An hour delay in the discovery of a cooling failure can make the difference in avoiding a complete outage, yet far too many companies don’t have what it takes to… Read more »
Featured Post:
Six Air Containment Solutions Will Help You to Save Energy in Your Existing Data Centers
For an existing traditional data center, hot air and cold air mixing can lead to more than 25% waste of the cooling capacity. As a result, the cooling system is… Read more »
posted: May 6, 2013
Featured Post:
Schneider Takes Home Alliance Awards – and Our Customers Win, Too
It’s no secret that Schneider Electric is a big fan of strategic alliances. Perhaps you’ve read previous blog posts on the topic by my colleague Tony Despirito, such as this… Read more »
posted: April 2, 2013
Featured Post:
Cruise Ship Lines Could Learn Lessons from Data Center Operators
A few days ago a colleague emailed me a photo taken on the ill-fated Carnival Triumph cruise ship, the one that was stranded in the Gulf of Mexico for about… Read more »
posted: February 26, 2013
Featured Post:
How Energy Efficiency Efforts Can Spell Trouble When the Power Goes Out
A number of important trends are helping companies save lots of money on electric bills by making their data centers more efficient. While this is certainly a worthy and justified… Read more »
posted: February 12, 2013
Featured Post:
Build Better Data Centers Faster: Use a Reference Design
IT is becoming more critical all the time and trends such as the explosion of big data are only adding to the requirements that IT groups must meet. To keep… Read more »
posted: January 29, 2013
From Contractors to Cleaners, There’s No Shortage of Threats to Your Server Rooms and Wiring Closets
September 13, 2011
647 views
Pushing the Data Center Boundary Blog: Is Fresh Air really good for everyone?
September 12, 2011
3,847 views
There’s been a lot of press over the last few years about “Google type” data centers that use 100% fresh air to perform cooling. In many cases, these designs bring… Read more »
Good Data Center Planning Requires Proper Software Tools
September 9, 2011
606 views
Too often, data center operators make changes to their infrastructure without adequately thinking through all the potential consequences of the change. The result is often overloaded circuits, unintended down time… Read more »
Relying on Tribal Knowledge Instead of Sound Data Center Management Tools Can Lead To Costly Downtime
September 8, 2011
759 views
Too many data center operators believe they don’t need physical infrastructure management tools to manage their data centers. Instead, they rely on “tribal knowledge” to get them through any rough… Read more »
In Virtualized Data Centers, Capacity Management is a Must
September 7, 2011
544 views
For all the benefits virtualization brings to a data center – reduced rack footprint and power consumption, greater efficiency and reliability, lower overall costs – enterprises frequently leave other benefits… Read more »
What an Optimized Power Distribution System Looks Like
September 7, 2011
727 views
We’ve seen dramatic improvements in data center physical infrastructure equipment and practices in recent decades, driven in large part by a need for more power density, the sheer number of… Read more »
The Advantages of a ‘Stepped Phase-In’ for Data Center Buildout
September 7, 2011
596 views
Data center plans are frequently vague because they can’t account for the constantly changing nature of technical developments in IT equipment. Moreover, it’s close to impossible to accurately predict what… Read more »
Specify and Verify: Defining Data Center Criticality Levels
September 7, 2011
964 views
Determining a data center’s criticality level – how “important” the data center’s operation is to the business with regard to its ability to withstand downtime – is one of the… Read more »
How to Assess Failure Rate Claims for Data Center Infrastructure
September 7, 2011
1,548 views
Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) is the most common criterion used when comparing data center physical infrastructures. But while MTBF actually can be calculated as a formula (based on another… Read more »
Modular Power Distribution Systems Provide Safer, More Flexible Data Center Power
September 7, 2011
959 views
It’s the way IT systems have been powered for decades: Large transformers feed power to distribution units via under-floor hard-wired circuits using rigid or flexible conduit. Most data centers still… Read more »
3 Ways a Strong Data Center Operations Program is More Important Than Your Data Center Design
October 21, 2011
472 views
With your data center design in place, shouldn’t your data center run smoothly? As some of you may already have discovered, anything can happen to your data center, nomatter how… Read more »
How Alliances Will Help Us Build Smart Cities and Stave Off Doom
May 6, 2013
466 views
I recently finished reading an insightful book called “The Third Industrial Revolution” by Jeremy Rifkin, an accomplished author and president of the Foundation on Economic Trends, among various other titles… Read more »
