solutions, Click Here or Contact PTS.

PTS Launches YouTube Data Center Design Channel

As PTS Data Center Solutions looks to provide best-of-breed services and solutions for data center, computer room, server room, and other mission critical facilities, we have launched the new YouTube Data Center Design Channel.

The channel will focus on providing users videos of interesting new services and solutions that can help data center operators and IT managers more effectively and efficiently manage their facilities. As new videos come available we will alert our followers through email and social media channels.

After you check out the site we welcome your feedback and suggestions for improvement, new video topics, etc. Current videos include locking clips for data center cabling applications, energy efficiency solutions and services, modular and containerized data centers, leading data center IT switching solutions, and other facility and IT solutions recommended by the Experts for Your Always Available Data Center, PTS.

Selecting the Optimal Data Center Cooling Solution

Pete Sacco, President & CEO, of PTS Data Center Solutions authored an interesting article on the most effective way to select an Optimal Data Center Cooling Solution.

A better way to think about data center cooling is to forget the notion of adding 'cold' to a room. Rather, think about air conditioning as removing heat from the room. Selecting the optimal cooling solution involves a deep understanding and comparison between the performance characteristics, capital expense (CAPEX), and operational expense (OPEX) of each potential configuration.

The article provides a deep dive into:

• Establishing Suitable Design Criteria for Your Data Center Requirement


• Reviews Leading Computer Room Air Conditioning Approaches


• Provides an Overview of the Role Played by a Data Center Design Consultant

Read the entire article by clicking here or learn more by contacting PTS.

To learn more about PTS services and solutions for data center cooling needs, click here.

Data Center Design News - August 2011

Recent appearances by PTS Data Center Solutions data center design experts in leading industry publications:

Overseeing A Data Center Move
Processor.com, June 1, 2011

Overseeing the complexity of a data center move can feel overwhelming because there are so many moving parts, decisions, and last-minute changes that can crop up. But when taking on that role, data center managers don't need to do all the work-and indeed, they shouldn't, believes Peter Sacco, president of PTS Data Center Solutions.

To Read the Full Article, Please Click Here

Capacity Planning, Environmental Monitoring Solutions Can Help Data Centers Protect IT Investments

InfoTech Spotlight, June 9, 2011

To successfully compete in the current economic conditions, organizations need to make IT investments with the utmost care and planning. Not spending IT dollars wisely can unnecessarily deplete a company's budget or prevent them from reaching their full potential.

Michael Petrino, vice president for PTS Data Center Solutions, recommends investing in software that can provide redundancy planning and 3D graphics for space, power and cooling capacity.

To Read the Full Article, Please Click Here

The Evolving Complexity of Network Security

As network design complexity has increased and hackers have taken to designing threats via malicious applications, it has become clear the traditional firewall security approach with port blocking and URL filtering no longer suffices to protect an enterprise network.

Today, many applications share the same port while some Web 2.0 applications use multiple ports. Malicious applications can use non-standard ports and SSL encryption to avoid detection and control. Application control is no longer simply managed by allowing or blocking the ability of users to "run" an application.

To prevent data loss and network security threats, organizations must control legacy applications as well as Web 2.0 applications. Applications filtering is critical to lock down the network. Moving forward, we suggest network administrators consider the following:

• Do you have a comprehensive enterprise network security policy and plan?


• What means do you have to monitor and block malicious Web 2.0 applications threats?


• Are end users able to effectively perform their job functions without putting corporate information at risk in terms of attacks and/or confidentiality?


• Would a way to effectively control the use of internet-based applications improve overall enterprise network security?

Do you have any war stories or suggestions around the topic of network security related to Web 2.0 applications? To learn more about PTS' network security approaches, please contact us or visit the PTS website.

Data Center Design News

Our data center design experts are often asked to share insights with leading industry publications. Here is a sampling of our recent appearances:

Improving Energy Efficiency in Data Centers

Data Center Knowledge: Industry Perspectives, April 28, 2011

Peter Sacco, founder and president of PTS Data Center Solutions, presents an article on improving energy efficiency in Data Centers. It is, perhaps, second only to performance when deciding upon data center facility and information technology (IT) network design. Higher energy consumption is a recurring cost that can add dramatically to operating expense over time.

