Friday, June 20, 2014

Slideshow: PTS Data Center Solutions Headquarters and Cloud Data Center (Oakland, NJ)

PTS Data Center Solutions has a new Office Headquarters and Cloud Data Center in Oakland, NJ. To complete the project, PTS relied entirely on in-house expertise to perform planning, facility architectural and engineering through equipment migration planning and execution, and all phases in between. The PTS Headquarters now showcases cutting-edge office space, multiple conference rooms, a functioning NOC (network operations center), an IT build room, and warehouse facilities for PTS’ growing staff of experts.



Wednesday, June 18, 2014

PTS Announces Partnership with Intelligent Power Management Provider Enlogic

PTS Data Center Solutions, Inc. is proud to announce a partnership with intelligent power management provider Enlogic Systems. Enlogic continuously releases new & innovative products and their efficient product line reduces energy consumption, which, in turn, cuts utility costs. Enlogic’s award-winning product line of intelligent Power Distribution Units (iPDUs), Energy Meters, Locking Power Cables, and Environmental Sensors are designed to simplify rack management by providing automated real-time threat alerts, and capacity and load balancing data for energy use optimization and control.
Enlogic iPDU Features
Enlogic iPDU Features
For more information, please call us at (201) 337-3833 or visit:

Thursday, March 06, 2014

Issue of Comatose Servers & Findings in Uptime's Data Center Survey 2013 Report

In reading Uptime’s Data Center Survey 2013 report, the below stats from the report seem silly since there are simple inexpensive solutions to audit, identify and eliminate comatose servers.

 • 43% of respondents have no scheduled audit of their server environment
 • 33% of respondents report > 5% comatose servers
 • Decommissioning (1U) servers can result in a savings of $500 per year in energy costs, an additional $500 in operating system licenses and $1,500 in hardware maintenance costs.

In the Northeast, utilities such as ConEd, NYSERDA and PECO offer attractive incentives for eliminating comatose servers as well as virtualizing underutilized IT equipment so why are many still sitting on the sidelines in addressing this issue?

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

PTS Data Center Solutions Moves to a New Headquarters and Cloud Data Center in Oakland, NJ

PTS Data Center Solutions moves to Oakland, NJPTS Data Center Solutions, a turnkey solutions provider offering expertise in IT, cabling, and facilities, relocates its headquarters to 16 Thornton Road, in the McBride Corporate Park in Oakland, NJ, 07436, to facilitate its growth and expansion in a wide array of services available to its customers.

After almost 15 years of operating out of Franklin Lakes, NJ, the PTS companies including PTS Data Center Solutions, Inc., PTS Information Technology Solutions Group, Inc., and PTS Design & Engineering, Inc., relocated its headquarters to a completely renovated 45,000 square foot facility located in nearby Oakland, NJ.


PTS cutting edge office environment
PTS' New Cutting-Edge Office Environment

From start to finish, PTS relied entirely on in-house expertise for the new innovative and technology-centric headquarters. PTS staff handled planning, facility architectural and engineering, network and IT systems design and implementation, data cable plant and pathway design and installation, facility construction management, commissioning, and equipment migration planning and execution.


Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Got Cabling?

http://data-cabling.ptsdcs.com/index.asp
Not all data cabling contractors are the same. There are many companies and individuals who can perform adequate data cabling for data centers, computer rooms, server rooms, IDFs, desktops, etc. However, not all can capably manage a complex project with many moving parts such as demolition, construction, deployment, testing, troubleshooting, and integration. This is where PTS Data Center Solution's Data Cabling team excels.

Unlike many other contractors, PTS understands the keys to becoming your trusted data cabling provider:
  • Be competitively priced
  • Respond quickly to requests for quotes (RFQs)
  • Produce quality work on time and on schedule
  • Perform exceptional data cabling project management
  • Deliver superior quality control
  • Supply outstanding project closeouts with proper documentation, as built drawings, and test results
PTS has RCDD staff engineers, expertise installing cable per ANSI / IEEE / BICSI standards, 30+ years of industry experience.  Services include:

To learn more, check out our new website, Data Cabling Services

http://data-cabling.ptsdcs.com/index.asp

Monday, December 16, 2013

Are Company Owned Computer Room Deployments Making a Comeback?

Like many other market sectors, the data center space has its ebbs and flows. The latest trend and forecast is that cloud computing and colocation are continuing to grow in popularity and one day, due to cloud's promise of ubiquitous computer platforms, could nullify the need for company-premise-built data centers or computer rooms. That said, this promise has lingered for some time now without being realized. In fact, at PTS Data Center Solutions we see a different, more recent trend.

For example, in the last several years, the northeastern U.S. has experienced substantial utility outages due to inclement weather (Hurricanes Irene in 2011 and Sandy in 2012). Given these extended outages, for over a year now, PTS has been called upon to engineer and install more whole-facility backup power generation systems than ever before. Further, and in keeping with Levitt and Dubner's position in their book Freakonomics, that there is a hidden side to everything - so it seems to be the case with this whole-building generator boom.

For small- and mid-size companies, installing a generator is the single highest CAPEX obstacle to realizing a corporate computer room (what PTS refers to as a "Tenant-Space Computer Room"). However, it's those very companies that have realized their operations (much less their computer rooms) cannot go without power for an extended period of time and as a result are installing whole-facility backup power systems. What was once the largest financial impediment to computer room ownership is now gone. Along with this is the promise of eliminating the ever increasing OPEX of an outsourced IT model.
data center generator
At the same time, given IT's ability to deliver operational resiliency, CIOs and CFOs alike are realizing not every data center facility needs to operate as a Tier IV bunker. It's even more premature to state that cloud computing is taking over. PTS is actually experiencing a resurgence in company built and operated data centers and computer rooms. As such, you can almost hear Yogi Berra's immortal words, "it ain't over 'til it's over".

