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.