The wrong & right way to do InRow Cooling

One of the biggest concerns within the Data Center when it comes to operational costs is cooling. As electricity prices and IT power consumption continue to rise, IT-related energy costs are getting increased scrutiny.

With the adoption of virtualization many businesses are experiencing the shrinking Data Center Syndrome. Put simply they are now cooling rooms that are too large for the equipment being housed in them. These older, larger room CRAC units are not able to scale down and keep up with the changing whitespace. Since cooling accounts for approximately 37 percent or more of electricity usage having a remedy represents a significant opportunity to reduce IT energy costs.

InRow scalable cooling that can grow with your Data Center is a way to combat these issues while maintaining control over operational costs.

Emerson; a pioneer in the field of Precision Cooling, is who we recommend as they have supported the Data Center market around the world for more than 40 years. The Liebert CRV is a precision air conditioner designed for data centers and IT equipment that require advanced temperature and humidity control.

Here is a list of advantages for the CRV product line outlining their superior and innovative features.  

• The Liebert CRV has an adjustable supply Air Baffle System that allows the supply air to be directed left, right, or both directions and target hotspots with focused cooling unlike just blindly blows air out the front of the unit.

• Air volume control. The Liebert CRV distributes air up to 6-7 racks down an aisle unlike wider air conditioners which struggle to cool the same number of racks. Some other units achieve this type of performance by using twice the amount of airflow wasting an enormous amount of energy in the process.

• Liebert units have a lower supply opening where the air leaves the front of the Liebert CRV through an opening on the lower two-thirds of the unit providing a user friendly work environment by not having thousands of CFM blown into your eyes.

• Using a Digital Scroll Compressor allows the Liebert CRV to run at a lower minimum heat load than. Capacity modulation is achieved without an inverter, eliminating the chance of imposing electromagnetic interference (EMI harmonics) on the UPS system which can prevent a transfer switch from functioning. The EMI created by the Liebert CRV’s small EC plug fans is insignificant for most sites.

• The Liebert CRV has a low noise level thanks to the supply air baffle system. The unit is able to slow down its fans further than comparable InRow products and also use less energy and operate quieter while still providing the same performance.

• The Liebert CRV is by far more energy efficient than most units; the numbers vary, but it can be as high as 60% less energy usage.

• Rack sensors used with the CRV eliminate assumptions on cooling requirements and wasteful operations further increasing energy savings.

• Liebert’s iCOM control is what ties together and leverages all of the individual component benefits. Varying the speed of the fans, educes operating noise, prevents over and under cooling, reduces the need to add humidification, and reduces reheat runtime. The large graphical screens with custom help menus make interacting with the unit an easy and enjoyable.

• Excellent filtration. The Liebert CRV has been designed to meet and exceed ASHRAE’s filtration standards. MERV 8 or MERV 11 filters are available as standard with no reduction in unit performance.

• Containment Friendly. Liebert OptimzedAisle provides enhanced levels of performance and greater protection from containment failure modes and has control algorithms specifically designed for cold aisle containment.

• The Liebert CRV has been designed so that all service and maintenance can be performed through the front and rear of the unit while installed between server racks in a live data center.

• Compressor Access. RotoLock fittings are attached to the compressor allowing the compressor to be removed from the unit without having to evacuate the refrigerant charge. They also allow the compressor to be disconnected without having to use a torch and the Vibasorber allows the refrigerant piping to be swung away from the compressor during compressor removal – eliminating the need to cut and then re-braze piping.

• Easy fan accessibility. Liebert’s CRV variable speed EC plug fans are mounted on the rear door that swings out into the aisle for all side access.

• Liebert CRV’s system components are located on the bottom half of the unit, isolated from the airstream, allowing a technician to performance minor maintenance on the unit while it is fully operational.

• The electric panel on the Liebert CRV is mounted at shoulder height, facing the cold aisle, making it easy to work on.

As you can see the Liebert InRow precision cooling units have features that not only make operations and upkeep easy but also the installation.

For more information or a consultation email eds@datcominc.com or call 1-800-427-2055.

How to Select the Right UPS System

Selecting UPS systems for your environment can be confusing with the number of manufactures and different levels of protection available today. As UPS failures are the number one reason for downtime within the data center environment, I would say that it is of the utmost importance for any enterprise or critical infrastructure to have the right protection in place.

Also with the increase in the implementation of Edge IT, the local infrastructure used to support offsite applications and hardware are evolving from a, “nice to have”, to a “must have” scenario. In order to lend transparency to the selection of appropriately matched UPS systems and critical components I have listed below the three main UPS systems available today, along with the benefits and advantages of each.

1. Off-Line or (Standby) UPS systems.

These offline un-interruptible power supplies provide cost-effective power protection against outages and basic filtering as well as surge protection and are ideal for Home office, small business work stations and some POS systems.

