http://www.comms-express.com/news/server-racks/ en-gb Tue, 02 Dec 2008 2:00:13 GMT Copyright: (C) Comms Express 2007 http://www.comms-express.com/images/logo.jpg http://www.comms-express.com/
To be run between December 2nd and 5th in Las Vegas, attendees to the conference will be able to discover new solutions in the server market.

Rackable will be highlighting its new C2005 server, which aims to provide greater flexibility and configurability.

George Skaff, vice president of marketing at the firm, says: "Rackable Systems will showcase its most innovative data centre solutions in the marketplace.

"We have also just released several new products that will be incredibly attractive to customers seeking a greater degree of flexibility," he adds.

The company will also showcase products from its partnership with NetApp – high-performance servers with storage solutions.

In addition to this, it will show the collaboration with IBM, which produced high-performance BlancerCenters.

Last month, the company launched the C2005 server, describing it as the most versatile to date.

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The company claims the new server racks are its most versatile to date, saying they have very efficient power drives and will support Intel and AMD-based board options.

Rackable says the new C2005 model is equivalent to an industry standard 1U server rack in its density and also has the capacity to support up to five expansion slots.

Geoffrey Noer, vice president of product management at the company, states the new products increase the value of their custom-made models by offering "an unparalleled level of flexibility".

"Building on the success of our most popular 2U half-depth rack-mount server, the new C2005’s best-in-class configurability and attractive feature set make it an ideal solution for internet, enterprise and HPC customers," he adds.

The Register says the new server racks have a "very clever and devilishly simple design concept".

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According to Gartner, unless data centre managers consider the power and cooling requirements of new technology, they are in danger of doubling their energy costs by 2011.

Rakesh Kumar, vice-president of the firm, said improving the environmental performance of a data centre does not simply include power efficiency.

Instead, managers need to consider undertaking an "end-to-end, integrated view" of the data centre as a whole, the expert stated.

"Tomorrow's data centre is moving from being static to becoming a living organism, where modelling and measuring tools will become one of the major elements of its management," Mr Kumar commented.

Data centres will be "dynamic" and be able to address a number of "technical, financial and environmental" requirements, he added.

In related news, Gartner recently reported that worldwide PC shipments rose to 80.6 million units during the third quarter of this year.

This, the firm noted, represented a 15 per cent increase on the figure recorded during the corresponding period in 2007.

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One place where bosses could start is by carrying out an audit, with power consumption monitoring an important part of it, according to Computer Weekly.

The news provider claims several vendors offer products which "go beyond" traditional data racks power monitoring and can be of benefit to centre managers.

Understanding how much energy is used is an important element of chargeback mechanisms which help to optimise data centre usage, the news provider claims.

"Optimising the data centre is not something you can do with one action. It is a multi-faceted operation, encompassing changes to your facility, equipment and management methodology," the publication states.

In other news, a new report from property firm CB Richard Ellis has revealed the European data centre market continues to record levels of activity which suggest there is a healthy balance between supply and demand.

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The UCoustic sound-proof data cabinet has been designed to provide high levels of noise reduction and thermal dissipation.

Manufactured in wall mounted and floor-standing versions, the cabinet is available in 700mm and 1100mm deep sizes, with various models able to accommodate 12, 24 or 48 units.

"Using state-of-the-art acoustic materials, sound reduction up to 28.5dBA can be achieved using the UCoustic sound-proof enclosures. All this is achieved without compromising airflow or cooling," the manufacturer reveals.

In addition, the UCoustic Active version features a fan-assisted rear to further boost thermal dissipation, while the Passive model uses normal airflow convection and the servers' own fans to reduce heat.

According to the UCoustic Products website, the firm began manufacturing its range of sound-proof data cabinets after trying to reduce the noise in its own office.

The company also carried out research and develop to create materials which provide low reflection and high absorption of sound.

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]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/server-racks/new-ucoustic-data-cabinets-now-available-18817081/ 2008-10-08 14:59:44 data racks, it has been claimed.

According to a blog on mybroadband.co.za, virtualisation has been deployed by thousands of firms to reduce the IT spend, while boosting the efficiency and flexibility of their hardware.

The posting points out the advantages of this mean data centres can be run using fewer servers and less related IT hardware, such as data racks.

In addition, companies may find "this leads to reductions in real estate, power and cooling requirements, resulting in significantly lower IT costs".

Other benefits from implementing the technology include higher resource utilisation due to the fact common infrastructure resources are pooled and new ways to manage IT systems.

Recent research from IDC found western European organisations saw an annual increase in the energy costs of their data racks from 2006 to 2007 to reach 1.6 billion euros (£1.2 billion).

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]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/server-racks/virtualisation-benefits-for-data-racks-18815713/ 2008-10-07 17:17:59 data racks has increased by 13 per cent.

Analyst IDC found that the energy issue is becoming an increasing concern for European datacentres as annual needs rise.

The firm claims that this increase is a result of data racks including more multicore technology and enhanced hardware features and predicts by 2008 consumption levels in western Europe will have increased to 42 terawatt hours (TWhs), up from 40TWh in 2007.

