-
Main Distribution Frames (MDF) and Intermediate Distribution Frames (IDF) are integral components of modern data communication networks.
Buildings or campus facilities have one or more MDFs which are the demarcation points where public or private telecommunication networks interconnect with the internal network. The MDF then connects to any number of IDFs in the building, and the devices in those IDFs connect to end devices such as workstations.
As data centers become more decentralized, MDF/IDF closets are now elevated to mission-critical status. However, they are often overlooked and mismanaged when compared to more traditional data center sites.
Common challenges of managing remote sites...
-
Data centers account for more than 2% of total global energy consumption. If action is not taken, it is estimated that data centers will be responsible for 8% of global energy consumption by 2030.
Data center managers are under increased pressure to comply with sustainability initiatives such as the EU Code of Conduct for Energy Efficiency in Data Centres and dramatically increase their efficiency. To support their efforts, many data center professionals are turning to Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software.
DCIM software helps you improve data center sustainability by enabling you to:
1. Stop wasting energy by overcooling equipment.
One of the biggest roadblocks to data cen...
-
As we reflect on 2022, it’s important to identify the latest data center trends that will continue to impact how data centers are managed in 2023 and beyond.
You must stay up to date on new industry trends in order to better support your organization and customers while staying competitive in your field.
Here are five data center management trends that you should know about going into the new year.
1. Sustainability
Data centers in the US are responsible for 2% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions and global data centers consume 3% of the world’s electricity. Many organizations now have sustainability initiatives such as the EU Code of Conduct for Energy Efficiency in Data Centres...
-
Managing a data center is not easy.
Today’s data center professionals must maintain uptime, increase the efficiency of capacity utilization, and boost the productivity of people in more complex and more distributed environments than ever before.
Legacy management tools like Excel, Visio, and homegrown systems no longer get the job done for the modern data center. They are hard to use, difficult to maintain, time-consuming, and error-prone.
First-generation Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software vendors marketed their products as a panacea to all data center problems, but their overhyped products did not deliver as promised. Because of the failures of these legacy DCIM products...
-
As we wrap up another year, it’s time to reflect on how data center management has evolved over the last 12 months.
The data center industry is known for rapidly changing. New challenges, best practices, and technologies are always appearing that need to be noted and addressed. By staying on top of the latest trends, you can put yourself in the best position to have a successful 2023.
Here are the top 10 data center management trends that we saw in 2022 that all data center professionals should be aware of. If you are falling behind on some of these, consider putting them in your plan for next year to start 2023 off right.
Sustainability became a top priority. Data center managers are und...
-
We are proud to share that Sunbird was recognized by CIO Insights as one of their 10 Most Innovative Data Center Companies to Watch.
"We will present the leading data center companies in the world and their contribution to making the world more digital-friendly," said Richard Thomas, Editor, CIO Insights. "They are constantly innovating and disrupting the data center space with their ability to look at the future. From going green to focusing on security, managing small data, big data, AI, and distributed enterprise models, every organization has adapted to the new normal and is here to make a difference."
In an interview with Sunbird's President, Herman Chan, CIO Insights detailed why Sunbi...
-
In a data center, the power chain is the sequence of infrastructure equipment that distributes power from its source all the way to the IT devices.
Most data centers use alternating current (AC) power, though telecommunications companies typically use direct current (DC) power. There are pros and cons to each, and they require different equipment.
Understanding your data center power chain is important because it helps you ensure redundancy and uptime, intelligently perform capacity planning, and simplify troubleshooting.
What is the Difference Between AC and DC Power Data Centers?
The key differences between data centers that utilize AC or DC power are:
Current direction. With AC power...
-
A single-line diagram (also known as an SLD or one-line diagram) is a simplified representation of an electrical system. Symbols and lines are used to represent the nodes and connections in the system, and electrical characteristics may be included as well.
In a data center, a single-line diagram is used to visualize the power distribution system to improve planning and troubleshooting, ensure redundancy, and reduce potential outages.
What Does a Single-Line Diagram Look Like?
Single-line diagrams use standard symbols for the different nodes of power systems. The power source is displayed at the top of the diagram so that the power path can easily be followed downstream from node to node a...
-
It's almost Halloween, and we have a spooky and scary story for you.
Don’t jump out of your seat, but did you know that most data centers are haunted and overrun by the undead?
That’s right. Ghost servers (also known as zombie servers) are everywhere. In fact, up to 30% of servers in any data center may be ghost servers.
Ghost servers are servers that are deployed in cabinets and powered on but are sitting idle without performing any useful function. They’re so scary because they drain you of space, energy, and money like a vampire.
How Much Energy Does a Ghost Server Waste?
Let’s say that, hypothetically, you have a data center with 100 racks and 25 servers in each rack for a total of 2,5...
-
Modern data centers are complex environments that often contain many thousands of individual cabling and port components. When the physical connectivity infrastructure is not properly organized, tracked, and managed, you can quickly run into serious problems.
Poor cable management and using the wrong management tools lead to cable spaghetti that prolongs maintenance and troubleshooting, extended downtime due to not being able to quickly identify issues, and inefficiency caused by uninformed planning decisions.
