STRUCTURED CABLING

October 5, 2012 By

Structured cabling involves the connectivity of different smaller elements that specify the wiring for data centers, offices, and buildings using various kinds of cables adhering to specified standards. These standards define the layout of the cables according to the requirements of the clients and the data center as a whole.

Data centers and storage area networks are the fastest growing streams of technology in the IT sector. It has been reported by a recent study that the growth and retention requirements of these centers have gone up by 50% this year. This type of growth is governed by various legislative agreements on how much data is to be stored and for how long.

Cabling of a data center needs to adhere to different standards of specification. Amongst them the most important standard that one needs to know for structured cabling is the TIA standard.

The TIA standard specifies the minimization of design and management of structured cabling within data centers.

Before analyzing the TIA standard, it is important that we understand the need for structured cabling for a data center.

 

Need for structured cabling

Most of the time data centers and SANs are constructed without having considered the implications of frequent additions, moves, and expansions. Some systems like the computers and single physical servers are normally installed by the company’s own technicians and crew. This crew is competent when it comes to the perspective of their own equipments. But the data centers house in them varied, disparate equipments, and data storage devices. Using such practices inevitably causes inefficient management of critical conditions. Critical conditions could range from advancement in technology to the addition of new products and services.

In the early years, a wide variety of cabling and architecture were common, but difficult to manage. This form of undesirable situation lead to the formation of the TIA/EIA-568 Commercial Building Cabling Standard, which eventually changed the way cabling for commercial buildings, telecommunication sectors, and data centers were done. This introduced a new and modernized way of cabling that is the ‘structured cabling’.

 

Many cable and copper industries developed new connectivity products that dramatically offered advantages to the data centers and SANs. Most of the experts and their successors, who developed the TIA-568 and its next called the TIA-568a, developed another standard called the SCS.

The TIA-568 was designed to suit the requirements of commercial buildings.

The TIA-942, Telecommunication Infrastructure Standard for data centers is bound to have immense effect on the data center and SAN as profoundly as the TIA 568 has on commercial buildings.

This new standard allows the SCS concepts to be implemented in the disparate equipments very early in the building design process. This particular standard views the whole data center as an integrated system with smaller ancillary elements. As a result, it interlinks many components like location, access along with architecture and electrical components to a most important concept of redundancy.

The TIA 942 includes seven spaces and two cabling subsystems within the data center.

  • Ø Seven spaces include-
  • Computer room
  • Telecommunications room
  • Entrance room
  • Main Distribution Area(MDA)
  • Horizontal Distribution Area( HDA)
  • Zone Distribution Area( ZDA)
  • Equipment Distribution Area (EDA)

 

The cabling subsystems in TIA 942 include the horizontal and backbone.

 

The first five spaces generally involve many connections like high density panels and racks using fiber connectors like LC. The entrance room is the interface within the campus and is similar to the entrance room of a commercial building. MDA is the area where the main cross connect is located. HDA houses the horizontal cross connect. ZDA is an optional space and is where the zone outlet is located. EDA is where the cabinets, servers, and racks are located. It is similar to the working area of a commercial building.

 

Data Center Talk updates its resources everyday. Visit us to know of the latest technology and standards from the data center world.

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Essentials for Data Center Competence

June 27, 2012 By

If you thought shopping for daily amenities was a tough task, then you cannot even comprehend the factors and parameters which are to be considered while choosing a data center. 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 moolah. 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 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.

Data Center Talk updates its resources everyday. Visit us to know of the latest technology and standards from the data center world.