Giorgio Nebuloni, research analyst with IDC European systems and infrastructure solutions, commented: "The efforts that industry players have started to put into building energy-efficient components are not enough to balance the rise of energy needs."

He called on firms to introduce new procedures to be put in place and for data racks to be redesigned to improve cooling and power processes.

Recently, delegates at DatacenterDynamics Amsterdam Conference were urged to cut energy use in their data cabinets and data racks to reduce costs.

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Attendees were told the best use of equipment power management features, running cooling fans at optimum rates to match data racks loads and ensuring redundancy levels meet availability requirements can lead to significant data centre energy savings.

Several industry experts including Don Beaty, chairman of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, and Stephen Nagel, chief executive officer of DLB Associates have given presentations at the event.

Dan Scarbrough, chief executive officer of DatacenterDynamics, said operators can benefit from what they learn at the exhibition.

"With the current focus on energy cost containment in data centre operations the immediate benefits of attendance to Datacenterdynamics Amsterdam is undeniable," he stated.

In other data rack news, Computerworld recently reported Rittal has launched an entry-level system for monitoring IT infrastructure.

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Microsoft has released the results of a test which ran servers in an outside tent for more than a half a year in Seattle, Computer World reports

Employees placed five HP DL585 servers - which had been previously used – in a tent from November 2007 through to June 2008.

The company claims that the servers worked perfectly and did not malfunction at all.

Even with a small amount of rain, fluctuating temperatures and leaves being sucked into the machines' fans the servers proved functional.

The experiment was conducted by principal power and cooling architect, Christian Belady, and facility program manager Sean James.

According to Computer World, Belady, writing in a blog post, said: "While I am not suggesting that this is what the data centre of the future should look like. ... I think this experiment illustrates the opportunities that a less conservative approach to environmental standards might generate."

Intel has also recently completed a ten month study investigating the performance of servers using both traditional air conditioners and dust filters and air economizers.

The company found that the traditional set up was more efficient than the economizers.

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Named the HP Oracle Database Machine and the HP Oracle Exadata Storage Server, the server racks were revealed by chief executive officer Larry Ellison at the OpenWorld conference yesterday (Wednesday 24th).

Each database server is connected to its storage counterpart by two InfiniBand channels which can transfer data at a speed of one gigabit per second.

Mr Ellison told the IDG news service: "The storage system itself runs the Oracle database's fast parallel query software, so we took the capability you normally find in the database servers and moved it into the storage server next to each and every disk drive."

In following this method he believes the technology will take pressure off the interconnect between the server and the storage grid.

Oracle was formed by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner and Ed Oates three decades ago.

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The IT distribution company claims the products, which include a line of interactive UPS devices from 1,000VA to 5,000VA and a collection of long-run applications which provide extended back-up time are suitable for all business environments.

Also making up part of the range are true online solutions from 1kVA to 15kVA which feature automatic voltage stabilisers and power inverters.

Mahomed Cassim, sales and marketing director at Esquire, claims the online system provides higher quality power protection than the cheaper line interactive alternative.

"An online UPS provides load power at all times through a battery that is continuously charged by input power. This means the battery is always online, which means no switching is called for during power failures," he said.

In other UPS solutions news, Active Power has announced it has received its single largest order from one of the world's largest internet search engine providers for twelve 1200kVA CleanSource systems.

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The company ran test for a period of ten months using around 900 production blade servers, divided equally between two side-by-side compartments with one using standard air conditioning and the other an air economiser.

In its results the firm discovered the temperature of the air supply to the servers in the economiser compartment varied from 18 and 33 degrees Celsius.

Regarding power consumption, the experiment revealed the cooling load in the economiser section was reduced from 111.78KW to 28.6KW, representing a 74 per cent saving in consumption.

The firm found no consistent increase in server failure rates, with a 4.46 per cent rate in the economiser compartment and 3.83 per cent in the main data centre.

Also the company claims it could reduce its carbon footprint by making use of an economiser as it would not need to consume large amounts of power and water.

Intel was formed in 1968 by Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore.

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The Thinkerserver range will offer server racks to the market and includes all necessary software and a free 90-day trial.

Each server rack offers the option of either Microsoft Windows Server or Suse Linux Enterprise Server.

Mac Godin, vice president and general manager of the enterprise business unit at the firm, said: "Lenovo is now delivering a full suite of product offerings for small and medium businesses from desktops to notebooks to servers."

SMBs who need basic applications like email, messaging and web server can use the Lenovo TS100 tower and RS110 rack servers.

Cisco Systems has recently rolled out a new set of boards, systems and software to improve its virtualisation products.

The company has boosted its fibre channel switches to boost it eight Gbit second links.

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A performance management system is being adopted by the company which will improve the mainframe computers.

The new adoption will enable the company to run 24-hour applications and reduce power usage, which in turn may drive down costs.