However, data center cable management software can simplify how you document and track your cable infrastructure to greatly improve data center operations.
Why is Data Center Cable M...
-
Data center capacity planning is one of the biggest challenges for today’s data center professionals. According to a recent survey by Sunbird Software, 72% of respondents said that capacity planning was one of their top objectives.
Proper capacity planning results in the right-sized data centers, efficient utilization of resources, and reduced costs, but it is easier said than done. The reality is that many data center professionals struggle to accurately plan capacity and instead have rampant stranded capacity.
What Is Stranded Capacity?
Stranded capacity refers to data center resources that are not known to be available for use. Most of the time, you don’t even know if you have stranded...
-
The world depends on data centers in all aspects of daily life. To meet all-time high levels of demand that continue to grow with no end in sight, downtime is unacceptable for most organizations.
The cost of downtime is rising and 40% of businesses report that just one hour of downtime can cost anywhere from $1 million to $5 million, not including the other associated fees. Large companies report that an interruption during peak business hours can cost almost $1 million per minute.
To mitigate the risk of such financial setbacks, data centers deploy redundant components of their critical infrastructure.
What is Data Center Redundancy?
Data center redundancy is a system used to address down...
-
Data center tiers are the Uptime Institute’s classification system of data center performance. Created over 25 years ago, there are four data center tiers that are the established standards in categorizing the performance level of a data center.
To be classified as a specific tier, there is a set of criteria that data centers must meet, and the key values of those tier standards are service availability, redundancy level, power and cooling infrastructure, operational sustainability, security, and carrier neutrality. Data centers are ranked from one to four, with one being the lowest-performing and four being the highest. The tiers are progressive, meaning that each new tier must meet the req...
-
As the costs of managing and maintaining owner-operated data centers rise, enterprises are reconsidering their infrastructure and attempting to minimize on-premises data center space. Colocation data center providers are an attractive and cost-effective solution, offering physical space as well as power, cooling, network, and security services for their customers.
According to 451 Research, over 40 percent of enterprise end users are already renting space in a colocation facility and that number is expected to continue rising. If you are considering using a colocation provider, choosing the right vendor for your data center needs can be a complicated decision with many factors that must be w...
-
Sustainability is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, topic in the data center industry today. A sustainable data center is a facility that can maintain operations at a high level of efficiency over time. It is important for data centers to be as sustainable as possible because they use a lot of resources which makes reducing their environmental impact and carbon footprint top priorities. It is also important because these facilities need to comply with sustainability initiatives such as the EU Code of Conduct for Energy Efficiency in Data Centres.
Being able to measure your data center sustainability is critical because to gauge where you need to be, you need to know where you are. This...
Main Distribution Frames (MDF) and Intermediate Distribution Frames (IDF) are integral components of modern data communication networks. Buildings or campus facilities have one or more MDFs which are the demarcation points where public or private telecommunication networks interconnect with the internal network. The MDF then connects to any number of IDFs in the building, and the devices in those IDFs connect to end devices such as workstations. As data centers become more decentralized, MDF/IDF closets are now elevated to mission-critical status. However, they are often overlooked and mismanaged when compared to more traditional data center sites. Common challenges of managing remote sites...
Data centers account for more than 2% of total global energy consumption. If action is not taken, it is estimated that data centers will be responsible for 8% of global energy consumption by 2030. Data center managers are under increased pressure to comply with sustainability initiatives such as the EU Code of Conduct for Energy Efficiency in Data Centres and dramatically increase their efficiency. To support their efforts, many data center professionals are turning to Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software. DCIM software helps you improve data center sustainability by enabling you to: 1. Stop wasting energy by overcooling equipment. One of the biggest roadblocks to data cen...
As we reflect on 2022, it’s important to identify the latest data center trends that will continue to impact how data centers are managed in 2023 and beyond. You must stay up to date on new industry trends in order to better support your organization and customers while staying competitive in your field. Here are five data center management trends that you should know about going into the new year. 1. Sustainability Data centers in the US are responsible for 2% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions and global data centers consume 3% of the world’s electricity. Many organizations now have sustainability initiatives such as the EU Code of Conduct for Energy Efficiency in Data Centres...
Managing a data center is not easy. Today’s data center professionals must maintain uptime, increase the efficiency of capacity utilization, and boost the productivity of people in more complex and more distributed environments than ever before. Legacy management tools like Excel, Visio, and homegrown systems no longer get the job done for the modern data center. They are hard to use, difficult to maintain, time-consuming, and error-prone. First-generation Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software vendors marketed their products as a panacea to all data center problems, but their overhyped products did not deliver as promised. Because of the failures of these legacy DCIM products...
As we wrap up another year, it’s time to reflect on how data center management has evolved over the last 12 months. The data center industry is known for rapidly changing. New challenges, best practices, and technologies are always appearing that need to be noted and addressed. By staying on top of the latest trends, you can put yourself in the best position to have a successful 2023. Here are the top 10 data center management trends that we saw in 2022 that all data center professionals should be aware of. If you are falling behind on some of these, consider putting them in your plan for next year to start 2023 off right. Sustainability became a top priority. Data center managers are und...
