Blades Servers vs. Rack Servers

December 4, 2012 By

In the world of data centers, there is a lot of conversation going on between blade and rack servers. Data center designers and managers are thinking whether to deploy Rackable servers or blade server to deploy virtualized applications. Before getting into any conclusion about blade and rack servers, we shall have a close look about both the server technologies.

Blade Servers:

Blade server follows stripped down design technique with a modular design to optimize energy and space. The main components in blade servers are blade enclosure which houses multiple blade servers, various interconnects, cooling, networking

and power equipment. Standard rack is 48 cm wide and 4.45 cm tall and defines the least size of any equipment.

Blade Enclosure: Enclosure is one of the main important parts of any servers as it performs many non-core computing services. Compared to blade server non blade system uses hot, space insufficient and bulky components; this might degrade the overall efficiency of the data centers. Managers can localize services in one place and sharing the resources blade computers will improve the overall efficiency.

Cooling:  we all know mechanical and electrical components in a server produce heat. To ensure proper functionality of these system heats should be eliminated. Data center designers always have a conflict between how much heat will be generated and how many fans to implement to cut down the heat.

Storage:  computers typically use hard drives to store data, OS and applications. Some of the storage methods are SATA, SCSI, FC, iSCSI, FireWire and many more. Sometimes data centers boot from SAN (Storage Area Network) which allows disk free blades.

Blade servers are well suited for specific purposes such as Virtualization, web hosting and cluster computing. Blade servers are not the answer to all computing problems. Very large computing tasks may still need to implement many servers; this might be a bad idea as they suffer from over heating and air conditioning problems. Pricing of blade servers might range from $7, 100 to $17, 000.

Rack Servers:

Rack servers are designed and configured for installation in a central framework called racks. Rack servers allow access to the servers by an open enclosure at least on two sides of the rack. Compared to blade servers, rack server consumes less space and can be placed into the bays or slots. This type of servers makes it easy to connect new computers to other network components. A single rack server may contain multiple servers stacked one above the other, this minimizes floor spacing. Rack spacing the servers will minimize cabling among network components and requires a special cooling system to prevent excess heat generated from the components.

When thinking about Virtualization blade servers scores high compared to rack mounted servers. No doubt both technologies reduce desktop space, blade servers allows administrators to quickly see and gather information on physical servers including hardware configuration, firmware, operating status and IP addresses. Blade servers reduce the number of places an administrator must visit compared to rack-mounted servers. Blade servers are pretty common in data centers. Rack mount servers are a combination of blade technology and Virtualization.

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ECO-FRIENDLY WEB HOSTING

October 31, 2012 By

With the increased use of internet these days, small and large scale businesses and entrepreneurs have realized the importance of marketing through the web. Internet has become a publicity tool for everyone who needs to make their presence felt. Every nook and corner of the world has access to the internet, and to the services available over it. Hence it becomes important for initial startup firms to have a website of their own, and create a definite position in the big fat web world. After creation of a website with the right content and design, the next step is to choose a source to host this website. This is the most strenuous and laborious task.

A web host has to be selected depending on the user’s requirements. There are a wide variety of web hosting options to choose from with each one trying to grab the attention of potential clients. One can opt for shared hosting, dedicated hosting, or meet the two in the form of VP (virtual private) server hosting. As if this was not enough, there is another hosting option available on the block called ‘Green Hosting’. This is one sustainable trend of hosting that has taken the internet world by a storm.

To define in layman’s terms, all the internet stuff that reaches every desktop, laptops, Tablets, and phones does not exist in outer space. It is getting processed in servers that have been housed in the facilities of the hosting firms. The only obstacle is that these servers are the consumers of a large amount of electricity and resources. The amount of fossil fuels used to power the servers in order to meet the ever growing demands of the internet is infinite. Some data centers and data storage facilities have come under the scanner for their excessive usage of power and other exhaustible resources. Hence some companies are deploying stringent procedures to facilitate eco friendly operations in their centers. Here is a check list that might garner some interest-

Virgin technology: It is a known fact that as server technology improves, operational efficiency also increases. Some companies have adopted a new strategy of using only the new servers. This has been a great move to reduce carbon footprint. Brain Host has been one such company and it states that newer technologies help reduce hot spots, and enable operation of efficient and less polluting servers.