John Westnedge, IT director at Tesco, said: "Mainframe usage rises significantly at Christmas because of the volume of activity. So our initial aim is to achieve greater efficiency in MIPS [millions of instructions per second] usage to help avoid buying more processing power in the run-up."

He added that to "keep control of MIPS utilisation" the firm needs to be implementing efficient code from the starting point.

Mr Westnedge stated the changes were to improve performance issues before any new systems are introduced.

Tesco has recently been amid rumours that it plans to swap its supplier, with Retail Week reporting it may switch from the Teradata system to Netezza, which the supermarket denies.

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The 300mm row-based, direct expansion cooling system is designed for server rooms, server racks and data centres.

Features of the solution include real-time capacity monitoring in addition to variable speed fans that use less energy during off-peak times.

The product is designed for installation within the row of data racks and captures hot exhaust air from the aisles and distributes cool air through the front of the unit, which could combat ongoing power problems and ensure temperatures are held at optimum conditions.

Pat Johnson, vice president of rack and cooling solutions at APC, said large server rooms face barriers as they look to expand, something which the solution helps to avoid.

"The goal of APC's products is to grant unprecedented visibility into the inner workings of the server room, enabling users to monitor equipment effectively … and identify issues before they become significant problems," he said.

Meanwhile, ITWorld recently claimed firms can reduce their outgoings by organising their data centres and server racks in a specific format.

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]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/server-racks/cooling-solution-launched-for-data-centres-18784970/ 2008-09-17 17:29:57
The firm has unveiled its Basic CMC package, which features a user-friendly plug and play system, with processing unit and I/O unit combined in a single enclosure, Computerworld reports.

With up to four sensors out a choice of 17 models able to be connected in the product, IT managers are given the ability to monitor information such as temperature, humidity or smoke in their data racks.

Basic CMC also uses an intuitive web user interface to minimise the effort needed to monitor an organisation's entire IT infrastructure, with system able to warn the administrator should condition in the data racks or other areas of the network exceed preset levels.

Furthermore, the news provider explained: "Basic CMC can installed using a plug and play system, negating the need for complicated programming and wiring."

Recently, digitimes.com reported that sales of consumer networking devices in Europe continue to struggle, dashing businesses hopes of a rebound in the market.

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]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/server-racks/data-rack-monitoring-from-rittal-18780084/ 2008-09-15 16:12:10
According to ITWorld, bosses should sit down and ascertain which equipment is needed and disposing of apparatus which is surplus to requirements.

In eliminating unnecessary servers firms do not have to pay to run or cool them, the news provider claims.

Also, companies can implement a hot aisle-cool aisle philosophy by arranging their server racks ion a particular formation.

By adopting this method, fan intakes on racks across from each other are facing while the exhausts on neighbouring racks do the same.

The publication claims this formation reduces heat generation and in addition, prolongs the life of the equipment.

Meanwhile, Colfax recently claimed the high level of noise made by server racks is one of the main obstacles to companies adopting high-performance computing.

A solution to the problem is Silentium's Active Noise Control system, the firm believes.

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According to Colfax, businesses are sceptical about employing HPC technology due to the noise associated with server racks, however the organisation claims it has found a solution to the problem.

The company claims the Active Noise Control system from Silentium can significantly reduce the amount of noise generated by server racks, by transmitting an "anti-noise" signal which "destructively interferes" with the original sound.

Yossi Barath, chief executive officer at Silentium, said the technology, along with Colfax's Quiet Compute Cluster, will prove appealing to firms.

"We expect that combining the breakthrough noise-cancelling technology of Silentium with Colfax Quiet Compute Cluster will deliver a compelling solution to meet the demands of quiet supercomputing," he stated.

The company claims to be a high-tech business specialising in developing innovative noise-reduction products and solutions.

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According to publictechnology.net, the local authority is looking for firms with experience to see through the development of the project in the council house.

The facilities are to hold 24 server racks with 120kW cooling but supplied with 12 racks with 60kW cooling.

In addition, the development will feature a modular room, network cables, fire protection, monitoring, security and be expandable, energy efficient and maintainable, the news provider claims.

Companies interested in the contract must submit their application prior to September 22nd, with work due to begin three months later.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is to use an approach where servers arrive at a datacentre in a sealed container and already networked together for a Chicago facility, ZDNet.co.uk reports.

The storage place is then linked up to the power, air conditioning and networking systems.

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In an article for Processor, Drew Robb said that the DIY approach could be better than buying, although whether it is or not is dependent upon the individual circumstances of the firm.

Businesses should look into building data centres if they already have the expertise in place to do so and if their back-up needs are great, he remarked, adding that if lots of system management is required, it might also be best to build.

Buying is the better option for firms which do not have such excessive needs or those that lack the resources to run DIY data centres, Mr Robb commented.

Missy Young of Switch Communications Group said that cost can also have an impact upon which route is the best to go down.

"For many small-to-medium enterprises, the equation is weighted more towards buy due to the sheer economics," she remarked.

In other data racks news, RichardsoNEyres has unveiled a new strategy to improve the environmental friendliness of data centres.

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