Success in Data Center Projects Requires Defining These 3 IT Parameters
August 29, 2011
461 views
Perhaps your business is growing and you need to expand your capacity to store data. Or, you’ve decided that your business has tempted fate too long without a backup data… Read more »
Six Air Containment Solutions Will Help You to Save Energy in Your Existing Data Centers
May 6, 2013
458 views
For an existing traditional data center, hot air and cold air mixing can lead to more than 25% waste of the cooling capacity. As a result, the cooling system is… Read more »
Assessing the Impact of Virtualization on Data Center Power
September 7, 2011
450 views
Virtualization brings many benefits to a data center, as fewer servers means less power consumed, less heat generated and more available space. But virtualization also presents many challenges to a… Read more »
Chico’s New Modular Data Center Saves Money While Packing Plenty of Power
March 14, 2013
437 views
Nothing gets across the value of a technology solution quite like a customer telling the story in his own words. That’s exactly what Steven Ross, Vice President of Technology for… Read more »
Don’t miss the Gorilla in your Data Center
May 2, 2013
436 views
Don’t let your focus make you overlook simple ways of improving the energy efficiency of your data center. A study shows that when focusing on a specific task, the human… Read more »
3 Common Errors To Avoid When Commissioning a Data Center
August 29, 2011
423 views
Data center commissioning is a process by which an unbiased evaluation can be given regarding the operational prospects of a newly constructed data center. In essence, data center commissioning provides… Read more »
Automated testing takes your backup generators ‘to the wall’
April 11, 2013
422 views
Hit the switch and test all your connected systems Professional trainers know that the best way to teach a new skill, particularly an important skill, is to make it as… Read more »
The Green Grid’s Data Center Maturity Model Can Delivery Big Energy Savings
April 30, 2013
383 views
Something rather remarkable has happened over the course of the last year at The Green Grid (TGG) that anyone who owns and operates a data center ought to know about…. Read more »
A Piece of the Efficiency Puzzle: Integrated DCIM and Virtualization Management
November 20, 2012
4,328 views
If data center efficiency was ever off the map, it’s certainly back on it now. More than ever, companies across the board are being pushed to be “green” not just… Read more »
How to Determine Portable Cooling Needs for Mission Critical Facilities
January 10, 2013
1,767 views
If a data center loses cooling, hindsight will be no consolation for mission critical facilities managers who failed to consider the role of portable cooling in averting a meltdown. Most… Read more »
WEBCAST: Data Center Design: Imparting Lessons Learned
March 12, 2013
1,639 views
VIEW WEBCAST HERE (It is FREE and requires no registration) On day one for a new data center, everything typically works fine and looks great. There is plenty of room,… Read more »
What an Optimized Power Distribution System Looks Like
September 7, 2011
727 views
We’ve seen dramatic improvements in data center physical infrastructure equipment and practices in recent decades, driven in large part by a need for more power density, the sheer number of… Read more »
5 Ways to Streamline Your Data Center Operations
October 21, 2011
2,446 views
Your data center operations are one of the most vital parts of your company; you need to make sure they are in competent hands. You want to eliminate risk,… Read more »
Meeting the Needs of Data Center Customers
December 8, 2011
1,247 views
I’m flying back from Las Vegas, fresh from an eye-opening experience at Gartner. This was my first Gartner event, and the entire experience constitutes yet another of my recent efforts… Read more »
When NOT to use economizer mode for data center cooling
March 19, 2012
1,676 views
As explained in the last blog, ASHRAE guidelines define a baseline data center cooling system to establish the minimum performance requirement – typically a chilled water system with the chiller… Read more »
Is it HOT in here, or is it just ME? Building Management Software and Cisco House in London
June 8, 2012
2,337 views
In my last blog, I discussed my amazing experience at Cisco House in London and Schneider Electric’s small part in making it possible- our Building Management System and Energy Management… Read more »
Maximizing DCIM: The Right Lifecycle, Not Just The Right Solution
July 31, 2012
2,328 views
When it comes to deployment of data center infrastructure management (DCIM) software, there can be projects that seem to have everything in place in terms of the design and specification… Read more »
Has the New York Times Got a Point About Data Center Waste?
October 4, 2012
1,650 views
In case you were off the planet last weekend, “Power, Pollution and the Internet” a critique of the data center industry by James Glanz caused quite a stir when it… Read more »
