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.