Data center design and facilities

Five data center upgrade strategies to modernize your facility

These five data center upgrade strategies can revitalize older data centers and stave off expensive construction projects.Tip

Question about inert gas for data center fire suppression

Using tanks filled with inert gas to protect the data center from fires requires proper placement to avoid danger if a rupture occurs.Answer

What factors into a typical data center construction costs?

If you want to get an estimate on a data center build cost, the guidelines posted by the Uptime Institute can help with the initial analysis.Answer

What are the key differences in the PCI Express 3.0 standard?

Advances in the PCI Express 3.0 standard will benefit servers and accelerate data-intensive tasks for your next technology refresh cycle.Answer

What does the future hold for PCI Express?

Details on PCIe 4.0 are still being hammered out, but early indications show it will have double the transfer rates of PCIe 3.0.Answer

Keeping up with containerized data center maintenance and repair

Don't let that quick, easy deployment fool you. Maintaining a containerized data center can sometimes be trickier than traditional infrastructure.Answer

Don't let new tech and early adoption pride damage your data center

As tempting as that new blade server might be, early adoption doesn't make sense for every IT shop.Column

Will your containerized data center survive the elements?

You're interested in a containerized data center, but have you considered how long you plan to keep it?Answer

off-grid data center

An off-grid data center is a facility that produces all its own power and is not connected to any external source, such as the electrical power grid.Definition

off the grid

Off the grid is a designation for facilities that produce all their own energy and are not connected to any external source, such as the electrical power grid.Definition

passive cooling

Passive cooling is an approach to cooling computer components through slowing the speed at which the component, such as the processor, is operating. That approach contrasts with active cooling, which involves using fans in preference to slowing the speed of the component.Definition

active cooling

Active cooling is the use of fans to reduce the heat of computer components. Active cooling contrasts with passive cooling, which involves reducing the speed at which a component is running to reduce its heat.Definition

Understanding carbon emissions from Bloom fuel cell energy units

Bloom servers get the energy for their fuel cells from cheaper, cleaner alternatives such as biogas and natural gas.Answer

ambient air cooling

Ambient air cooling is the use of naturally cool air surrounding a building, such as a data center, to reduce heat inside the facility. The use of ambient air and/or nearby water sources to maintain appropriate ambient temperatures in a data center is sometimes referred to as free cooling because they take advantage of naturally occurring phenomena rather than more heavily technological solutions.Definition

PUE metric helps keep data center energy use in check

The PUE metric helps smaller enterprises measure data center energy use to determine if various efficiency initiatives are worth pursuing.Tip

How does a Bloom Energy Server convert fuel into power?

Some enterprises have cut their electric bill by plugging commercial fuel cell systems, like Bloom Energy Servers, into their data center.Answer

Saving money through an energy-efficient UPS

The simple decision to install a more energy-efficient UPS can bring about a high return on investment.Tip

Using plastic curtains for hot aisle/cold aisle containment

Plastic curtains in the data center are one method of hot aisle/cold aisle containment to keep equipment cool and save energy costs.Answer

off-grid data center

An off-grid data center is a facility that produces all its own power and is not connected to any external source, such as the electrical power grid.Definition

off the grid

Off the grid is a designation for facilities that produce all their own energy and are not connected to any external source, such as the electrical power grid.Definition

Understanding carbon emissions from Bloom fuel cell energy units

Bloom servers get the energy for their fuel cells from cheaper, cleaner alternatives such as biogas and natural gas.Answer

How does a Bloom Energy Server convert fuel into power?

Some enterprises have cut their electric bill by plugging commercial fuel cell systems, like Bloom Energy Servers, into their data center.Answer

Saving money through an energy-efficient UPS

The simple decision to install a more energy-efficient UPS can bring about a high return on investment.Tip

off-grid data center

An off-grid data center is a facility that produces all its own power and is not connected to any external source, such as the electrical power grid.Definition

off the grid

Off the grid is a designation for facilities that produce all their own energy and are not connected to any external source, such as the electrical power grid.Definition

2013 Data Center Readers' Choice Survey

Submit our vote for our 2013 Data Center Readers' Choice Survey and find out how you match up against your peers.Survey

Modern Infrastructure: February 2013

This issue explores how IT teams can handle the BYOD revolution without wasting time and resources.E-ZINE

Stemming losses: DC vs. AC power in the data center

Delivering DC vs. AC power to a data center can potentially reduce electrical conversion losses and save electricity costs.Tip

Two data center hosting companies, one building and Hurricane Sandy

Updated: Two data center hosting companies make their home in one building in Manhattan, which flooded Sunday.News | 01 Nov 2012