Disadvantages:

• Does not protect against most power anomalies, including voltage fluctuations.
• Battery cycles are increased.
• Transfer to battery when utility power is lost results in a load interruption.
• Not suited for generator applications.
• NON-MISSION CRITICAL in business.

1. Line Interactive UPS systems.

Interactive UPS systems provide a medium level of power protection against outages with some voltage conditioning as well as basic filtering and surge protection. They are generally ideal for small business work stations and some networking devices.

Disadvantages:

• Offers limited power conditioning.
• Battery cycles are increased.
• No isolation from input source.
• Not suited for generator applications.
• NON-MISSION CRITICAL.
• No Internal Bypass.

1. Online or (Double Conversion) UPS Systems

Double conversation systems offer the most comprehensive power protection against all types of power anomalies and have a Zero-transfer time to battery. That means your power is always online and is never interrupted. Some manufacturers have an optional internal bypass available and this unit is ideal for Mission Critical IT applications and generator applications.

 Disadvantages:

• Efficiency (dual conversion process consumes power)

The bottom line is; that it does not matter how expensive or powerful a piece of hardware or server is, if the foundational power and UPS system is not sufficient, than your IT network is put needlessly at risk. The same can be said for the batteries used within the UPS system which are just as important. Don’t just look at the price; look at the longevity of the batteries themselves, like you would when you are buying a cell phone. Enterprise and Data Center systems need and call for Enterprise batteries and UPS solutions.

The last piece of the puzzle when considering what UPS systems to install and purchase is the warranty and service levels which are available. More and more companies are reducing their IT staff and being asked to increase their responsibilities and systems like UPSs which are only really noticed when a catastrophic event happens are apt to be overlooked or ignored.  Finding a partner you can rely on to monitor, install and proactively manage these systems can save businesses hours of downtime and thousands of dollars.

If you are experiencing any of the following pain points, we have a solution for you.  

Give us a call (1-800-427-2055)

1. Short battery lifespan
2. Unexplainable equipment lock ups or freezes
3. Limited resources to remove and install UPSs?
4. Worried about environmentally safe UPS disposal?
5. Concerned about downtime and time to repair?
6. Dealing with difficult to staff and manage business-critical closets or rooms?
7. Concerned about MTTR?
8. Trouble managing multi-site rollouts?

           

Datcom is a proud partner of Liebert and Emerson Network Power UPS Systems. Not only do they have a great breadth of products to support everything from Desktops to full blown Data Center power distribution. Emerson also has the smallest online double conversion UPS 500VA, and also the largest capacity single phase UPS which is 20kVA, 18kW APS.

Emerson also has hundreds of professionals that support their robust products which are backed by the best warranty in the business., this is a two-year, no-hassle warranty.

If anything happens to your unit, including a battery failure, Liebert will replace your complete UPS and pay overnight shipping out to you and paid return shipping from you. Liebert also offers optional one-year and three-year extended warranties.

Their product diversity is only eclipsed by their Power Assurance Package and Life Services offerings, which make Liebert a front runner in the Enterprise UPS Solution landscape.

Too learn more about Picking the right UPS for your Data Center or request an onsite consultation email eds@datcominc.com or call 1-800-427-2055

 UPS selector and cross reference tool

Learn why Critical Systems deserve more than a battery back-up.

Download the free Trellis Insight UPS Monitoring Software here.

How to Maintain Visibility & Control at the IT edge.

 

 

More companies than ever before are looking to save on IT operational costs by outsourcing their IT Infrastructure and focus on their core businesses. Colocation, cloud and hybrid systems are becoming the norm and being leveraged for their scalability, availability and redundancy. As the adoption of this technology grows and applications and hardware are pushed out to the cloud, the IT Edge is becoming the most critical point of many business models.

Maintaining visibility and control is no longer a luxury, but a necessity to ensure the competitive nature of the business in the market place. With the growth of the IoT (Internet of Things) it will soon become impossible for businesses to deal with or absorb the impact of network and data center downtime.

These demands placed on companies due to the digital transformation of the world, call for a solid and dependable IT Edge solution. These solutions will have to bring to the forefront of IT planning, and IT commissioning, both accessibility and security.

Here are the top considerations for keeping pace with the transformation:

1.    Security and Accessibility

2.    Server and Serial device management

3.    IT Edge availability

4.    Out of Band management

5.    Cellular fail over and redundancy

6.    Onsite expertise and IT services

7.    Consolidated IT rollouts and ease of purchase

8.    Single pane software for asset management

9.    Software monitoring and alarms

10. Data center capacity and power planning

11. Consistency across branches

12. A low MTTR (Mean time to Repair)

The driving factors of cloud computing, mobile computing and IoT are changing the landscape of the digital information age and must be matched with solutions that address these concerns.

Ask us about our Smart Solutions offerings which address these concerns and will enable you to make this transition easy.

