ServerTech Blog - Information for the Data Center Equipment Manager

Cabinet-level Power Distribution Unit (CDU) outlet control

2012-02-15T15:46:00-08:00

Switchable outlets are not a new feature for CDUs however the debate on whether or not outlets should be switched is ongoing. Server Technology has Switched CDUs which offer individual and group based switching outlets, Sentry Power Manager adds outlet clusters, outlets that span CDU, span cabinets or span datacenters. Have you had the need to reboot or power-cycle a server? Yes, I know that is an old topic to bring up again, considering the high adoption rate of virtual systems but is the need still there? Switchable outlets are a powerful feature when used properly. Did you know that...

PUE and SPM

2012-02-06T15:57:00-08:00

Sentry Power Manager (SPM) has a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) report built into the system. PUE is the ratio of the total amount of power used by a Data Center to the power delivered to the computing equipment. The PUE report requires that the value for the Total Facility Power for the Data Center (Location) be input into the Setup page of the Location. In order for the PUE report to be valid, it is imperative for all of the IT load numbers to be represented in the power consumption reports. A typical Data Center can be divided into three...

Sentry Power Manager Reports

2012-02-03T15:37:52-08:00

Sentry Power Manager (SPM) has more than 50 canned reports and trends in the system today, but is that enough? Considering that the system polls for many variables power, temperature and humidity what other reports would be of interest? We’d like to hear from you about your interests, please take a look at the SPM demo online at: http://66.214.208.106 username: webdemo password: webdemo Click on the Reports Menu and view the Reports and Trends by right clicking each header and then selecting ‘New User Report’ or ‘New Trend’. The roadmap for SPM is very bright and we’d like to hear...

The beginning of the Cybernetic Data Center! Maybe?

2012-01-27T10:28:05-08:00

This is too good to pass up! Over at smartplanet.com, Janet Fang gives a nice synopsis of an ingestible microchip used to monitor medication use and corresponding vitals. The data is available by wearing an adhesive patch on the skin which can relay information to the patient's smart phone. From there, the information can then be passed on to the doctors. You must be asking, "How can this type of thing be the beginning of the cybernetic data center? And, what do you even mean by that?" I know this statement might be a bit of a stretch, but hear...

Stop asking, "Who will ever need that much storage?"

2012-01-25T16:39:38-08:00

Seriously. Over at Tech Target, Sonia R. Lelii writes about Cleversafe Inc and their 10 exabyte (1018 bytes) storage system. Now, I know she isn't actually asking that question. But, the indication that this question should ever be asked just will not go away. Before this, some asked the same question about gigabytes, and then terabytes, and then petabytes. There is no reason to expect this to end. Data storage continues to multiply exponentially. Ok, I give you that it has to end some point before the representation of all atoms in the observable universe, but we are nowhere near...

The limits of magnetic memory?

2012-01-16T14:37:42-08:00

IBM has successfully created a magnetic memory bit of a mere 12 atoms in size, whereas the standard disc drive needs roughly a million atoms per bit. The caveat is that it must reside at the very low temperature of 10 Kelvin. The full study has been published in the journal Science. According to an interview by Reuters, a room temperature version is theoretically possible at 150 atoms. Is this the end of Moore's Law? Can we even find a practical means to get to this design? What do you think?...

Know your goals.

2012-01-11T15:06:52-08:00

Over at eWeek, Chris Preimesberger has some great food for thought on some misconceptions in the data center monitoring arena. For me, the overall takeaway is that you must have a good grasp of the goals for the data center and the overall organization to make the best decision in choosing a monitoring package. Actually, the idea that you should attempt to get everything into one single monitoring package may not be the best way to reach your goals. Remember that each person and job task within the data center is likely to have different goals which may require targetted...

The cloud is definitely in it for the long haul.

2012-01-05T14:52:19-08:00

I just caught this article in the LA Times by David Sarno comparing cloud storage for the public. It is certainly good for our line of business to see this being pushed more and more into the public's perception. With the ability to move all books, music, movies etc to a "safe" place independent of computer hardware and the ability to then access that data from various devices, how can one not see exponential cloud growth for years to come. Personnally, I looking forward to being able to talk to my car and get access to my cloud music. Chris...

White Collar IT

2011-12-20T14:30:05-08:00

Insights from VP Marketing Mark Harris Since 2005, the world of IT has been under pressure like never before. The traditional role of the IT organization has been to provide a suitable level of services with little if any scrutiny on the costs to do so. It has been quite easy for the annual IT expense line item to exist in corporate budgets year after year as a solitary figure. The world of IT has been considered so technical within the corporate executive management levels that only those who are part of the IT organization actually understand what is being...

Hidden threats to business, case in point - the Thailand floods.

2011-12-15T09:29:51-08:00

Over at CNN Money, David Goldman reports on Intel slashing its sales forecast due to circumstantial disaster. The Thailand floods earlier this autumn have wreaked havoc on hard drive manufacturing. Set aside the annoyingly obvious question of why it was considered a good idea to build such factories in a flood plane and consider the ripple effect. Could Intel have predicted that their sales would be contingent upon where someone else built their factory? I suppose they might have. More importantly, is anyone taking note of this circumstantial effect on a whole industry due to one sector's questionable decisions? Certainly,...