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Apple’s Green Data Center Project Causes Distress among Locals

June 19, 2012 By

According to reports, Apple decision to invest in solar farm and fuel cell installation to provide power to their massive data center which is being constructed in Maiden, N.C was positively received by the industry. Though it is an impressive project, this project is causing a lot of distress to the locals. Zelda Vosburgh’s back yard runs right up to the solar farm. According to her, she has endured a lot during the construction of the eco friendly project and can’t wait for it to be finished.
“When we get a storm or the wind blows bad this whole place turns into nothing but dust in the air. You can see it flying everywhere,” Vosburgh said.
Trevor Wilson said it’s not the dust but the noise he’s noticed the most near his parent’s home in Maiden. On Monday, crews were working to install the rows of supports needed for the solar panels. ”It is like beating of drums, but metal. Like banging pots together over and over, “Wilson said.
On the bright side, this project has proved fruitful for Randy Rush’s appliance business.
“I’ve got a couple people who stop a week and ask what they’re doing and most of the time of they stop they buy something, so it’s been good, ” Rush said.

Pastor William Painter’s church sits right next to the data center and commends Apple for trying to help the environment. ”It’s great that they’re using the solar power. We need more of that around. Cleaner power sources,” Painter said.

Data Center Talk updates its resources everyday. Visit us to know of the latest technology and standards from the data center world.

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Branch Circuit Protection in PDU’s

June 7, 2012 By

Corporate data centers account for some of the most expensive and sought after real estate in the world today. Enterprises invest huge amounts of capital to design, construct and secure their investment in IT equipment in the data center.

In a rack Power Distribution Unit (PDU), the power input is often broken into multiple segments. A division of the circuit with current limited by a fuse or circuit breaker is referred to as a branch circuit.

Branch circuit protection can be accomplished by either branch circuit breakers or fuses. To identify a UL489 circuit breaker,   there are two general visual indicators. The first indicator is the size of the externally showing rocker switch. The UL489 breaker will range in dimension from 1” wide to 1.5” long. The lower grade rocker switch or reset type are typically very small (less than ½”). The second indicator is that the chassis will be expanded to accommodate the higher performing breaker. If the vertical 30A/208V power strip is perfectly symmetrical (2” x 2” or less) across the full length of the power strip, it is highly probable that it does not comply with the current standards.

It is now common practice for consultants to open power units to identify comply with to code. Eaton® uses the highest quality hydraulic-magnetic circuit breakers to ensure maximum overload protection as well as comply with to mandated code requirements. The “lower grade” thermal circuit breaker is in fact approved to a different UL standard, UL1077. A UL1077 device is a Supplementary Over-current Protective device. Its marking will show a UR symbol (i.e., it is UL Recognized). A UL489 device is a Branch Circuit breaker, and the marking on it is “UL listed”.

Compared to higher capability circuit breakers, thermal breakers have several subtle issues and capability limitations:

(a)   No Disconnect Capability – Many thermal breakers can only be reset after a fault and cannot be used to manually disconnect the power supply. The only methods to disconnect a power unit is to either pull the power cord out from the power source or open the upstream circuit breaker at the power panel.

(b)  Heat Susceptibility – Thermal breakers are by their nature susceptible to enclosure heat. The typical derating factor for a thermal circuit breaker for a temperature increase from 73°F to 104°F is 8%.

(c)   Lower Overload / Overcurrent Protection – a thermal breaker is often a UL1077 device, and it can break prospective fault currents up to 1 or 2kA. This is far less than the capability of a UL489 branch breaker which must be able to break fault currents of 5kA. The use of inappropriate devices is not only against the regulations but can be hazardous and will cause extended down time due to device failure.

While fuses are generally accepted for certain products, they are not considered a ‘best practice’ for mission critical facilities:

(a)   Increased Points of Failure – current market specifications employ as many as twelve fuses. For a data center with 100 enclosures, that would equal 2400 additional points of failure.

(b)  Reduced Safety to Personnel – for double pole applications (208V) it is possible for only one fuse to blow and the second leg to remain ‘hot.’

(c)   Higher MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) – while a branch circuit breaker can be quickly reset, the replacement of a fuse can take as long as one hour or more depending on the specific model.

(d)  Higher Repair and Replacement Costs – unlike a circuit breaker which can be quickly reset, it costs significantly more to replace a fuse. Depending on the marketplace, both an electrician and apprentice may be required. A full remediation plan may also be required in the maintenance budget to facilitate ‘off-hour’ replacement.

