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With the cost and complexity of running a data center increasing every year, managers are embracing the concepts of rightsizing, adaptability, and scalability in order to handle the challenges presented in today's technical environments.In this edition of The Wright Connection we've got some excellent information to help you apply these concepts in your whitespace. In our feature article, we look at why custom engineered enclosures are the perfect solution in today's constantly changing data center environment. We continue this theme with a whitepaper that tells you all you need to do to power the adaptable data center, as well as a case study documenting how our Paramount enclosure was instrumental in helping MKS build a data center that would grow with them for years to come. We've also got a feature installation on work we did for the Georgia Department of Transportation, as well as a great update on our LCD Lift product. Regards,  Ed Bednarcik CEO Custom Engineered Solutions…They Do Exist with Data Center Enclosures
It's funny how some companies get that and others just don't. Consider the options commonly available when you buy data center enclosures; does "we only offer it in black or gray and two heights" sound familiar? Choosing the right provider Too often enclosure manufacturers simply can't or won't offer what you need to meet the unique requirements for your white space environment, and this is something that is absolutely critical to consider when you are choosing a provider. At Wright Line our work with thousands of end users - a majority of them in the data center space - has taught us about the evolving requirements of today's business environment. Because we work closely with the day-to-day users of our enclosures, consoles and other furniture products, we have gained invaluable insight into enhancements that benefit our customers. Large data centers The profile of many of the data centers where Wright Line truly collaborates with its customers includes large facilities that feature massive amounts of raised floor space filled to capacity with row upon row of rack-mounted servers, storage and networking equipment. They are strung with miles of cable and operate with extraordinary amounts of processing power as they speed information to customers and employees worldwide. Within these data centers is a vast amount of critical data which creates a need for extremely high fault tolerance and high availability. Unfortunately, in today's environment there are a wide range of factors – thermal, power and cable management to name a few – that make keeping the data center up and running at all times a complicated and difficult proposition. Standardizing on an enclosure solution can be a great help, but there are a number of challenges to be met first. We'll take a look at some of those challenges and what they represent in the ongoing quest for standardization. Different strokes… A big challenge lies in the fact that you may have equipment from various business units within the company - and perhaps third-party organizations - with different hardware and software requirements. Each business group may have a preferred vendor for their computing needs, making the standardization to one enclosure or rack platform a daunting task. To make matters worse, many hardware and software vendors manufacture an enclosure made specifically to fit their hardware only. These proprietary enclosures can be expensive, and with most servers on a three-year lease cycle, there is no guarantee that the new server will fit in the original enclosure once the lease expires. Floor creep Something that may get overlooked in the initial planning phase is floor creep. The typical data center floor tile measures 24 inches by 24 inches. A proprietary enclosure sitting on its own could measure 24 square inches, but when bayed - as they often are with other enclosures - they could measure more or less than 24 inches. This is referred to as positive or negative floor creep. Although this may seem a minor inconvenience, having to continually configure and reconfigure an effective floor plan for this situation could be a major obstacle for your team of engineers and hardware managers responsible for the data center. An enclosure solution that provides absolutely no floor creep is needed, regardless if they are standalone units or a bay of ten. Pushing for standardization without sacrificing customization Clearly, business units can change at a moments notice, and when a server is changed out or added the footprint within the data center can potentially change. Often you can't anticipate the footprint until the servers, with their specialized enclosures, arrive at your facility. How then do you move forward, creating a plan to live by if the layout of the data center is constantly in flux? With these variables in play, you need to find a way to standardize the data center for it to run efficiently. A Good Foundation is Paramount® The good news is that in your quest to find and provide a good foundation for your business units, our Paramount enclosure platform can meet every challenge. Paramount easily adapts to technology requirements while providing "swappable" solutions to the various server and network equipment transitions and upgrades you will inevitably deal with in your data center. We have produced a high quality, flexible, rack-mount design that works well with all EIA server styles, network management switches, and wide and local area