Almost every organization is now experiencing a digital shift where their data centers have become a direct part of the business. Today, cloud computing, converged infrastructure, and high-density workloads have all placed new types of capacity challenges on the modern data center. IDC says that worldwide spending on cloud services will grow at a 19.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) -- almost six times the rate of overall IT spending growth – from nearly $70 billion in 2015 up to more than $141 billion in 2019. Data center operators today must plan around their distributed environments and ensure that capacity planning around power is done properly.
According to Green Grid research into European data center usage, energy efficiency and operating costs are the most common areas of the data center reported as requiring improvement. Furthermore, the difficulty in predicting future cost (43 percent) and the cost of refreshing hardware (37 percent) are cited as top challenges of developing resource efficient data centers, along with the difficulty of meeting environmental targets (33 percent).
So, when it comes to data center requirements and power distribution – how do you create best practices around capacity planning? What about incorporating intelligence into your power management architecture?
With these challenges in mind, organizations must look to leaders in the power industry to help them achieve maximum data center efficiency and power utilization. Very recently, Server Technology released the High Density Outlet Technology (HDOT) in Switched and Smart Per Outlet Power Sensing (POPS) architecture, what others refer to as “metered outlet”. This is the most feature-rich rackmount PDU that Server Technology has ever developed. In fact, this is the first time Server Technology has packed their industry-leading features all into a single rackmount PDU, making it one of the most advanced PDU solutions on the market. The HDOT POPS PDUs provides maximum flexibility, unparalleled uptime, and accurate capacity planning.
On that note – lets discuss capacity planning and density:
- Capacity Planning Design. With POPS technology, this PDU provides the capability to securely monitor power per individual outlet/ device. Power information per individual outlet/device includes current, voltage, power (kW), apparent power, crest factor, accumulated energy, and power factor. POPS Switched technology provides the flexibility needed for all data centers and remote sites, including power requirements for high amperage and high-voltage, Branch Circuit Protection and SNMP traps and email alerts including current monitoring. When paired with Sentry Power Manager (SPM), Server Technology’s award-winning power management solution, Switched POPS technology, provides detailed power data within the cabinet.
- Power Density Design. HDOT Alt-phase provides for better efficiency. The idea is simple: Stay Green. Save Green. This proprietary outlet design allows the users to fill narrow/shallow racks with 36 to 54 devices using 36 to 54 outlets. Since the PDU is available through Build Your Own PDU online configurators, the user can order a PDU with their desired outlet configuration with the right outlets in the right place. With the addition of Alternating Phase Technology, these outlets allow the user to plug in devices from top-to- bottom or bottom to top without disrupting phase and load balance. This allows for shorter cords, lowering cooling costs and simplifying cable inventory.
Capacity Planning – Start with Power
Planning for the growth of power usage in comparison to capacity is critical at all levels of the power chain; however, if the design is sufficiently implemented, capacity at the rack level can be predicted based on measurements of each piece of IT equipment.
In creating your own data center architecture, it’s important to look at use-cases and design. This means designing around specific capacity planning requirements. When creating your own data center platform – capacity planning is an absolute must, especially when creating efficient power environments. So, it’s important to consider how power is distributed between racks and throughout the data center. This is why a good PDU is very important.
For example, the PDU architecture from Server Technology is perfect for customers who:
- Have 36 to 54 devices in their cabinet
- Need quick-turn PDUs available with a large number of outlet variations
- Are looking at bill-back to departments
- Are looking to minimize power drops
- Need high-temperature PDUs
- Three phase power in a common form factor
Many data center operators have created a science out of maximizing server utilization and data center efficiency, contributing in a big way to the slow-down of the industry’s overall energy use. Today, data center providers are making investments in improvements that will positively impact the efficiency of their facilities infrastructure, as well as the power and data center capacity that supports their clients’ IT gear.
With the HDOT in Switched and Smart POPS, customers no longer need to pick and choose a single solution based on their current needs. The HDOT POPS rackmount PDU addresses the three data center pain points: capacity planning, power density, and uptime.
Moving forward, data center managers will need to work with their ecosystem to ensure the best possible performance and utilization. Data center sprawl is a real-world issue, and Server Technology PDUs are designed to help with next-generation requirements as well as enabling unparalleled capacity.
This article was sponsored by Server Technology. Please visit their solutions page for more information.