Wind energy- The savior

Some companies have followed and are following a different track. They have not completely abandoned the concept of newer technologies, but have tried to offset their carbon footprint by purchasing wind credits. Green Geeks is one such company.

Companies do not like to run all their servers on wind power alone. Wind energy is one form of energy that largely depends on the geographical conditions of a region. It is a little too inconsistent. Inconsistent energy is not the right choice for centers that house enormous amounts of data. Companies have made a choice by combining the use of both fossil fuels and wind energy. Web hosting companies make use of energy from the existing grids, and then purchase wind credits to offset the fossil fuel energy that they used.

Location at its best: Some companies just take the credit for being situated in the best designed location. All that these companies had to do was to find the right location that best suits their current requirements, and future prospects. Iceland is one such location. The available geothermal and hydroelectric energy accounts for about 100% of all the electricity used.

Of course, green energy is not cheap, but it is definitely a good start towards being eco friendly.

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Filed Under: Articles, Data Center Design, Data Center Power, Data Center Solutions, Green IT

REQUIREMENTS FOR DATA CENTER COMPETENCE

October 26, 2012 By

 

Comprehending the factors and parameters required for choosing a data center expects a completely innovative method of research. Usually different companies have their own distinctive approach. They take parameters like Energy efficiency, cooling systems and the all important power supply into consideration. With the economic meltdown underway, it has become important to implement solutions which will save energy and money. But often, the goal of operating an energy efficient data center can get a little overwhelming to deal with. The reason is, the big data centers can operate with high failure risks when dealing with energy efficient methods as they can shift their operations to another facility in case of a failure, but the small ones cannot afford to mainly due to lack of resources.

So the question is how can these data centers which lack the perks of the large data centers achieve the requirement of being energy efficient data center without compromising on the quality and that too at low costs? Well, the key to this is a list of top 3 essential pointers which you should consider while designing a data center which offers efficient performance without loading you up with long bills.

 Go Back to Basics:

Industry experts suggest that designing the data center by structuring the different components can help in more efficient energy flow in the data center. Keeping everything organized will largely help you in tasks like data duplication.

Another method of lowering the power use is to implement the tiered storage method .In this method, older data is stored by archiving them in a storage device from where information can be retrieved as and when needed.

Cool the Facility with the Right Tools:

Usually, data center facilities implement the hot aisle/clod aisle method as a cooling strategy. In this method hot and cold air are contained separately. The process to keep these airs separate creates a considerable temperature difference which is sensed by the A/C system. As a result, less energy is consumed to fulfill the cooling needs.

The question which arises here is how to keep this air from mixing. A simple alignment arrangement of the servers in the same direction solves the problem i.e. all the backs of the servers in one direction and all the fronts face one direction thereby creating a hot and cold aisle.

Use Offline Power:

Though it is a controversial process, it is a method which has been repeatedly encouraged by industry experts to try out. The logic is sound. Data centers have UPS for offline power supply in case of a failure. Experts suggest that using the same emergency supply kit to operate the data center can reduce the power consumption considerably. This is because the system is dormant unless there is a power failure. So the power lag between the power outage and the UPS taking control is negligible and that is why the IT equipments don’t even pick up the power drop.

Now, this method completely depends upon the person implementing it. So whether the person is operating it at high or low efficiency, there is a risk factor which includes the safety and the performance of the data center.

Some Other Methods:

Also, minimizing the number of transformers will lower the number of UPS which will elevate the risk factor. But experts state that transformer provides isolation between input and output, which can be achieved with circuit breakers and other tools.

Switching to higher voltage equipment is also believed to offer decent energy savings as these equipments have smaller physical conductors. Though higher voltage is a little dangerous, once implemented, it can do wonders in the field of energy savings.

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NORTH CAROLINA- ABODE TO SOME MASSIVE DATA CENTERS

October 25, 2012 By

Several interviews with the internet officials of top notch IT companies, hardware vendors, and economic development groups have been conducted to understand the reason behind North Carolina being a favorite destination for data centers. Investigations reveal some really economically feasible reasons for North Carolina to be adjudged as a major hub for data centers.