(e)   Voided Warranty and/or Product Certification - Any time a power unit is physically opened; it presents a number of issues. Not only is there concern as to whether the correct fuse is replaced, but whether the product requires re-qualification for safety performance (e.g. hipot, ground continuity, and functional tests).

The fundamental issue is how much risk the end-user is willing to assume, including financial, functional and safety. The proper application of UL60590-1 Edition and the employment of UL489 branch circuit breakers are best suited to mitigate issues of PDU protection.

Data Center Talk updates its resources every day. Visit us to know of the latest technology and standards from the data center world.Please leave your views and comments on DCT Forum

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UPS Solutions by Emerson

December 16, 2011 By

Uninterruptible Data Center Power

AC power uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)
Data Center operations cannot come to standstill without affecting your business. Emerson Network Power delivers a full range of Liebert uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and power distribution units (PDU), from individual data center solutions to integrated systems that keep network closets, computer rooms and data center infrastructure up and running at all times. they offer products like

  • Desktop and Workstation UPS
  • Rackmount UPS
  • Network UPS
  • Large Facility UPS
  • Power Distribution and Conditioning
  • Rack PDU

Website: Emerson Network

For more UPS solutions for data centers, visit Data Center Talk.

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Data Center Services by PTS

December 13, 2011 By

In today’s highly competitive, warp-speed changing, climate where businesses can’t stop and downtime is measured in profits lost, PTS offers solutions for protection against some of the leading causes of critical systems downtime, hardware damage, data loss and decreased employee productivity. Highly respected in our industry, PTS sets the standard for continuous availability solutions for facilities to data centers to desktop systems.

Founded in 1998, PTS is a data center consulting firm and turnkey solutions provider, offering a broad range of project experience, specializing in designing data centers, computer rooms and technical spaces that integrate, best-of-breed, critical infrastructure technologies and result in continuously available, scalable, redundant, fault-tolerant, manageable and maintainable mission critical environments.

PTS corporate headquarters in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and our office in Orange County, California, PTS works to fulfill our mission of creating satisfied customers by emphasizing pre-design & planning services to provide the optimal solution to meet our clients needs and resulting in an early & accurate alignment between scope, schedule and budge.

WebSite: http://www.ptsdcs.com
TS Data Center Solutions, Inc. 568 Commerce Street, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
Toll Free: 1.866.PTS.DCS1 Tel: 201.337.3833 Fax: 201.337.4722 Email: info at ptsdcs.com

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Filed Under: Automaiton, Data Center Audit, Data Center Consulting, Data Center Design Services, Data Center Equipments, Data Center Project Management, Electrical Contractors, Engineering Services

DWC-IT – Buy/Sell Data Center equipments with competitive price

December 11, 2011 By

DWC-IT has assisted corporations in all major industries with the valuation and direct purchase of their surplus and retired IT hardware assets. Not only do DWC-IT provide businesses with the maximum financial profit from their decommissioned servers, networking hardware and data center infrastructure, DWC-IT adhere to clients strict guidelines concerning environmental regulations.

Alternatively, DWC-IT hold a sizeable inventory of open box and pre-owned Cisco and Juniper systems, upgrades, hot-spares and options. All inspected for authenticity and performance tested.Their pricing is extremely competitive and corporate purchase orders are accepted.

Destruction of scrap electronics (EPA regulations)
Certified data destruction
Asset tag removal

Cisco, Juniper, Foundry, Brocade, EMC, NetApp, Sun, IBM, HP/Dell, Mass storage, APC UPS, Liebert, MGE

What can DWC-IT do for you?

* Save you money
* One-Stop Shopping
* Solve Maintenance Issues
* Consulting Services
* Firewall and Security Equipment
* Mainframe gear
* Rental Needs
* Asset Disposition
* Peace of mind
* And More!

WebSite: http://www.dwc-it.com/

Dallas Office: Conrad Vickroy 800/977-7473 or AIM conraddwc
Denver Office:Scott Spencer 800/977-7473 or AIM ScottAtDWC

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Filed Under: Data Center Equipments