New York Times article on data center power consumption draws ire

The New York Times' article cast data centers as power-hungry behemoths, drawing a stern and swift response from IT pros.News | 25 Sep 2012

passive cooling

Passive cooling is an approach to cooling computer components through slowing the speed at which the component, such as the processor, is operating. That approach contrasts with active cooling, which involves using fans in preference to slowing the speed of the component.Definition

active cooling

Active cooling is the use of fans to reduce the heat of computer components. Active cooling contrasts with passive cooling, which involves reducing the speed at which a component is running to reduce its heat.Definition

ambient air cooling

Ambient air cooling is the use of naturally cool air surrounding a building, such as a data center, to reduce heat inside the facility. The use of ambient air and/or nearby water sources to maintain appropriate ambient temperatures in a data center is sometimes referred to as free cooling because they take advantage of naturally occurring phenomena rather than more heavily technological solutions.Definition

PUE metric helps keep data center energy use in check

The PUE metric helps smaller enterprises measure data center energy use to determine if various efficiency initiatives are worth pursuing.Tip

A liquid cooled data center benefits from lower noise, less energy

Consider a liquid cooled data center to reduce energy draw and noise generated by traditional air cooling systems.Answer

How to use mineral oil cooling to efficiently cool servers

Explore how mineral oil cooling works for servers and adapt the process to fit your data center's needs.Answer

Advances in immersion cooling can help servers chill out

New materials have revived the concept of immersion cooling, and data center servers may soon take the plunge.Tip

Guide to modern data center cooling methods

Learn more about modern methods for cooling data centers with this quick guide.Guide

Using plastic curtains for hot aisle/cold aisle containment

Plastic curtains in the data center are one method of hot aisle/cold aisle containment to keep equipment cool and save energy costs.Answer

Guide to modern methods for cooling data centers

Updating your data center infrastructure? Building a new one? Learn about the latest, most efficient methods for cooling data centers.guide

What to do when the Web server is down

Companies rely heavily on websites to transact business and stay in contact. Here's how to fix Web server issues and prevent future problems.Tip

How to fix network holes and maintain a secure data center

The key to a secure data center is diligence and monitoring. Here's how to lock down your network against incursion.Tip

What are the key differences in the PCI Express 3.0 standard?

Advances in the PCI Express 3.0 standard will benefit servers and accelerate data-intensive tasks for your next technology refresh cycle.Answer

What do I need to use a PCIe 3.0 device?

Server motherboards now come equipped to handle PCI Express 3.0 devices, but be sure you're prepared for next-generation servers in future refreshes.Answer

Use Windows NIC teaming to stay connected

Sysadmins can boost throughput and achieve network resiliency through Windows Server 2012's native feature of NIC teaming.Tip

2013 Data Center Readers' Choice Survey

Submit our vote for our 2013 Data Center Readers' Choice Survey and find out how you match up against your peers.Survey

Q&A: How data centers can keep up with massive Internet user growth

As Internet user growth stretches current network capacity thin, how can data center planners hit the moving target of future bandwidth needs?Q&A

SDNs promise to shake up networking industry

Big networking industry names and start-ups have jumped into virtualised networking, hoping it will have the same impact as server virtualisation.Tip

40 GbE technology: Hurry up and wait

Despite the enterprise need for high-speed networks, the advent of 40 GbE has been met with low adoption rates. Where will the hardware find a niche?Feature

40 GbE technology: Hurry up and wait

Question about inert gas for data center fire suppression

Using tanks filled with inert gas to protect the data center from fires requires proper placement to avoid danger if a rupture occurs.Answer

Using plastic curtains for hot aisle/cold aisle containment

Plastic curtains in the data center are one method of hot aisle/cold aisle containment to keep equipment cool and save energy costs.Answer

What you need to know about containerized data center security

Part of the draw of containerized data centers is ease and speed of deployment, but these features also pose security risks.Answer

2013 Data Center Readers' Choice Survey

Submit our vote for our 2013 Data Center Readers' Choice Survey and find out how you match up against your peers.Survey

Desktop market matures but VDI challenges remain

Tools enable companies to reduce support costs, boost security and lower energy consumption, but more is needed to overcome VDI challenges.Tip

Two data center hosting companies, one building and Hurricane Sandy

Updated: Two data center hosting companies make their home in one building in Manhattan, which flooded Sunday.News | 01 Nov 2012

IT security issues: The perception and deception of security

Consider a few lesser-known IT security issues before resting on your company's current policies.Tip

Facilities management team to the IT department: Let's work together

For the business to run smoothly, facilities management and IT must learn to use automation tools to cooperate.Tip

FM-200 systems: What data center managers need to know

Get the lowdown on using FM-200 systems for data center fire suppression, and whether or not they're a good choice for your company.Answer

Weighing the pros and cons of the Trusted Computing Platform

When used as designed, trusted computing can provide a high level of security, but limitations and potential for abuse prohibits its usefulness.Tip