todd.riebe@2nsystems.com

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So far Todd has created 30 blog entries.

How to Ensure Your Data Center’s PUE Calculation is Accurate

A key metric in determining the efficiency of your data center is power usage effectiveness (PUE). Understanding the PUE calculation – developed by The Green Grid, information consortium and global authority on resource efficiency – is essential for successful data center management. PUE calculation involves dividing the amount of energy used to power the entire data center by the amount of energy drawn by the IT equipment. Ideally, those numbers should be as close as possible to get a PUE reading that is close to 1 (meaning that all of the power is being used by the IT equipment). For [...]

How to Ensure Your Data Center’s PUE Calculation is Accurate2021-12-15T19:53:13+00:00

3 Tips for Data Center Planning and Design

There’s an old saying in carpentry: “Measure twice, cut once.” The same principle of planning before execution applies to any endeavor, particularly one as important as data center planning. The data center is the nerve center of many businesses; with the growth of Big Data and the Internet of Things (IoT), there is more focus on data centers than ever before. Mistakes or oversights in the planning and design phases of the data center life cycle can have disastrous consequences, including budget overruns, delays, lost time, and poor efficiency. Whether you are updating and retrofitting your existing facilities or creating [...]

3 Tips for Data Center Planning and Design2021-12-15T19:52:01+00:00

5 Ways to Improve Data Center Efficiency

Data centers, the nucleus of any organization, can sometimes account for about half of annual energy costs. As the demand for increased computing capacity continues to grow and with more connected devices than ever before, optimal use of data center resources, including power and space, becomes even more important. Here are five ways to improve data center efficiency: 1. Monitor Actual Power Consumption It’s important to have an accurate assessment of how much power is being used -- where, when, and by which equipment. A system that provides real-time collection of data on current, voltage, power, and energy consumption can [...]

5 Ways to Improve Data Center Efficiency2021-12-15T19:56:02+00:00

How to Optimize Your Data Center’s Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE)

Data centers are massive power consumers, and managing power usage has become an increasingly important factor in managing overall data center costs. Data center power efficiency is gauged using power usage effectiveness (PUE), a measure developed by The Green Grid. Improving PUE requires an investment in intelligent power distribution infrastructure. Most data centers run at a PUE of 2.0 -- so for every dollar of energy used for the IT resources, another dollar is used on energy for operating and cooling the facility. A highly efficient data center can get its PUE score down to 1.3 or 1.4. In our [...]

How to Optimize Your Data Center’s Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE)2021-12-15T19:59:33+00:00

The Pros and Cons of Lithium-Ion Batteries for UPS Systems

Power failures are a fact of life, but if you are managing a data center or a corporate network, they can be catastrophic. Uninterruptable power supplies (UPS) help keep data centers humming even when there is a tripped breaker or larger outage. UPS systems are typically built using lead-acid batteries to provide power in case of an outage, but these solutions have not evolved much in the past few years. Data centers increasingly are searching for ways to reduce the size and weight of these systems, reduce cooling requirements, and extend the life of UPS systems while reducing costs. Lithium-ion [...]

The Pros and Cons of Lithium-Ion Batteries for UPS Systems2021-12-15T20:00:35+00:00

What Types of Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems Are There?

Data centers require power, in a stable and continuous supply, and it must be controlled carefully. Incoming fluctuations such as voltage dips or surges can damage sensitive electronic equipment, and power outages result in costly downtime. These hazards can be prevented with the use of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems. A UPS regulates the flow of power and, in the event of an outage, provides battery backup so operations can continue with little to no disruption. Battery power will last long enough to either shut down equipment safely or activate an alternative source such as a generator. There are three [...]

What Types of Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems Are There?2021-12-15T20:03:37+00:00

5 Benefits of Environmental Sensors

For most organizations, the data center serves as a brain and central nervous system. It is the center of indispensable data, applications, and services. That’s why it’s critical to keep it running as safely and efficiently as possible.  Environmental sensors can play a huge role in protecting critical equipment and improving efficiencies.  Consider these five benefits of using sensors in your data center. Optimal Cooling Usage Real-time and historic sensor input helps to identify both hot and cold spots in the data center.  For example, sensors can indicate when an aisle is overcooled and the thermostat can be raised.  Environmental [...]

5 Benefits of Environmental Sensors2021-12-15T20:07:45+00:00

How to Choose the Ideal Data Center Cooling Solution

IT equipment consumes power and produces heat in return, which necessitates cooling to avoid equipment damage. For data centers, cooling is crucial. If temperature and humidity increase, condensation can form within IT equipment causing major damage, significant downtime, and and high repair costs. To avoid these potentially disastrous outcomes, data center mangers need to be sure they choose the right data center cooling solutions. The characteristics of your data center will dictate to some degree the solution that you choose. Data Center Size. The type of solution that will give you the performance your data center requires depends largely on [...]

How to Choose the Ideal Data Center Cooling Solution2021-12-15T20:11:13+00:00

3 Things to Consider When Designing an IT Cooling Solution

A lot is riding on the design of your data center’s IT cooling solution. Not only does it help prevent downtime and damage in your data center caused by inadequate heat removal, its ability to operate smoothly and with energy efficiency can save a significant amount of operating costs. As you evaluate your options, there are three considerations you shouldn’t overlook to make the best choice for your data center and your business: Heat Removal  The fundamental job of an IT cooling solution is to take heat away from central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), or any other [...]

3 Things to Consider When Designing an IT Cooling Solution2021-12-15T20:15:03+00:00

3 Reasons It’s Time for an Intelligent PDU

When it comes to rack power distribution units (PDUs) you have, in general, two choices. You are probably most familiar with basic PDUs that contribute to business continuity by providing reliable power distribution to servers, storage devices, and networking equipment in your data center. The other option — intelligent power distribution units — further expand the list of PDU benefits by addressing energy consumption, the demand on circuits, and access control for cabinets and aisles. There are telltale signs that it might be time to switch from basic power distribution units to intelligent PDUs. Here are three very compelling reasons [...]

3 Reasons It’s Time for an Intelligent PDU2021-12-15T20:16:20+00:00
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