Best Practices in Building a New Data Center

The DCIM Advisory, April 12, 2011

Peter Sacco, founder and CEO of PTS Data Center Solutions and partner with nlyte Software, was recently interviewed by Barbara Morris, Editor, of The DCIM Advisory, nlyte's monthly online trade journal.

The article focuses on how to avoid the pitfalls many experience in mission critical facilities and centers around Pete's experiences visiting 50 to 60 data centers every year and having designed many more.

To Learn More About nlyte’s DCIM Solutions, Please Click Here

What metrics are you using to measure your IT & Data Center Efficiency?

We find that most only use PUE and many don't correctly calculate their PUE that may be OK as PUE is only meant to be a benchmark to improve your own efficiency. However, I don’t think the right metrics are out there to help clients understand their entire efficiency story Secondly, if the metrics are too complicated they won’t be used widely & gain acceptance from users, consultants and vendors.

A metric like CADE seem to be better suited to determining your real overall efficiency without a positive efficiency improvement on the IT side lowering my overall data center efficiency as it can with PUE. However, I believe a metric like CADE doesn’t get widely used because users have enough trouble obtaining enough monitoring points to calculate PUE, now look at what they need to correctly calculate CADE. CADE was introduced 3 years ago yet you hardly ever hear anyone speak of CADE or working to improve their CADE as you do with PUE. Perhaps it's because CADE involves IT & facilities metrics and as we all know it's challenging getting IT & facilities on the same page.

I don't think we're done with new metrics either as the Global Task Force on this just met again this spring. Is anyone using any of the new metrics such as DCcE, ScE, or DCeP? If so what has been your experience with their effectiveness? I'm doing a presentation on, “Understanding Data Center & IT Energy Usage - Developing an Optimization Plan for the Fastest Growing Component of Your Energy Bill", that includes this subject at the Con Edison Energy Efficiency Summit next week so your input would be appreciated. If you're interested in the summit, see the attached link.

Virtualization Made Easy

Check out the tools available at this Virtualization website. You can perform your own Self Assessment, use a Virtualization Savings Calculator, and learn about various solutions from VMware to discover how virtualization may help your business.

In addition, unlike other VMware providers, PTS Data Center Solutions analyzes server effectiveness as well as the impact virtualizing your environment will have on facility infrastructure. When implemented efficiently, the result is a comprehensive program which improves energy efficiency and reduces overall operating costs.

Contact PTS to learn more and receive a complimentary virtualization capacity planner assessment!

PTS Exhibiting at Con Edison Energy Efficiency Summit 2011

Join PTS at the Con Edison Energy Efficiency Summit on June 1st at the Hilton New York Hotel. The event brings together building contractors, manufacturers, and consultants working to reduce business energy consumption. Many reports state greater than 50% of the power burden for businesses resides in the data center and its IT and facility support infrastructure. Leveraging our proprietary data center & energy usage assessment approach, PTS provides actionable recommendations to reduce energy consumption and green the data center.

Register and get the event details here or learn more about PTS' role as a Market Partner to ConEd focused on assessing and improving energy efficiency within data centers and computer rooms.

PTS Exhibiting at Con Edison Energy Efficiency Summit 2011

Join PTS at the Con Edison Energy Efficiency Summit on June 1st at the Hilton New York Hotel. The event brings together building contractors, manufacturers, and consultants working to reduce business energy consumption. Many reports state greater than 50% of the power burden for businesses resides in the data center and its IT and facility support infrastructure. Leveraging our proprietary data center & energy usage assessment approach, PTS provides actionable recommendations to reduce energy consumption and green the data center.

Register and get the event details here or learn more about PTS' role as a Market Partner to ConEd focused on assessing and improving energy efficiency within data centers and computer rooms.

Improving Energy Efficiency in Data Centers

Pete Sacco, Founder & President of PTS Data Center Solutions, wrote a recent article for Data Center Knowledge. With the high cost of power, efficient data center design can lead to significant monthly operational savings.

The article discusses various issues related to energy efficiency including performing initial assessments to develop a baseline, analyzing facility support infrastructure and IT infrastructure opportunities to reduce load, implementing changes, and measuring the resulting improvements in efficiency.

