While many who invest in Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software benefit greatly, some do not. Research has revealed a number of pitfalls that end users should avoid when evaluating and implementing DCIM solutions. Choosing an inappropriate solution, relying on inadequate processes, and a lack of commitment / ownership / knowledge can each undermine a ...

There is an increasing trend towards N+1 UPS architectures – rather than 2N – as IT fault tolerance through software continues to improve. There are two common ways N+1 can be achieved: paralleling multiple unitary UPSs together or deploying a single UPS frame with multiple internal modules configured for N+1 redundancy. In this paper, we ...

A PUE (power usage effectiveness) metering scheme in a data center can be very simplistic consisting theoretically of only two meters, at one extreme, or it can be much more comprehensive and consist of dozens of metering points. This paper provides guidance on determining what level of metering is appropriate for a particular data center, ...

When data center stakeholders are faced with the challenge of deploying new data center power and cooling infrastructure, there are many technical considerations to decide. This report presents data center professionals with the advance information to justify a business case for data center facility power and cooling modules. Learn more about comparing the cost, the ...

Before data center infrastructure efficiency can be benchmarked using PUE or other metrics, there must be agreement on exactly what power consumptions constitute IT loads, what consumptions constitute physical infrastructure, and what loads should not be counted. Unfortunately, commonly published efficiency data is not computed using a standard methodology, and the same data center will ...

Small server rooms and branch offices are typically unorganized, unsecure, hot, unmonitored, and space constrained. These conditions can lead to system downtime or, at the very least, lead to “close calls” that get management’s attention. Practical experience with these problems reveals a short list of effective methods to improve the availability of IT operations within ...

Lithium-ion batteries offer several advantages over traditional lead acid batteries. Despite the benefits, the use of lithium-ion batteries in uninterruptable power supplies (UPSs or battery backups) is relatively new with valve-regulated lead acid batteries still the dominant energy storage technology used today. This will likely change as Li-ion costs continue to decrease, the benefits become ...

Many newer UPS systems have an energy-saving operating mode known as “eco-mode” or by some other descriptor. Nevertheless, surveys show that few data centers actually use this mode, because of the known or anticipated side-effects. Unfortunately, the marketing materials for these operating modes do not adequately explain the cost / benefit tradeoffs. This paper shows ...

The trend of increasing heat densities in data centers has held consistent with advances in computing technology for many years. As power density increased, it became evident that the degree of difficulty in cooling these higher power loads was also increasing. In recent years, traditional cooling system design has proven inadequate to remove concentrated heat ...

A data center or IT room uniquely alters the requirements of a building management system (BMS). This is primarily because of the criticality of IT and its dependence on facility infrastructure. IT’s reliance on power and cooling systems makes a BMS an important part of a larger data center infrastructure management (DCIM) solution that brings ...