It is likely the industry will hit a stasis point between in-sourced and out-sourced data center facility and IT operations. Many enterprises already have (or will have) a hybrid model whereby some applications are cloud based (i.e. Salesforce.com), while others are housed in company owned and operated data centers.

PTS, too, is currently undergoing a transformation by including our own cloud data center site and services offering as part of our new HQ facility build. This offering will complement our client premise-based IT and facility solutions. This way, PTS will be prepared for whichever way the wind blows (pun intended).
PTS Cloud Computing
If you are considering expanding your data center or adding a generator to improve expected uptime, it may be prudent to reach out to a professional data center design & engineering team to discuss your requirements, options, and costs. Also, there are a variety of issues that should be discussed prior to considering a generator deployment for any enterprise.

Contact us to speak with a data center design professional. 

Friday, September 27, 2013

The Storm Is Coming: Check Your Generators, UPSs, and DR Plan

data center disaster recovery
This year, don't leave your customers out in the rain. With the recent history of Metro New York hurricanes and storms, PTS Data Center Solutions engineers recommend you consider testing and verifying your generator, UPS, and Disaster Recovery solutions and systems. Make sure everything is in good working order well before any announcements of pending storms, power outages, or downed network services.

PTS provides Data Center Maintenance Management services for generator and UPS servicing as well as Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Assessment services. If you need help in procuring and commissioning the right solution for your IT environment, we can also help you validate your requirements for an emergency generator and make the right choice.

In addition, PTS recommends you perform a recover from backup or test your DR infrastructure whether it is at a DR co-location facility or offsite in another of your facilities. If you don't have offsite backup and DR functionality today, give us a call and we can discuss relatively inexpensive High Availability and DR appliances that might fit your budget and help you avoid soaking your customers.

Contact PTS.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Application of Nanotechnology to Cool a Data Center

Nansulate CrystalAs the latest heat wave in the Northeast passes, PTS Data Center Solutions engineers came across an interesting use of nanotechnology to overcome heating problems within a data center.

Mexico's Social Security and Health Administration (IMSS) had an issue with its data center in Monterrey, Mexico which holds patient medical records. Even though their data center was air conditioned, the heat coming through the roof during the summer raised the data center temperature enough to cause the servers to automatically shut down to prevent heat damage.

Nansulate® insulating coating, a patented, award winning clear coat technology, was used on the roof of the Cenati Data Center, applied at a 3-coat coverage. After application of Nansulate® effectively reduced the data center temperature to a safe level for the servers. The coating insulated the roof from excess heat transfer and stopped the server shut down due to high temperatures.

Read the Full Nansulate® Crystal Case Study

Nansulate Crystal Case Study

Friday, July 12, 2013

DCMMS Online Demo Video - Data Center Maintenance Management Platform

PTS Data Center Solutions has released a demonstration video for the popular Data Center Maintenance Management Software (DCMMS) solution. Using the unique Demos on Demand service which provides complete, in-depth, and on-demand demonstrations of popular IT and Data Center solutions, PTS President, Peter Sacco, provides a complete demonstration of the DCMMS solution in 14 user-controllable chapters with overviews of:
  • Login
  • Calendar
  • Dependencies
  • Asset Management
  • Services
  • Work Orders
  • Recurring Tasks
  • Reports
  • Documents
  • Administration
  • Help
  • Mobile Functionality
demos on demand
Demos on Demand presents in-depth product information videos using advanced streaming video technology. These clips assist viewers by showing them what the product is, what it does, and how it does it. Demos on Demand serves the communication needs of tech vendors and resellers across vertical industries with their video platform and content library. The video platform is comprised of a number of integrated components, including advanced player technology, delivery tools, and analytics and reporting.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Tips for use of VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager

There are various ways to deliver Backup & Disaster Recovery for your enterprise. Backup, which is a necessary requirement for Disaster Recovery includes tape, local disk, remote disk, or some other means of storing your data in case of IT equipment failure or loss. For Disaster Recovery,  PTS Data Center Solutions has presented solutions which include all-in-one appliances, co-location disaster recovery service providers and Storage Area Network or SAN replication. VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager (SRM) is an excellent approach to consider given:
  • Automated migration and site recovery
  • Integration with your virtualized environment if you already leverage VMware solutions
  • Non-disruptive testing on the site recovery environment
  • Simple recovery plan management 
vCenter SRM will require replication of your server and storage environment offsite at a secondary, disaster recovery site. However, with the right expertise and experience, the control and consistent failover results in a manageable disaster recovery plan. VMware provides a series of technical tips for consideration when you are ready to move forward:
  1. Start small with a single application or service before implementing across your entire enterprise
  2. Learn and address application dependencies to confirm applications are available at the recovery site for the services that must run there
  3. Determine the best replication tool (VMware or a 3rd party) for your situation
  4. Load the recovery environment with data even if it is slightly stale to synchronize quickly.
  5. Organize data by logical failover groups
  6. Make sure storage replication adapters are up to date
  7. Orchestrate the sequence in which VMs start at the recovery site to prioritize key groups and their dependencies
  8. Build multiple recovery plans with common protection groups that fail over together
  9. Make sure your VMware software is up-to-date at all times
  10. Perform frequent recovery plan testing, particularly in advance of any storm warnings
To learn more, contact PTS or download the VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager Tech Tip (registration required).