Facebook was the first of the other internet majors to set up a data center in the region of North Carolina. If you live on the East coast, and log into Facebook, there are fair number of chances that you know the comments, posts, likes are all being served up by this data center in the forest city of North Carolina.

Facebook is not the only internet major to have built a server farm amidst the forest area of North Carolina. It is not the only one to have chosen North Carolina as home to some of its main server farms. Within a hundred mile radius, Apple and Google have established their data centers. Walt Disney, Wipro, AT&T are some of the other companies to ventured into North Carolina in search of a suitable place for their data centers.

Companies need to analyze several different factors when deciding the location for their data centers. It is in fact a complex decision, and requires a perfect understanding of the conditions, and requirements. Vice President of site operations, Facebook had expressed in an interview that the company looks at 50 different factors before picking a site for its data centers. Analysts say that Microsoft looks at 43 crucial factors before data center venue selection.

This decision has become complex over the years with companies looking at cleaner, greener power sources, and the ever increasing population of internet users. In addition, there is a notion that web scale computing has changed the way servers are built, and hence require a different scale of design. This adds to the already existing woe of data center location hunt.

Why is North Carolina a hotspot for data centers?

Low cost of power: The Duke Energy person, Mr. Thomas William in an interview said that North Carolina offers 4 cents against 6 cents for every kilowatt hour of power. This is very less compared to the average U.S. energy costs. The reason behind the low cost offering of power in North Carolina is that the power here is a mix of 61 percent coal, 31% nuclear power, and only 4% clean power. Coal and nuclear power are some of the cheapest sources of energy generation.

Power transmission capacity: It is very difficult for such massive sized data centers to even find a place capable of transmitting huge amounts of power. The area around North Carolina has most of this place already built out. With the textile industry and furniture industries increasingly moved offshore, North Carolina provides sufficient industrial capacity.

Rural areas: In North Carolina, most of the neighborhood localities are rural. This makes the plots relatively inexpensive. It is not prone to problems and hassles from the nearby communities. The plots are suitable for the installment of huge power stations and buildings.

These are just some of the reasons for the buzz around North Carolina and its data centers. The other reasons include

Incentives and company friendly policies by the state government

  • Abundant supply of water
  • Fast and hassle free deployment of equipments
  • Fast East coast internet traffic
  • Close proximity to the airport, and a major city
  • Conducive climate for operations

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NEW DATA CENTER DESIGN BOASTS ‘WORLD’S MOST EFFICIENT COOLING SYSTEM’

October 24, 2012 By

A new kind of data center claiming to employ “the world’s most efficient cooling system” turns the traditionally unbearable “hot aisle” between server racks into a rather pleasant air-conditioned hallway, all the while using significantly less energy.

Integrated energy technology company Inertech and construction partner Skanska held a tour of their new data center design last week at Inertech’s headquarters in Danbury, Conn. During the tour, analysts and members of the media walked through a sample hot aisle, which runs between the rear walls of two rows of 60kW server racks filled with fully operating servers.

Though the temperature inside the server racks reached as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit, which the tour guides proved by briefly opening the rear side of the rack, the aisle itself felt no different than the air-conditioned room where the companies had hosted lunch minutes earlier.

The impressive part, though, is how this feat was accomplished.

Cooling the air while keeping costs low

Dubbed eOpti-Trax, the system reduces energy usage through air circulation in the server aisles. A traditional method of data center cooling is based on the raised-floor design, through which an under-floor air distribution system pushes cold air up and into the server racks. Forcing cold air upward requires heavy use of fans, which consume high amounts of energy.

The eOpti-Trax cooling system works from the inside out. The rear side of the servers generates the most hot air, hence the name “hot aisle” for the area located behind it. In the eOpti-Trax system, the heat is absorbed in a 1.25-inch cooling coil lining the inside of the rear walls of the server racks. This coil operates without a compressor. The compressor system, which is common in traditional data centers, cools the air through an evaporation method, consuming massive amounts of water in the process.

The result is an air-conditioned hot aisle where data center engineers have long endured unbearable temperatures to access wiring and other equipment. The companies claim that tests have shown air can be cooled from 160 degrees Fahrenheit inside the server rack to 75 degrees in the hot aisle.