Ultimately, it appears from analysis and testing, the best way to significant reductions in power consumption is to reduce the overall IT load which delivers reductions in IT power consumption as well as reductions in power related to cooling that same IT load.

To learn more visit the PTS Media Library and register to download the complete white paper.

Improving Energy Efficiency in Data Centers

Pete Sacco, Founder & President of PTS Data Center Solutions, wrote a recent article for Data Center Knowledge. With the high cost of power, efficient data center design can lead to significant monthly operational savings.

The article discusses various issues related to energy efficiency including performing initial assessments to develop a baseline, analyzing facility support infrastructure and IT infrastructure opportunities to reduce load, implementing changes, and measuring the resulting improvements in efficiency.

Ultimately, it appears from analysis and testing, the best way to significant reductions in power consumption is to reduce the overall IT load which delivers reductions in IT power consumption as well as reductions in power related to cooling that same IT load.

To learn more visit the PTS Media Library to download the complete white paper.

Improving Energy Efficiency in Data Centers

Pete Sacco, Founder & President of PTS Data Center Solutions, wrote a recent article Data Center Knowledge.

The Real Cost of Manual Asset Management

No Limits Software, a leading provider of data center solutions, including asset management, capacity planning, and power and environmental monitoring, recently released an interesting white paper on the real or true cost of manual asset management.

There are a number of methods used to manage IT assets inhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif the data center including Excel spreadsheets, custom developed asset management databases, and expensive asset management software solutions. As a data center grows, the viability of using low end solutions such as an Excel spreadsheet drops significantly while the cost for high end asset management tools rises significantly. In the white paper, the author presents concrete financial costs associated with manual data entry to maintain accurate IT asset records.

Ultimately, the ability to perform auto-discovery of assets and then track those assets through their life cycles in terms of management and maintenance is a critical component of a well conceived data center management approach.

To read the full white paper visit the PTS Media Library.

To learn more about No Limits Software solutions click here.

Best Practices in Building a New Data Center

Peter Sacco, founder and CEO of PTS Data Center Solutions and partner with nlyte Software, was recently interviewed by Barbara Morris, Editor, of The DCIM Advisory, nlyte's monthly online trade journal.

The article focuses on how to avoid the pitfalls many experience in mission critical facilities and centers around Pete's experiences visiting 50 to 60 data centers every year and having designed many more. His experience in and knowledge of data centers is vast and complex, but he breaks it down into four main points to consider:

• Defining data center management depends on your point of view.
• Data center challenges continue to be the lack of space, power and cooling.
• Mission-critical facilities have a finite life span.
• A data center infrastructure management (DCIM) solution simplifies data center management.

To read the entire article click here.

To learn more about nlyte's DCIM solutions click here.

Emerson Network Power's Smart Solutions Tour Review.

Hope you didn't miss Emerson Network Power's Smart Solutions Tour, but in case you did here are a few of the highlights: In addition to having a live SmartMod to tour, Emerson Network Power delivered compelling presentations on SmartRow & SmartAisle versus conventional builds for their new integrated infrastructure that covers integrated power, cooling, fire suppression, management and control. Case studies were presented where SmartAisle solutions save 9% in CAPEX, 60% in real estate & 27% in energy versus a conventional build for a medium size data center. Equally a SmartRow saves 9% in CAPEX and 27% in energy versus a conventional build for a small data center.

Emerson Network Power also showed new additions to their XD line offering more breakthroughs in Data Center efficiency. The XDR is a pumped refrigerant rear door passive cooling fanless heat exchanger module. The XDR installs as the rear door of an equipment rack, providing up to 20kW of room neutral cooling. XDS is a pumped refrigerant cold plate technology to remove heat directly from servers through conduction for high density server racks at 20KW or 40KW.

Emerson Network Power also presented their future on data center management & control tools where existing tools, such as; SiteScan, Nform, Aperture, Data Center Planner and DSView will roll-up to the new Trellis platform to be released in December of 2011. Trellis through data rolled up from these point solutions and analytics will empower stakeholders with recommendations for managing, planning & optimizing their data center facility and IT infrastructure.

2011 Smart Solutions Tour - April 5th

PTS will be participating with Emerson Network Power at an upcoming event called the 2011 Smart Solutions Tour. The event is on April 5th in Edison, NJ.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see how intelligent, integrated infrastructure can help you attain crucial data center objectives such as efficiency, capacity, availability and control – without sacrifice.