We are proud to share that Sunbird was recognized by CIO Insights as one of their 10 Most Innovative Data Center Companies to Watch. "We will present the leading data center companies in the world and their contribution to making the world more digital-friendly," said Richard Thomas, Editor, CIO Insights. "They are constantly innovating and disrupting the data center space with their ability to look at the future. From going green to focusing on security, managing small data, big data, AI, and distributed enterprise models, every organization has adapted to the new normal and is here to make a difference." In an interview with Sunbird's President, Herman Chan, CIO Insights detailed why Sunbi...
In a data center, the power chain is the sequence of infrastructure equipment that distributes power from its source all the way to the IT devices. Most data centers use alternating current (AC) power, though telecommunications companies typically use direct current (DC) power. There are pros and cons to each, and they require different equipment. Understanding your data center power chain is important because it helps you ensure redundancy and uptime, intelligently perform capacity planning, and simplify troubleshooting. What is the Difference Between AC and DC Power Data Centers? The key differences between data centers that utilize AC or DC power are: Current direction. With AC power...
A single-line diagram (also known as an SLD or one-line diagram) is a simplified representation of an electrical system. Symbols and lines are used to represent the nodes and connections in the system, and electrical characteristics may be included as well. In a data center, a single-line diagram is used to visualize the power distribution system to improve planning and troubleshooting, ensure redundancy, and reduce potential outages. What Does a Single-Line Diagram Look Like? Single-line diagrams use standard symbols for the different nodes of power systems. The power source is displayed at the top of the diagram so that the power path can easily be followed downstream from node to node a...
It's almost Halloween, and we have a spooky and scary story for you. Don’t jump out of your seat, but did you know that most data centers are haunted and overrun by the undead? That’s right. Ghost servers (also known as zombie servers) are everywhere. In fact, up to 30% of servers in any data center may be ghost servers. Ghost servers are servers that are deployed in cabinets and powered on but are sitting idle without performing any useful function. They’re so scary because they drain you of space, energy, and money like a vampire. How Much Energy Does a Ghost Server Waste? Let’s say that, hypothetically, you have a data center with 100 racks and 25 servers in each rack for a total of 2,5...
Modern data centers are complex environments that often contain many thousands of individual cabling and port components. When the physical connectivity infrastructure is not properly organized, tracked, and managed, you can quickly run into serious problems. Poor cable management and using the wrong management tools lead to cable spaghetti that prolongs maintenance and troubleshooting, extended downtime due to not being able to quickly identify issues, and inefficiency caused by uninformed planning decisions. However, data center cable management software can simplify how you document and track your cable infrastructure to greatly improve data center operations. Why is Data Center Cable M...
Data center capacity planning is one of the biggest challenges for today’s data center professionals. According to a recent survey by Sunbird Software, 72% of respondents said that capacity planning was one of their top objectives. Proper capacity planning results in the right-sized data centers, efficient utilization of resources, and reduced costs, but it is easier said than done. The reality is that many data center professionals struggle to accurately plan capacity and instead have rampant stranded capacity. What Is Stranded Capacity? Stranded capacity refers to data center resources that are not known to be available for use. Most of the time, you don’t even know if you have stranded...
The world depends on data centers in all aspects of daily life. To meet all-time high levels of demand that continue to grow with no end in sight, downtime is unacceptable for most organizations. The cost of downtime is rising and 40% of businesses report that just one hour of downtime can cost anywhere from $1 million to $5 million, not including the other associated fees. Large companies report that an interruption during peak business hours can cost almost $1 million per minute. To mitigate the risk of such financial setbacks, data centers deploy redundant components of their critical infrastructure. What is Data Center Redundancy? Data center redundancy is a system used to address down...
Data center tiers are the Uptime Institute’s classification system of data center performance. Created over 25 years ago, there are four data center tiers that are the established standards in categorizing the performance level of a data center. To be classified as a specific tier, there is a set of criteria that data centers must meet, and the key values of those tier standards are service availability, redundancy level, power and cooling infrastructure, operational sustainability, security, and carrier neutrality. Data centers are ranked from one to four, with one being the lowest-performing and four being the highest. The tiers are progressive, meaning that each new tier must meet the req...
As the costs of managing and maintaining owner-operated data centers rise, enterprises are reconsidering their infrastructure and attempting to minimize on-premises data center space. Colocation data center providers are an attractive and cost-effective solution, offering physical space as well as power, cooling, network, and security services for their customers. According to 451 Research, over 40 percent of enterprise end users are already renting space in a colocation facility and that number is expected to continue rising. If you are considering using a colocation provider, choosing the right vendor for your data center needs can be a complicated decision with many factors that must be w...
Sustainability is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, topic in the data center industry today. A sustainable data center is a facility that can maintain operations at a high level of efficiency over time. It is important for data centers to be as sustainable as possible because they use a lot of resources which makes reducing their environmental impact and carbon footprint top priorities. It is also important because these facilities need to comply with sustainability initiatives such as the EU Code of Conduct for Energy Efficiency in Data Centres. Being able to measure your data center sustainability is critical because to gauge where you need to be, you need to know where you are. This...