From there, the cooling system allows the air to distribute itself naturally throughout the hot aisle, employing just two fans to help draw the cooled air into the front of the server racks, or the “cool aisle.”

The companies claim the system requires just 0.5 watts of energy to cool a 300-watt server, compared to the 90 watts needed to cool the same size server with traditional chiller system. Additionally, eOpti-Trax uses estimated 80% less water than more common cooling systems.

As more companies feel the need to expand data centers, the cost benefits of energy efficiency will become more appealing. The question that remains is whether green technology is enough to persuade potential customers.

Interest is high, but barriers to adoption have been a major roadblock.

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SUSTAINABLE DATA CENTER PRACTICES

October 22, 2012 By

Environmental stewardship, innovation and leadership are becoming increasingly important as we take steps to create a sustainable environment for future generations. This is particularly important when it comes to construction of new data centers or major renovations of older ones.

The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification process offers a useful framework for organizing green strategies. To earn LEED certification, data centers must exhibit environmental responsibility in seven areas:

  • Sustainable sites
  • Water efficiency
  • Energy and atmosphere
  • Materials and resources
  • Indoor environmental quality
  • Innovation and design
  • Regional credits

Limiting physical sprawl is one of the most important goals of sustainable site development. Companies can reduce the amount of space their data centers occupy by deploying compact infrastructure resources. For example, many late-model uninterruptible power system (UPS) products feature footprints as much as 50 to 60 percent smaller than previous-generation models. Similarly, companies that operate their data center at 400V can eliminate transformer based Power Distribution Unit (PDU) cabinets, reducing their power distribution footprint by 50 to 60 percent.  Within the mechanical operations, using commercially packaged air handling units and In Row cooling (where needed) can eliminate traditional Computer Room Air Conditioners (CRACs) which take up significant space within many data halls.

Organizations can further promote sustainable site development in their new and existing data centers by embracing practices like the following:

  • Locating new facilities in existing industrial zones instead of on undeveloped land
  • Installing electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot
  • Minimizing pollution during construction by controlling soil erosion, waterway sedimentation and airborne dust generation.
  • Providing easy access to public transportation, bicycle racks and changing rooms
  • Limiting parking capacity to the minimum mandated under local zoning regulations
  • Reducing light pollution by automatically shutting off interior lights during late-night hours and providing external lights only as required for safety and comfort

There are many sound reasons for wanting a greener data center, realizing that goal cost effectively is easier said than done. Just the same, most organizations can benefit from at least some green strategies without compromising corporate growth or IT reliability.

Some sustainability strategies, such as using recycled water, are still experimental, require heavy upfront investments or come with significant potential drawbacks. Most, however, are proven, cost-effective and relatively simple.

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CLEAN POWER AND DATA CENTERS

October 19, 2012 By

Over the last few years, North Carolina, USA has emerged as a growing hub for data center establishments. North Carolina seems to have sourced energy from coal and nuclear extracts, which is opposite to the desire of following greener sources. In spite of the use of exhaustive and non-renewable sources of energy, North Carolina has managed to grab the attention of Internet majors like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, eBay, Apple, and others.

Data centers which are huge energy guzzlers form a major chunk of the commercial power consumption. The environmental impacts caused by these data centers have become innumerable. The only question that arises is Will facilities such as North Carolina continue to attract the recent flag bearers of green energy? Or will the facilities that can provide more grid connected clean power oust the former facilities and win out?

Google when it first initiated the idea of constructing data centers at North Carolina, using clean green energy was never on the requirements list. Google’s officials exclaimed that the companies were to an extent ignorant about the green concept. They also said that Google has become more proactive and precautious.

After a few months, Facebook had considered the idea of constructing a data center at North Carolina. Similar to the condition of Google, Facebook too did not entertain any environment friendly activities in its campus. An article in the New York Times carried reports on the enormous amount of energy usage and wastage by data centers across the world. The data centers were infuriated looking at the negative tone and impact that this article was likely to cause. The Forbes magazine came out strong on these allegations, and in support with the data centers listed in the article. Google and Facebook seemed to be on top of the New York Times energy wastage hit list.