networks; essentially a multi-vendor compatible enclosure platform available in a variety of widths, depths and heights. Again with absolutely no floor creep. Add in Paramount's ability to easily change out rails to accommodate a variety of server manufacturers and you begin to see one level of customization that we make available in data center enclosures – customization that is not typically offered. Additionally, by buying the enclosures from an independent source like Wright Line, rather than as a commodity from server manufacturers, your team can order on its own time table and reduce its costs. If need be, the data center can have several in stock and deploy them as needed. Customized for you Henry Ford also said, "Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs." That's why we treat every customer installation as a custom-engineered solution. As an example, one customer wanted to ensure an easy transition from the staging area to the data center floor. A standard 44U Paramount unit would have to be tipped to get it through a standard door or onto a standard elevator, while a 43U unit does not, so we made some initial adjustments to the height of the original Paramount unit from a 44U to 43U, which made the transition much easier. Additionally, we provided modified casters that made the enclosures easier to deploy from the customer's staging area to the data center and back when necessary. We also put together standard part numbers, streamlining the ordering process and allowing the customer to more effectively expedite orders. Standardize on Paramount If your organization is looking for a solution to the constantly changing data center environment and the problems that dynamic can create, the Paramount enclosure can provide a stable foundation to build on. This sturdy, scalable and adaptable platform, easily customized, is the answer to today's constantly changing business and data center requirements. And remember, at Wright Line, we are so confident in our data center business model that we offer guaranteed compatibility and all of the products we manufacture are covered by a lifetime warranty. Case Study: Data Center Growth - Taking the Long View with Wright Line's Paramount
Taking the Long View TAB consultant Greg Cook sat down with Russell Robinson, Network Architect for MKS Inc, along with his data center team to map out exactly what they would need. Robinson was clear from the beginning: accommodating future growth was essential. What he wanted was a platform that could handle the wide range of different equipment they currently used as well as the high density gear they anticipated incorporating down the road. This meant that modularity and scalability, as well as cooling and cable management would be critical. Also MKS would need power distribution capacity to match their ambitious vision. So together they took this information, looked at their forecasted growth, and came up with a range of configurations and options that could back it up. In the Field After Cook presented MKS with a range of possible configuration and equipment options, he took Robinson to visit facilities where Wright Line products were installed, so that he might better judge for himself what choices were right for his organization. Rack Choice Together Cook and Robinson weighed the range of options available and came to the conclusion that the Paramount platform was the best fit for MKS new data center. The modularity and scalability of the Paramount had made it a strong contender from the beginning. As well, their existing racks at 32" depth didn't give them the room at the back they needed, whereas the Paramount at 40" depth would give them ample room. And the ability to add cooling when and where necessary particularly appealed to Robinson, as the hot spots created by different equipment in continually changing configurations could be addressed with Paramount's cooling options. But beyond that, one characteristic of the Paramount stood out: overhead cabling options. In the course of the planning stages, Robinson had decided on a new network distribution which would require a new room configuration. The new layout was based on rows of seven racks, with central rack cable termination. The integrated overhead cable management of the Paramount would work perfectly with this design, and would mean the MKS team wouldn't have to lift the floor every time they needed to make a change. Powering Up With the mix of new and legacy equipment MKS was running, and given that high density blades would figure in their future, they looked to one of Wright Line's strategic business partners, Eaton Powerware, to complement its selection of the Paramount enclosure system. Eaton's Powerware Vertical ePDU was also deployed to ensure that MKS had the flexibility to scale future equipment appropriately. MKS had also been burned by some inferior quality PDUs in the past, so industry grade components and solid manufacturing of the Eaton line was very appealing. Robinson was also swayed by the Eaton ePDU's high visibility LED ammeter for load balancing, and monitoring the room during walkthroughs. Eaton's Powerware Vertical ePDU met and exceeded all these requirements, making it an obvious choice. Growing Into It The installation of the Wright Line Paramount racks and the Eaton PDU's for MKS came off without a hitch. Since then, MKS has been very pleased with their selections and their new facility has handled the subsequent growth with ease. As Robinson puts it, "changing out a data center is a very expensive proposition, you have to spend your money wisely. Greg gave us choices that worked and then allowed us to visit sites where those products were in use, which is much better than seeing them in a catalogue or in a showroom. Basically, when you take on a project as big as this, you want the core of the data center to be solid, and Wright Line provided us with that. I didn't want to have to revisit our choices two or three years down the road, and I am confident that I won't have to do that now. I fully expect as the technology evolves in ways we can't see now that I will be able to order additional Paramount enclosures as necessary, and they'll fit right in." NEW Whitepaper: Power to the Adaptable Data Center
