PTS Newsletter Archives – October, 2011

Greetings,

Please enjoy our latest e-newsletter which focuses upon the recent release of VMware vSphere 5 and its benefits. For facility-focused professionals, the PTS Data Center Solutions Showcase also includes an overview of Modular & Containerized Solutions. These solutions can be an excellent alternative to a custom data center, computer room, or server room build-out.

Finally, check out our latest educational white papers available through the PTS Media Library. And, as always, please think of us for your next data center project — whether it is infrastructure, facility, or IT related.

 Pete Sacco

President & Founder

PTS Data Center Solutions, Inc

Experts For Your Always Available Data Center
PTS Data Center Solutions Showcase: VMware vSphere 5 Release
There are several choices available for server, storage, and desktop virtualization. VMware’s vSphere solution continues to lead the pack in terms of features and functionality. With its recent release of version 5 for both vSphere and Site Recovery Manager, VMware responds to client and partner requests to improve speed to deploy, response to disaster, and the ability to run its solutions independent of platform (I.e. now from a smart phone).

Top Reasons to Consider vSphere 5:

  1. Speed of High Availability Features – Performs more simultaneous vMotions, simplifies clustering setup andconfiguration, and enhances reliability through better resource guarantees and monitoring
  2. vCenter Now Runs as a Virtual Management Assistant – For small scale deployments, there is no need to purchase an operating system
  3. Web Client Availability – Allows platform independence (I.e. the ability to run from a smart phone)
  4. Host Profiling – Permits copying of host settings across multiple ESXi hosts allowing a series of hosts to be deployed and configured in a fraction of the time

To learn more about the new VMware vSphere 5 features as well as improvements to Site Recovery Manager, Click Here or Contact PTS.
PTS Data Center Solutions Showcase: Modular & Containerized Data Center Solutions
Modular and Containerized Solutions for Data Center expansion have received a great deal of press over the last year. Some manufacturers claim PUEs in the 1.2 range. However, be careful with these advertised claims because is the advertised PUE based on your climate, availability needs, initial IT load, designed IT load or maximum IT load?

PTS can help you plan a modular or containerized strategy that meets your short and long term IT and business requirements. PTS, as a vendor agnostic consultancy, has looked at the best solutions in the market and determined there are several worth considering for your data center requirements.

What would drive an organization to consider a modular solution? Reasons include:

  1. Rapid IT Deployment Schedules. If you need space in a hurry, a containerized solution may be the right answer for you. Pre-built, with specific known characteristics and support infrastructure requirements, these solutions can cut your time to effective use by 50% or more.
  2. Facility Scalability. Need to find space for a row of new IT equipment? Modular solutions can help you scale usable floor space quickly. However, make sure you work with an experienced facility consultant to confirm your power and cooling support infrastructure (I.e. utility feed, switch gear, etc.) can handle the increased load.
  3. High Efficiencies. Most data center operators struggle to keep the facility running at optimal energy efficiency. However, modular solutions have known loads and efficiency quotients. As an example, some manufacturer designs leverage efficient cooling approaches such as free cooling much more effectively than a data center built within an office complex.
  4. Reduced CAPEX Requirements. Modular solutions can be treated as movable assets to allow you to avoid large CAPEX investments. In addition, they can be depreciated over a shorter timeframe than a construction investment.
  5. Repeatable Standards. Modular infrastructure is built within a form factor and structure that is repeatable. These repeatable building blocks are engineered once and delivered to a spec regularly. When compared to diverse data center portfolios with different room configurations, venting, etc., modular infrastructure can be far superior.
  6. Structural Security. Some manufacturers of containerized solutions design tolerances up to 4 hours for Class 125 fire protection. Creating a Class 125 rated data center design from scratch can be done but is expensive. Why not leverage a pre-constructed design?  

After determining your strategic reasons to consider a modular or containerized data center approach, it is critical to look at the best-in-class solutions. PTS provides feasibility assessments and a great deal of experience with these modular approaches and can help guide you to the right solution for your requirements. After a great deal of research and validation of their claims, our recommendations include products from BladeRoom, Elliptical Mobile Solutions,Emerson, and Firelock.

To learn more about PTS recommended Modular & Containerized Solutions, Click Here or Contact PTS.
PTS Education & White Papers
Check out the latest white papers added to our website by signing in or joining the PTS Media Library! We’re sure there will be some interesting content for your reading pleasure. For up-to-the-minute educational information don’t forget to check out the PTS Blog – Data Center Design and consider joining the LinkedIn Computer Room Design Group.

Cloud Computing: How Client Devices Affect the User Experience by Intel  Intel IT, in partnership with Intel Architecture Group’s End-User Platform Integration team, conducted testing and analysis to compare the user experience with different client devices when accessing a range of cloud-based applications. DownloadTaming the Cloud: Understanding the Risks and Returns of Enterprise Cloud Computing by Akamai
In this whitepaper Akamai explores the components of the cloud computing ecosystem, demonstrates how Akamai is delivering services for cloud optimization, and briefly looks forward into the evolution of this dynamic and growing market. Download

Five Strategies for Cutting Data Center Energy Costs Through Enhanced Cooling Efficiency by Emerson Network Power (Liebert)
Until recently, little attention has been given to the cost of energy used by IT systems. But as power consumption and electricity prices rise, energy costs are receiving more scrutiny from senior-level executives seeking to manage dollars. Download

Seven Best Practices for Increasing Efficiency, Availability and Capacity: The Enterprise Data Center Design Guide by Emerson Network Power
The data center is one of the most dynamic and critical operations in any business. Complexity and criticality have only increased in recent years as data centers experienced steady growth in capacity and density, straining resources and increasing the consequences of poor performance. This guide provides excellent recommendations to increased efficiency, availability, and capacity. Download

To learn more about PTS recommended Modular & Containerized Solutions, Click Here or Contact PTS.
About PTS Data Center Solutions

Founded in 1998, PTS Data Center Solutions is a premier data center design firm and turnkey solutions provider, offering a broad range of project experience, specializing in designing data centers, computer rooms and technical spaces that integrate “best-of-breed”, critical infrastructure technologies and result in continuously available, scalable, redundant, fault-tolerant, manageable, and maintainable mission critical environments.