But by the time Apple had decided to set foot in the Carolina region, word about energy conservation had spread like wild fire. Apple was totally buoyed by the returns on using clean energy. It had started to set up solar farms, started using natural cooling, and eventually spread the awareness about clean power. Google plans to imbibe clean power into more than half of its data center facilities. Apple has taken a step further by planning to use 100% clean power either by direct consumption or clean power purchasing.

Data center operators look for low cost, reliable, and sustainable energy resources when choosing a site to establish a data center. Only when the operations start, do they realize the amount needed (which drastically rises with new service additions), and the energy saving norms that they need to adhere to. Data centers in the U.S. consume about 2% of the total country’s electricity consumption. This number will only increase with cloud and extra service additions.

Clean power like solar energy and wind are fairly reliable sources and a perfect fit for data centers according to the geographical conditions. Clean power has its own pros and cons. Solar energy can be used only when the sun shines, the devices used to store the converted energy are expensive, and need critical maintenance facilities. Another clean reliable source is the hydroelectric energy, which is available in abundance only in some parts of the state.

However, the Internet industry has made and is making some fastidious efforts in reducing their carbon emissions and carbon footprint. The objective of embracing green technologies, to an extent, has been achieved.

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Deutsche data centers to be nuclear free

October 16, 2012 By

The disaster at fukushima nuclear power plant sent a fear wave across the world on nuclear energy & its safety. Though it is a natural disaster, humans are still bewildered by the power of Mother Nature. The disaster at fukushima had thrown open a plethora of questions on the safety standards at nuclear plants. This forced many of the developed nations to look back at their energy policies and salvage alternative ideas to develop smarter energy solutions to not just power homes, but also commercial establishments.

Data centers which are huge energy guzzlers form a major chunk of the commercial power consumption. Hence it is important that when developed nations think of shutting down their nuclear plants they also keep in mind the energy demand that the alternative sources have to fulfill.

The first step towards eradicating nuclear power plants came from Germany. The country which is hailed to be the most technologically evolved made a major announcement, stating all nuclear plants in Germany would be shutdown by 2022. This announcement sent the world to tizzy. With developing nations like India, who have started investing in nuclear power very recently, were perplexed to see a country completely shutting down their dependence on nuclear plants. In the ASEAN region, developing nations like China, India have a serious energy crisis, with the economic constraints these countries have it is very difficult for them to invest on research to find alternative energy.

Nearly a quarter of Germany’s electricity comes from nuclear power so the question becomes: How do you make up the short-fall? The official commission which has studied the issue reckons that electricity use can be cut by 10% in the next decade through more efficient machinery and buildings. The intention is also to increase the share of wind energy. This, though, would mean re-jigging the electricity distribution system because much of the extra wind power would come from farms on the North Sea to replace atomic power stations in the south.

Protest groups are already vocal, forested centre of the country which, they fear, will become a north-south “energie autobahn” of pylons and high-voltage cables. Some independent analysts believe that coal power will benefit if the wind plans don’t deliver what is needed.

With tremendous challenges ahead for finding alternative sources of energy, how efficient data centers is still debatable. Technology has changed geographies in a quick span. The impact technology has made to mankind in the past 2 decades is unparallel. But with newer technology also comes new problems. Although eradicating nuclear plants is a novel thought, the technology that would replace it will face a tough challenge, as its not just efficiency but also being environmentally friendly they have to address. To find a sustainable alternative source, many design and equipment changes have to be also made. With Germany taking the first step by making their data centers nuclear independent, the dream of a greener, efficient data centers will soon become a reality.

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PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS IN DATA CENTERS

October 15, 2012 By

It is fairly impossible to sideline the fact that data centers are the major causes of energy wastage in IT sectors. They have been the recent targets of unscrupulous allegations by the flag bearers of green, eco-friendly environment. On the contrary, it is impossible to deny energy wastage by data centers.

Data centers have got to understand the importance of deploying energy saving measures and resources in their facilities. A number of alternative energy resources are available in abundance, just waiting to be used. One such resource is the photovoltaic cell or commonly called the solar cells.

What is a photovoltaic cell?