The Only Constant is Change Data centers change continually to serve shifting priorities, applications and transaction volumes - and to reflect new technologies, regulations and market forces. Virtually every large data center undergoes moves, additions and changes (MACs) once a month or more, according to a Network Computing survey of 474 IT managers. Frequent change affects 85 percent of mid-sized data centers and 67 percent of small data centers, according to the report. Are You Ready? Is your power infrastructure up to these realities? How and where power components are implemented in your data center dictates how flexible and scalable the power chain will be, especially as the data center changes and grows. You've Got Options The good news is that there are more options than ever to tailor the power system for your unique data center requirements - and for the velocity of change. As you plan to upgrade power systems or build a new facility, you need a power infrastructure that is as adaptable as the IT infrastructure must be. How To When you are thinking about your power system, there are many considerations to keep in mind when looking at your technology options, including power consumption, data center configuration, reliability, cable management, metering and flexibility for future expansion. In this whitepaper from Eaton, for which Wright Line is a major distributor, you'll learn how to align power distribution and protection options with your current and future business needs as well as local utility conditions. Topics covered in depth include:
If you want to know how to power the ever changing data center, you can download the full FREE whitepaper here. Featured Installation: Georgia Department of Transportation
Challenges
Installation The 1,400 sq. ft. room that houses the Transportation Management Center features a unique baseball diamond shape. Single-tier Profile Consoles were configured in a 15-degree concave fashion providing clean site lines to wall-mounted plasma monitors and the central video wall for ongoing monitoring of the major roadways in the greater Atlanta region. System Specifications Each workstation features stationary work surfaces with retractable keyboard platforms and three articulating arms mounted on Profile's extruded aluminum slat wall; raising the Flat Panel Display monitors off the desktop and allowing for ergonomic positioning and optimal viewing. The workstations feature black steel end trim and top panels with a rich wood grain laminate on the work surfaces and outer skins. A rotating Resource Center filing system is housed in the middle of the center for shared storage of documentation and manuals. For a PDF version of this installation, as well as several others, please click here to see the Profile Application Sheets on our website. Product Spotlight: Wright Line's LCD Lift™ Receives Patent
Activation Unit Transforms a Computer Workstation into a Traditional Desk
Compatible with most 15" to 19" LCD flat screens available today, Wright Line's LCD Lift offers a space efficient solution for this popular monitor technology. LCD flat screens featuring the VESA FDMI mounting interface standard, an industry-recognized mounting pattern on the back of a flat screen, are compatible with the LCD Lift module. The manufacturer-supplied base must be removed to attach the screen to the LCD Lift mechanism. Wright Line's patented LCD Lift is priced according to configuration. Literature and pricing are provided upon request. Please visit our website for information on any of our other Wright Line Products. Industry News
Wright Line Continues to Promote Energy Efficient Data Centers by Joining the Green Grid  Wright Line has announced its membership in the Green Grid. The Green Grid is a global consortium dedicated to advancing energy efficiency in data centers and business computing ecosystems.Edward Bednarcik, Wright Line CEO had this to say about the membership, "As a leading manufacturer of enclosures and a provider of integrated technologies within the data center, we support the efforts of the Green Grid to improve overall data center energy efficiencies. It is our hope that manufacturers and end-users alike will benefit from the organization's focus on research, standards, and continuing education within the data center space, particularly with its emphasis on green initiatives. This is a critical problem, and supporting organizations like Green Grid makes both economic as well as environmental sense." The Green Grid is focused on the following: defining meaningful, user-centric models and metrics; developing standards, measurement methods, processes and new technologies to improve data center performance against the defined metrics; and promoting the adoption of energy efficient standards, processes, measurements and