Plus take a tour of the unique, rapidly deployable SmartMod™ enclosure.

Visit http://www.ptsdcs.com/event-20110405-Emerson-Network-Power.asp to learn more and register.

Is It Time To Toss The Tape?

The ExaGrid disk-based backup appliance with deduplication replaces tape in the nightly backup process. Customers are moving to disk-based backup solutions to remedy a number of problems. These include long backup windows as data volumes increase, the slow (and often unreliable) process of finding and restoring files from tape, the need for a Disaster Recovery Strategy or remote site replication, and the desire to employ zone-level deduplication in the process to eliminate redundant data and maximize storage capacity. In a recent independent survey, 88% of respondents reported faster backup times using the ExaGrid solution.

The migration from tape to disk-based backups is also being driven by the low cost of disk, the speed advantages of disk over tape, and the long-term reliability of a disk-based solution for compliance and regulatory purposes in certain industries.

ExaGrid solutions are ideal for users with 1TB to 100TB of data and can be integrated and installed by the customer in less than one hour.

Our customers are no longer asking if they will replace tape with disk, but when? If you are considering the move from tape, you might find the “7 Key Steps to Overcoming the Limitations of Tape Backup White Paper” helpful. Click here to download and if you qualify, ExaGrid will send you a $100 American Express Gift Card if you request an individual web presentation with PTS and ExaGrid.

Possible Future Acquisitions by Hewlett-Packard

I recently came across the following Software Advice article on possible future acquisitions by Hewlett-Packard, http://www.softwareadvice.com/articles/enterprise/hp-mergers-acquisitions-who-is-next-1031401/.

In the article, the author discusses the likelihood of each potential acquisition and present an infographic that summarizes HP's recent M&A activity up until now. They have also included a survey to find out what readers think about each possibility.

I hope you find it as interesting as I did.

About PTS Data Center Solutions
Experts for Your Always Available Data Center

PTS Data Center Solutions specializes in the business strategy, planning, designing, engineering, constructing, commissioning, implementing, maintaining, and managing of data center and computer room environments from both the facility and IT perspectives.

Founded in 1998, PTS is a consulting, design/engineering, and construction firm providing turnkey solutions, and offering a broad range of data center, computer room, and technical space project experience. PTS employs industry best practices in integrating proven, ‘best-of-breed’, critical infrastructure technologies that result in always available, scalable, redundant, fault-tolerant, manageable, and maintainable mission critical environments.

Integrated Data Center Facility and IT Expertise

With a proven process for understanding and addressing client needs as well as integrated facilities and IT experience and expertise, PTS has a unique vantage point for executing data center, computer room, and network operations center projects.

In every engagement, PTS applies a disciplined, consultative approach to systematically survey and assess the situation and then develop effective plans for seizing opportunities and overcoming obstacles. And, PTS offers a full complement of services—from business strategy and planning to facilities engineering to IT design and implementation—to help transform those plans into reality.

From our corporate headquarters in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and our office in Orange County, California, PTS works to fulfill our mission of creating satisfied customers by emphasizing planning and pre-construction services to provide the optimal people, process, and technology solution to meet our clients’ needs and results in an early and accurate alignment between scope, schedule, and budget.

For more information, contact PTS at 1-866-PTS-DCS1 / 1-866-787-3271 or visit PTS online at www.PTSdcs.com.

PTS Accepted into Con Edison's New Data Center Energy Efficiency Program

Franklin Lakes, NJ, February 15, 2011 — PTS Data Center Solutions announced today it has been accepted as a Market Partner in the Consolidated Edison of New York (Con Edison) Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Program. Specifically, PTS’ focus will fall under Con Edison’s new Data Center Efficiency Program which Con Edison has launched in conjunction with NYSERDA.

The program is specifically designed to offer data centers an unprecedented opportunity to reduce operating costs, improve energy efficiency, and reduce carbon output. In particular, within Con Edison’s coverage area, PTS will assess data center operations and make detailed energy efficiency improvement recommendations of both a facility & IT infrastructure nature.

