Data Center Management Gotchas

As the complexity of IT infrastructure continues to increase in data centers, managers must look ahead to avoid unexpected downtime. A list of 10 common surprises for data center/IT managers was released by PTS supplier, Emerson Network Power, at AFCOM Data Center World Spring 2012.

According to a Ponemon Institute study, an outage can cost an organization
an average of about $5,000 per minute. That’s $300,000 in just an hour.

The 10 common surprises include:

1. Those high-density predictions finally are coming true
2. Data center managers will replace servers three times before they replace UPS or cooling systems
3. Downtime is expensive
4. Water and the data center do not mix – but we keep trying
5. New servers use more power than old servers
6. Monitoring is a mess
7. The IT guy is in charge of the building’s HVAC system
8. That patchwork data center needs to be a quilt
9. Data center on demand is a reality
10. IT loads vary – a lot

For complete details on the Emerson list, click here.
As a Diamond Solutions Partner for Emerson, PTS Data Center Solutions leverages our engineering and architectural experience in designing and building data centers with our IT network, storage, virtualization expertise to avoid the surprises mentioned in the article before they result in significant downtime. To learn more contact PTS today.

An Industry Look at Locking IEC Power Connections

Not sure if any of you have experienced outages caused by loose fitting IEC power connections, but there is a big push in the industry to address the major problem of IEC plugs coming loose on equipment & power strips due to vibrations or inadvertent disconnects caused during rack equipment moves, adds and changes. Here are six (6) solutions we have found to address this issue:

1) IEC Lock. This solution is universal on the equipment side and addresses the problem by having a button that slides to engage a pin that drops down on the ground plug. This is now UL approved.
2) IEC C14 Grip Secure Insert. This solution is not UL approved, and only addresses the PDU side, but it is very inexpensive.
3) APC / V-Lock by Schurter. The solution works well, but the APC PDU must be 8000 series and the equipment outlets must be changed out to also secure the IEC receptacle on the equipment side.

4) Raritan ETO Outlets. Some Raritan PDU’s are available with this option, designated by an –E2 on their parts list. It appears to work the same as IEC Lock, but they do not address the equipment side only the PDU side.

5) Server Technology Retention Clips. Server Technology provides retention clips that clip into their power strips only and clip around the head of the IEC power cord. This solution only addresses the PDU connection and works well with ServerTech power cords. It does not work with all IEC power cords as there are variances in the size of the IEC C14 heads and input cords.

6) HP PDU Notches and Bands. HP now has notches on their PDU's and they provide bands to secure the IEC power cords to the PDU. This only addresses the PDU side of the problem.

Would like to hear about your experiences and what your organization is doing to address this issue. See this link for more information on the solutions we have found.

Guaranteeing IEC Secure Power Connections

There is a big push in the data center industry to address the major problem of Independent Electrical Contractor (IEC) plugs coming loose on equipment & power strips.

Have you been experiencing this issue due to appliance vibration or accidental disconnects when maintenance and cabling work is performed in your racks?

If so, PTS recommends and distributes five different IEC Secure Power Connections to meet the needs of data center operators. To learn more click here.

Retail Industry PCI Compliance Support

PCI 11.1 mandates retailers must execute a wireless scan once per quarter, per store. Given that on average a scan runs ~$300, for a 700 store retailer that equates to an $840,000 annual expenditure. Worse, retailers that fail Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) audits can be fined hundreds of thousands of dollars.

To support this requirement, PTS Data Center Solutions has teamed up with Fortinet as its 'go to' supplier in helping our retail clients reign in these costs and ease management of PCI compliance. And, not just we recognize that, check out the IDC, Gartner, and Frost Market Summary Report.

To learn more, read our recent IT Solutions Bulletin - Fortinet for Retail Industry PCI Compliance.

Data Center Maintenance Management Solution Version 2.0 Available Today

PTS Data Center Solutions recently announced Version 2.0 of its Data Center Maintenance Management Software (DCMMS). DCMMS first launched in March 2010 and is a "glue" product used in data centers to support maintenance management, track spare parts, schedule preventive maintenance, track service histories, and generally make life easier for data center operations personnel.

The software works with any of the Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) products available today which include discovery tools, real-time monitoring tools, BMS solutions, and IT monitoring and management solutions. DCMMS is used to maintain facility support infrastructure products in many data centers and from many manufacturers.

PTS uses DCMMS as a key component of its Data Center Managed Maintenance Service offering. The service provides various support levels from software only to software and asset maintenance tracking to full 7x24 outsourcing of asset maintenance management.

To learn more Click Here or Contact PTS.