technologies. "We view our membership as a critical component of being a good corporate citizen within the data center profession", stated Mr. Bednarcik. "We hope that our participation in the Green Grid will further complement our membership and activities in the other professional data center organizations we belong to such as AFCOM, 7 x 24 Exchange and The Uptime Institute." Wright Line Joins 9-1-1 Industry Alliance as Support of Public Safety Industry Continues  Wright Line has joined the 9-1-1 Industry Alliance (9IA). The mission of the 9IA is to develop emergency technology infrastructure and policy for the good of public safety and the public it serves.According to Edward Bednarcik, CEO of Wright Line, "We are happy to support an organization such as the 91A. We look forward to working with the group in its efforts to enhance our national emergency operations infrastructure while crafting policies that are beneficial to the public safety profession and the public it serves." The 9-1-1 Industry Alliance is composed of industry leaders who strive to maximize the research and development of emergency communications. By creating a collaborative environment to conduct programs and discuss important issues within the public safety industry, the 9IA strives to improve 9-1-1 service for the benefit of the public. Major initiatives of 9IA include increasing funding on the local, state and federal level, conducting research and development projects to support the innovation and implementation of supporting technologies, and assisting public policy makers and government officials in developing policy in support of effective emergency communications and public safety. "Wright Line is a leading manufacturer of furniture for the public safety market and we welcome its support and assistance in our efforts to shape our industry for the better," stated Jeff Robertson, Executive Director of the 91A. Going "Green" Cuts Data Center Energy Spend While many data center managers are focusing on virtualization software and server consolidation to curb their energy consumption, a company called 365 Main made significant savings last year simply by shifting energy use at the company's San Francisco data center away from peak time. By taking advantage of an energy consumption incentive program offered by Pacific Gas & Electric called Critical Peak Pricing, they managed to shave off 7,477 kWh during peak CPP times, compared with 365 Main's energy-consumption baseline.The Floating Data Center? As the industry focus on "greening" the data center continues, start-up company International Data Security is pioneering a radical new approach to the problem: the floating data center. Originally conceived for the disaster recovery market, these data centers have great green credentials, including using sea-water cooling, bio-diesel and re-use of waste heat. Read more about the floating data center.Upcoming Trade Shows
Our participation at trade shows offers us a great chance for us to meet our clients and colleagues, so visit our website for a complete list of shows we will be attending in 2008. |
Did You Know?
Rightsizing your data center can reduce your electrical bill by up to 50%.
Source: Network World   |
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Automobile pioneer Henry Ford once said, "People can have the Model T in any color - so long as it's black." We all know that the father of the modern assembly line built a business empire that reigns today as one of the top three automobile manufacturers in the nation. But it didn't get there by continuing to only offer one model in one color. When you buy a vehicle today- from Ford or any of the other major manufacturers -you can select from a wide range of models, a large palette of colors and numerous options so that your driving experience fits your personal requirements and tastes.
When a recent survey found that over a third of enterprise data centers run out of space, power and cooling because of poor capacity planning, the data center team at MKS Inc could be forgiven for allowing themselves a self-satisfied smile. As a leading edge producer of application lifecycle management software, their success had pushed their existing data center to the limit. So when they looked at building an entirely new facility, they wanted to go big and create a space that would address their needs for the next 7 to 10 years. It would be a massive undertaking, and they partnered with TAB to help them ensure that the facility was everything they envisioned.
Every data center is unique, reflecting the needs of the business. Each facility can contain different numbers of racks, with different power densities per rack, and different reliability requirements. But whatever the architecture, all data centers have one thing in common: everything could change tomorrow.
The Georgia Department of Transportation's Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), NAVIGATOR, integrates technology, information processing and communications to ease travel and increase safety. The department's Transportation Management Center serves as the headquarters and information clearinghouse; operating 24 hours, 365 days per year and is seen as one of the most innovative ITS deployments in the United States.
Wright Line recently received a patent (# US 7,207,278 B2) for the monitor activation module for its LCD Lift convertible flat panel desk solution. LCD Lift is ideal for computer labs, education and training environments, lobby and reception areas, or personal workstations.