8 Reasons to Switch to the Liebert GXT4 UPS to Help Ensure Availability of Your Critical Systems

High availability doesn’t have to come at the cost of efficiency with the Liebert® GXT4™ UPS. This true on-line, double-conversion UPS offers a higher power factor, increased reliability, and helps ensure critical continuity through power disturbances of any kind.

8 Reasons to switch to the Liebert GXT4 UPS to Help Ensure Availability of Your Business-Critical Systems.

.or more information or to request an onsite consultation or assessment just give us a call or send an email. Or you can also download more about the Emerson UPS family.

Try the handy new UPS selector and UPS cross reference tool.

White Paper: The need for Smart (PDUs) Power Distribution Units

10 Reasons we recommend Velcro

Datcom carries VELCRO® brand fasteners in both riser and plenum fire rated varieties as well as cable ties. Both are used for keeping cords, wires, and even hoses contained and yet there are several situations where we would recommend Velcro over the cable ties.

Within TIA 568C.0, it states that:

Cable stress, such as that caused by tension in suspended cable runs and tightly cinched bundles, should be minimized. Cable bindings, if used to tie multiple cables together, should be irregularly spaced and should be loosely fitted (easily moveable).

Additional guidance can be found in the BICSI Information Transport Systems Installation Methods Manual (ITSIMM), 5th edition, which reads:

Use hook and loop straps to secure the cables. The hook and loop straps should be evenly spaced throughout the dressed length. Hook and loop straps should be used to prevent a change in the physical geometry of the cable that typically results from use of nylon tie wraps.

Here are our Top 10 Reasons for recommending VELCRO® brand fasteners

1. Velcro causes less cable stress
2. Velcro has a wider footprint and therefore more support
3. Velcro requires no tooling
4. Velcro is available in Riser and Plenum versions
5. Velcro is reusable and recyclable
6. Velcro is available in multiple colours
7. Velcro is easily movable and adjustable
8. Velcro works with a variety of cable managers and enclosure holds
9. Velcro is more flexible
10. Velcro is available in "Cut as you require" lengths

Although you can ensure that cable ties do not cinch a bundle of cable using specified tension tools and applicators, to be safe we would advise using Velcro for any critical cabling medium.

How to deliver professional cable and network testing documentation

Professional cable installers want to exhibit the highest level of quality and standards in offering services to the customer. In doing so, maintaining proper documentation is best business practice that can pay off both during the job and after it’s completion. 

• Makes sure the job is done right
• No aspect is omitted
• Provide the customer with printable documentation

Keeping detailed documentation ensures that the job is done right and that no aspect of the service installation is omitted. Documentation identifies each step of the entire installation project for both managers and clients. Documentation can be customized according to the site specifications and the type of installation being performed.

The Testing Process

Providing the customer with detailed documentation is a sign of a quality and professional install.  It demonstrates attention to detail and thoroughness which is the hallmark of a job well-done. Besides, modern handheld devices and software make it both quick and easy to record and report on the different facets of the installation, and they make it easy to print specifications when needed.

It is essential that results of each test be recorded as soon as the test is performed — avoiding loss of data and ensuring the results are included in the final report. Additionally, it is of the imperative to upload to your computer software all the data and readings that were taken during the testing process so that this information can be used to populate your report.

The Final Report

When the installation is complete and all the testing data from the installation has been uploaded from your test equipment to your computer, you can compile the final report.  Your cable test report will be organized in a logical user friendly format.

It is up to you to decide which values are relevant based on who the report is being distributed to. For example, a report that is sent to a non-technical client would be different from one that sent to an engineering firm or your main office.

It is recommended that detailed results be included in the final reports.  This detail can aid in future troubleshooting as well as satisfying the warranty requirement for some manufacturers.

Correct Labeling

Professional installers understand that detailed labeling is essential and it should map directly to your documentation. Remember…good documentation and cable labeling go hand in hand.

Each work area outlet is commonly labeled with the floor, room, patch panel and the port where it originates. If documentation or cable labeling is not provided, then a proper installation has not been completed.

Proof In The Reporting

Accurate reporting and labeling provides a means for quantifying the installation and documenting that it was done correctly. Furthermore, it provides an overview of the entire process that can be very useful in the future for troubleshooting problems, choosing upgrades, moving devices and/or adding or making hardware changes to the installation.

Handheld testing devices such as the Net Chaser™ which are used to troubleshoot signal, connectivity, and cabling issues, offer several printing options that can be presented to the client based on their needs.  Cable installers often bring portable printers allowing them to immediately print and provide the final report prior to leaving the job — further improving customer satisfaction.

Platinum Net Chaser™ handheld testing devices generate concise and informative deliverable reports that list all of the technical specifications that technology personnel and management would need for strategic planning and maintenance. The reports are easily customizable with your company logo and contact information giving your reports a professional look and feel.