New York State contains the second highest concentration of data centers in the US and a Lawrence Berkley National Labs study found that data centers in New York consume an estimated 4.5 billion kWh/year at a cost of $584 million/year. The program looks to support data center operators who are capacity constrained and/or looking to reduce energy usage and, therefore, operating expenses.

PTS will leverage its long history in data center consulting, engineering, infrastructure, construction, and maintenance to deliver Energy Usage Assessments with clearly defined energy savings recommendations. These recommendations may span the facility support infrastructure and IT equipment as PTS incorporates a comprehensive and holistic approach to data center analysis and redesign.

PTS President, Peter Sacco, said “PTS is pleased to join the Con Edison Market Partner Network. We will provide exceptional Energy Efficiency Assessments supporting our reputation in the tri-state area as a leading provider of consulting services related to data center greening and optimization. We are excited to work with data center providers who understand the impact successful energy efficiency improvements will have on the environment.”

Energy savings services offered through the program include:

• Outreach, Education, and Marketing to recruit data centers into the initiative;

• Technical Assistance Studies for data center, computer room, and server room operators interested in identifying their energy efficiency options;

• Energy Improvement Installation Incentives to off-set the cost of energy efficiency improvements. Improvements could include lighting, cooling, insulation, VFDs, server upgrades, virtualization, storage consolidation and other energy-related measures; and,

• Customer Installation Support to provide participating data centers with a complete package that addresses all energy related issues critical to their facilities’ operation.

A customized portfolio of energy efficiency services will be tailored to a data center’s specific energy needs.

To learn more about the Con Edison program as well as other PTS Energy Efficiency services, feel free to contact PTS at 201-337-3833, visit http://www.ptsdcs.com/energy-efficiency-assessments.asp, or email us at marketing@PTSdcs.com. You can also get program information at the Con Edison program website http://www.coned.com/energysavings.

About Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Edison)

Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $13 billion in annual revenues and $35 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more than three million customers in New York City and Westchester County, New York. For additional financial, operations and customer service information, visit us on the Web at www.conEd.com, at our green site, www.coned.com/thepowerofgreen, or find us on Facebook at Power of Green.

About PTS Data Center Solutions

Founded in 1998, PTS is a turnkey solutions provider specializing in data center and computer room consulting, engineering, infrastructure, construction, and maintenance services. We offer a broad range of project experience in designing data centers, computer rooms, and technical spaces. We employ industry best practices in integrating proven, ‘best-of-breed’, critical infrastructure technologies that result in always available, scalable, redundant, fault-tolerant, manageable, and maintainable mission critical environments.

In today's highly competitive climate where businesses can't stop and downtime is measured in profits lost, PTS offers survey, assessment, strategy, planning, feasibility, engineering, design, construction, commissioning, implementation, monitoring, maintenance, and predictive analysis services for protection against of some of the leading causes of critical systems downtime, hardware damage, data loss, and decreased employee productivity. Highly respected in our industry, PTS sets the standard for ‘always available’ solutions for data center and computer room environments.

To learn more, visit the company’s website at www.ptsdcs.com.

###

Contact Information:
Larry Davis
Director of Marketing
201-337-3833 x123
ldavis@ptsdcs.com

To COLO or Not To COLO Part II

There are many valid reasons to COLO or outsource part of your data processing and storage requirements, but we are finding that there are many misconceptions about cost benefits in making a decision to COLO and that cost is typically the determining factor even though there is no real savings. What is often overlooked in evaluating data center strategy options; owning and operating a data center versus COLO space is that even if I outsource the processing and data storage I cannot outsource the need for a local network and facility support infrastructure so I still need an environmentally controlled data center with conditioned power and back-up to support my local network, WAN connectivity, security & phone systems. You can never outsource the entire facilities mission critical infrastructure can you?

For a true comparison, we need to look at hosted space for my processing & data storage while owning a small data center to support my local network, facility and safety equipment with power & bandwidth costs for both the local & COLO spaces versus owning the data center to accommodate my processing, data storage, network, facility and safety equipment with its operating costs to support everything in that single facility. With the COLO option we can reduce CAPEX from having to expand the mission critical facility by hosting the need for additional servers & data storage, but building with modular scalable data center solutions can accomplish that goal with financing and an added bonus of tax depreciation. There are cases where costs for power in a location are over .20 per kWr that hosting becomes more attractive for my processing and data storage, but it would still be less costly to relocate your processing and data storage to an area with lower utility costs and continue to own as hosting facilities always have a mark-up on at least one facet of space, power, bandwidth and support. While COLO has a lower initial CAPEX, its higher OPEX absolutely ensures the COLO model will always be more expensive in the long run. So if COLO isn’t less expensive in the long run, why are COLO facilities popping up like rabbits in springtime?

