Newsletter - October 2010

• Top 10 Considerations When Selecting Power Strips
• Highlights From The Data Center Efficiency Summit
• Upcoming Events
  
• Recent Articles

1. Should I use 208V or 3-phase power? 20Amps or 30Amps? 208V and 3-phase power are more efficient. Whether you are at a collocation or if it is your own data center, there will likely be savings to be realized by reducing the number of drops and power strips and increasing the rack density. 3-Phase can also prepare you for future growth and expansion.
   
   
2. What level of metering and switching do I want or should I have (to future proof the data center)?
   
   a. Do I want to be alerted when my power strip is close to overloading, so I avoid unnecessary downtime?
   b. Do I want to be able to remotely power cycle each outlet, so I save time and increase up-time?
   c. Do I want to know how much power each outlet is drawing so I can identify the power hoggers and decommission the unused servers? Can I extend the life of my data center this way?
   
   
3. What type of devices am I powering up? Is it just 1U servers, blade chassis, network equipment or storage racks? Are they dual or single powered devices?
   
   
4. Form factor and number of outlets - How many outlets do I need? What types of outlets, C13 or C19? Horizontal, 1U, 2U, or vertical power strips?
   
   
5. Special considerations on vertical power strips - What is the dimension of the vertical power strip? How am I mounting the strip? Can I close the cabinet door? Will it block access to my rails? Do I need special mounting brackets?
   
   
6. Can I add temperature and humidity probe support to the power strips? - Don't be the last to know that your server room is overheating.
   
   
7. Mass configuration options - How do I mass configure 100 or 1000 strips?
   
   
8. Security authentication - Can I tie the power strip access and control to my company's security policy such as LDAP and Radius?
   
   
9. Retaining clips on the power receptacles - secures the power cord and prevents the power cord from being accidentally unplugged.
   
   
10. How does the choice of power strip support my business goals?
    
    a. Can I tie my power strip to my out of band management system (KVM and console servers)?
    b. How do I use the power strip to automate testing in my lab?
    c. Does the information from the power strip tie into my building management system?
    d. How do I generate reports on power consumption, PUE, energy savings?

Mirapath provides the fast pass in your power strip selection process. We work with you in selecting the right power strip for your application and deployment. Schedule an appointment to speak with a solution specialist today.

The Data Center Efficiency Summit was great! We got to reconnect with many of our customers, learn about new technology and best practices. So, here we are, sharing that knowledge with you.

Below are the highlights from the show.

Tour of Brocade's new data center and lab

• PUE 1.3
• Hot aisle containment
• In-row cooling units with variable speed fans that consume 75% less energy
• Water side economizers
• LEED certified campus

• Implemented CFD (computational fluid dynamic) analysis
• Contained cold aisles, roof panels with fuse links
• Closed empty rack space with blanking panels
• Raised rack inlet temperature to 81F
• Raised chilled water supply temperature

• Blanking panels to limit bypass airflow
• Floor tile management
• Containment of hot aisle
• Hood installation on CRAC unit, hotter return air
• Lowered cooling tower set point
• 19% reduction in PUE

If anything peaks your interest, please reach out to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more details on how to complete a CFD analyses, the intricacies of PUE, proof that blanking panels work surprisingly well....

11.4.10 - Discussion of the latest in power and cooling technology
*Tour a live data center using in-row cooling, containment pods, large UPS unit - achieving 40% in energy savings!

11.16.10 - Overview of the latest in cabinet power strip technologies with focus on lab automation
*How to identify power hogs and zombie servers so you can extend the life of your data center.
*How to meter dumb strips. How to meter a storage rack.
*Lab Automation Discussion - Lab manager will discuss best practices in his lab.

12.9.10 - How to manage a heterogeneous power strip environment.

Click here to register or view our full list of upcoming events here

RF Code and Raritan Introduce Wire-Free Energy Monitoring Solution
RF Code, Inc. and Raritan announced in a press release on September 27th, that they have jointly integrated RF Code's wire-free monitoring solution with Raritan intelligent rack PDUs. read more.

Blanking Panels Prove to be Effective
Take a look at one of our customer’s blog - He is now a true believer of blanking panels! Also, check out our blanking panel comparison guide. If you're interested in learning more about the different blanking panels we carry, contact one of our solutions specialists today at (877) 647-2728

How in-line meters saved our customer from a costly retrofit
Find out how Mirapath delivered Value in this project. read more.

About Mirapath
Mirapath is a data center and lab infrastructure solution provider. We understand that data centers and labs are complex and unique. We tackle each project to deliver problem solving solutions, bringing you peace of mind and cost savings.

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