Photovoltaic cells or solar cells are devices that convert solar energy into electricity. These cells were earlier used to provide power to remote areas that were devoid of electricity. Recently these devices have been used to create integrated photovoltaic cells and photovoltaic power stations for grid connected applications.

These cells when exposed to sunlight, generate electricity without the help of any external voltage source. Hence these have unique aspects of achieving low cost energy efficiencies in solar harvesting. Statistics reveal that the power conversion efficiencies have increased from 3% to 5% with the use of these cells.

Usage of a solar cell

A number of photovoltaic cells assembled together are called solar modules. Multiple cells integrated to one another with a similar orientation, when exposed to sunlight generate electricity. These are called the photovoltaic panels. These are different from the solar hot water panel used for thermal purposes.

Photovoltaic modules consist of a semiconductor sheet sandwiched between two sheets of glass. Glass on the front side enables sunlight to penetrate and trigger the charge carriers on the semiconductor. These charge carriers are responsible for the conversion of light into electricity.

The electricity that is generated is fed into the electricity grid through inverters which enables efficient use of the electrical energy. When the electrical energy is to be used for future purposes, it is stored in batteries.

Benefits of a solar cell in a data center

Most important criteria for the use of an alternative energy source are the economic factors. When economic conditions are satisfied, half the battle is won. Solar cells are of very low price compared to the other resources. Efficiency of solar cells can be increased to reduce the cost of harvesting the solar energy. High efficiency cells also reduce the total space required for the set up. It would reduce the total plant cost although the individual cell costs are higher. Thin film technologies also reduce the amount of material required in framing the active material of the cell. There are different solar cells available in the market. Data centers can use these depending on their requirements and needs.

 Cadmium telluride solar cell

Dye sensitized solar cells

Quantum dot solar cells

Organic/polymer solar cells

Copper indium gallium selenide

Silicon thin films

The lifespan of these cells are really long, they last for about twenty to thirty years. This is another exciting factor for data centers to use solar cells.

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COLOCATION DATA CENTER-BENEFITS

October 11, 2012 By

A colocation center is a type of facility where equipment space and bandwidth are available for rental to retail customers. Colocation facilities house networking equipment of other firms and connect them to a variety of telecommunications and network service providers with a minimum of cost and complexity.

The amount of cooling equipment installed for a data center contributes to the identification of the center.

Colocation facilities have many special features:

  • Fire protection systems, as well as implementation of fire prevention programs in operations.
  • Smoke detectors are installed to provide early warning of a fire by detecting development of flame. This allows early detection; measures can be deployed to douse the fire.
  • Cabinets and racks are constructed for physical access over the customer’s equipment.
  • Air conditioning is used to control the temperature and humidity in the space.  The electrical equipment when overworked generates a lot of heat; unless the heat is removed, the ambient temperature will rise, resulting in electronic equipment malfunction. By controlling the space air temperature, the server components at the board level are kept within the manufacturer’s specified temperature/humidity range.
  • Air conditioning systems are few in case of the presence of windows, and ventilation.

SECURITY

Most colocation centers have high levels of security. They may even employ CCTV cameras.

Some colocation facilities require that employees escort customers, especially if the cabinets are not individually segregated for each customer. In other facilities, a PINcode or proximity card access system may allow customers access into the building or the cabinets are provided with unique locks and keys are handed over to the clients. Biometric security measures, such as fingerprint and voice recognition are also becoming more common in modern facilities.

POWER

Colocation facilities generally have generators that start automatically when power fails, usually running on diesel fuel.

Generators do not start instantaneously, so colocation facilities usually have battery backup systems. The operator of the facility provides large inverters to provide AC power from the batteries. In other cases, the customers may install smaller UPS in their racks.

Colocation facilities are sometimes connected to multiple sections of the power grid for additional reliability.

COOLING

The operator of a colocation facility generally provides air conditioning for the computer and telecommunications equipment in the building. The cooling system generally includes some degree of redundancy.

Data centers also have to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Data centers are required to pass through a series of audits to ensure that the facility follows all the required standards.

Some colocation data centers make use of renewable sources of fuel for generators and power systems. Solar lights can be used during the daytime; a measure to harness this form of energy saves a lot of overhead costs. Ultimately colocation centers are beneficial to businesses with a large computing operation database.

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