The 3 real reasons to host & the cause of the COLO boom are:
1.) We can't keep up with the expansion demand; we’re going to run out of space, power or cooling for our processing and data storage before we can alter our facilities to accommodate the growth
2.) We don't have the internal expertise to effectively plan, build, manage and operate our own data centers to the availability requirements of our businesses. I'll expand on this one a little to say that many organizations haven't effectively planned, designed or engineered their data centers in the past so they only got 3 years out of their 10 year data center plan. They built structured cabling or power infrastructure to meet their needs for bandwidth and power today so their data center quickly became outdated. For organizations like this data centers were a bad investment. Perhaps they should look to make improvements in their decision making in this area or rely more on effective consulting engineers.
3.) We don't want to be in the business of owning and operating a data center and want to focus our attention to our core business. Careful with this one as I've yet to see an organization operate a facility without a network, security system and phone system which require a small data center, of course we can outsource the operations and maintenance of a small data center’s operation but not the responsibility.

If we are doing an effective job with management and decision making, it will always be less expensive in the long run to own and operate our data centers. Stakeholders and decision makers should be more careful in their dreams of getting out of the data center business as well because nowadays it is the business. COLO facilities don't alleviate us of the responsibility for effectively protecting and managing our mission critical assets. COLO facilities can only reduce the data processing & storage components to deliver what might be unobtainable in our existing facilities or difficult to obtain in time given an aggressive IT expansion in our own facilities. Yes there are numerous ways to effectively shed some of the responsibility, with hosting effectively shedding some of the processing, data storage and DR responsibilities, but we will never get away from all of the responsibility for our data center or the ultimate responsibility.

Energy Efficient Ethernet?

With just about every IT and Data Center project today including an efficiency initiative, I’m wondering how many are considering Energy Efficient Ethernet in their network & cabling plant designs?

Did you know that only copper not fiber can take advantage of energy savings from WOL – Wake on LAN and LPI – Low Power Idle, which are features covered in IEEE’s ratification of 802.3az for Energy Efficient Ethernet? Did you know that only copper, not fiber, can take advantage of existing power saving features like Power Back Off in today’s Ethernet standard?

With Data Centers (1) IT watt saved typically results in (2.8) watts saved overall due to the costs and losses incurred running the support infrastructure. So should we look to design our cabling infrastructure using copper standards? With FCOE, Infiniband over Ethernet and converged networks also running VoIP and video, it is clear the long range plan should be to continue support Ethernet standards. It is also best practice to design cabling infrastructure to support 2 levels of bandwidth ahead of our requirements today. Consider that CAT7a supports 40Gbps and in any cabling or IT design for that matter we also look to be backwards compatible, which is why ISO has adopted the GG45 connector that supports CAT7a with backwards compatibility to CAT5. Of course for distances over 100M we must design with fiber, but in many cases we should be considering MPO/MTP fiber as there are fan out cables to support the LC 10Gbps connections we need today where MPO will support the 40Gbps & 100Gbps we need to future proof my cabling infrastructure. For shorter distances the choice has typically been copper distribution and with the existing power saving features like Power Back Off and those to come in IEEE 802.3az WOL – Wake On LAN and LPI – Low Power Idle, I believe the preferred cabling distribution under 100M for Ethernet will continue to be copper. What do you think?

I’m really looking forward to hearing what industry experts from Berk-Tek, JDSU, and The Siemon Company have to say about running higher than 10Gbps transmissions over twisted paid later this month, perhaps you should check it out as well?
http://www.cablinginstall.com/index/webcasts/webcast-display/8987512704/webcasts/cabling-installation-maintenance/live-events/-twisted-pair_cabling.html

Here's an excellent article on Energy Efficient Ethernet in CIO magazine:
http://www.cio.com/article/601339/How_to_Migrate_to_Energy_Efficient_Ethernet?taxonomyId=3028