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Darren Bonawitz attended Kansas State University where he majored in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis in Communication Systems.

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Archive for September, 2010

KANSAS CITY DATA CENTER AND INTERNET HUB FEATURES STARTKC, INC.

Monday, September 27th, 2010

By: Darren Bonawitz

This week we are featuring StartKC, Inc., a local organization which exists to encourage the development of the entrepreneurial network and spirit in Kansas City. Mark Brigman and Seth Meinzen, co-founders of StartKC, Inc., reviewed the organization.

Tell us a little about your organization’s background (name, when founded, and by whom)?
StartKC, Inc. was founded by KC based “serial entrepreneurs” Mark Brigman and Seth Meinzen in the Spring of 2009.

Why was it founded and what is the group’s mission or core focus?
StartKC was formed to provide a city-wide, single point of entry for motivated entrepreneurs who are looking to create or aggressively grow a business. StartKC offers a wide range of entrepreneurial resources targeted to assist entrepreneurs from “idea stage” to the growth of a 100 employee firm. Our core focus is to provide the highest quality business creation and growth resources to accelerate the timeline to success. StartKC’s state-of-the-art web platform provides 24×7 access to the area’s best business resources and business leadership minds through hundreds of videos available to all members.

Who should consider becoming a member of your group?
Kansas City based entrepreneurs (or aspiring entrepreneurs) who are looking for “next generation” resources to assist them in making their business vision become a reality. StartKC is an organization that is committed to constructing a Kansas City entrepreneurial ecosystem that coordinates the best business resources available in our region to enable high-powered companies to be born and developed.

What are some of the member benefits?
StartKC hosts the area’s most innovative entrepreneurial events. In addition to our events, our members have 24×7 access via StartKC.com to our: Video Resource Directory, business creation and growth Pathways, business leaders’ video library, collaboration platform and much more.

What do you like best about being involved in the entrepreneurship / technology community in Kansas City?
We love to see and feel the passion that local entrepreneurs have for their business. It is always a joy to see connections made by our members at our events or on our web platform. StartKC is a firm believer that collaboration and partnerships can move mountains. Kansas City is fortunate to have a lively spirit of entrepreneurship. StartKC is proud to help bring those powerful forces together to create revolutionary products and services that people around the world will be able to utilize.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?
StartKC would like to thank our 25 founding organizations and our faithful sponsors who allow us to continue our mission of making Kansas City become the entrepreneurial standard by which other cities are measured.

How should interested people get in touch with you?
Please visit our website at StartKC.com or contact Mark Brigman (CEO) at Mark.Brigman@StartKC.com or Seth Meinzen (COO) at Seth.Meinzen@StartKC.com.

Tags: 1102 GRAND, business entrepreneur, business innovation, business networking, Darren Bonawitz, data center, Data Center Security, data circuit, data management, Data Suites, datacenter, economy, ecosystems, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, innovation, innovation and technology, innovative business, innovators, Internet Hub, Internet hub and data center, kansas city business, kansas city businesses, kansas city kansas, kansas city MO, Mark Brigman, Midwest data center, non-profit, research, research community, Seth Meinzen, small business consulting, Small business ideas, small business management, small business networking, small business owners, small business start up, StartKC, technology, technology innovation, venture capitalists, visionaries, young entrepreneur
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Midwest data center, Uncategorized | No Comments »

How to Assess Generator Size, Make, Model, and Fuel Type When Choosing a Colocation Provider

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Posted by: Darren Bonawitz

When considering a colocation provider, ask about their generator to verify the size, make, model and the fuel type.

Size – Backup generators need to be sized appropriately in order to provide adequate protection for customers. For example, if a facility has 100 cabinets that are allowed to have a power load of 12kW per cabinet, that is a potential load of 1200kW (not counting supporting infrastructure such as computer room air conditioners, etc.). So if the facility has a single 1000kW generator, that is a warning sign. So you will need to verify what their upgrade plan is at the very least, and if you do not like the answer, walk away.

Load – Much like a UPS, you will want to verify the capacity and load and verify if and how they handle oversubscription. With regard to load, it is important to not just find out the current load on the generator. Instead, verify the committed load on the generator. Customers may only be utilizing a portion of the power delivered to their cabinet currently. If their existing customers add equipment over time, the load will increase even if the facility does not add new customers. So look at both the current and committed load.

Fuel – The fuel will generally either be diesel or natural gas with diesel being more common. In addition, verify the fuel tank capacity, how much fuel is in the tanks currently, and the amount of run time currently and at full load. That way you know how long you can run. On your tour, take the time to visually verify how much fuel is actually in the tanks. If their tanks are not at least 80% full, that could be an indication of a facility not staying on top of their critical infrastructure. At a minimum, I would recommend ensuring they keep at least 24 hours of fuel on site in case of an emergency with more run time being desireable of course. The age and quality of the fuel matters as well. See if they have reports on fuel quality tests, how often they refuel, etc. to ensure fresh fuel.

Maintenance – Ensure the generator(s) are under prevenative maintenance programs and being serviced regularly. Do not be afraid to ask to see proof as well. There are varying opinions on testing schedules, but my recommendation is that testing occurs monthly with a live load test quarterly. This means simulating a power failure and allowing the customers equipment to actually run off the generator’s power to make sure the equipment runs properly should an issue ever arise. Some places may test more frequently which is fine, but I would not recommend a facility that tests less frequently.

Automatic Transfer – It is very important that the provider have an automatic transfer switch (ATS) between the electric utility power and the backup power to eliminate the need for human interaction.

Hopefully the facility you choose never has to utilize their generator in non-scheduled events, but in the event they do, you will be glad you took the time to verify these items.

Tags: 1102 GRAND, automatic transfer switch, backup generators, cabinet level PDUs, colocation provider, colocation services, data center, data center cost, data center network, data center operations, data center server, data center servers, data colocation, datacenter, efficiency, electric company, electric energy, electric utility grid, electric utility substation, electrical, electrical energy, electrical substations, electricity, Energy, energy advantages, energy conservation, energy cost, energy saving, energy savings, energy-efficiency, facility, floor level power distribution units, generation power, generator transfer switch, green data center, green energy, Green IT, greening it, hardware, hardware maintenance, heating and air, heating and cooling, heating and cooling system, heating and cooling systems, heating systems, Interconnection, Internet Hub, Internet hub and data center, Internet Service Prodiver, IT, IT infrastructure, it infrastructure management, Kansas City Power & Light, Midwest data center, Midwest Internet hub, PDUs, plant power, plants power, power, power connector, power generation, power generator, power generators, power loss, power one, power plant, power plants, power protection, power service, power supply, processor.com, Public Utility Commission, Raw Space, remote facility, save energy, server, server colocation, source energy, sources energy, sources of energy, substation design, substations, substations electrical, supply power, sustainable energy, telecommunications, transfer switch, transmission lines, uninterruptable power supplies, utility companies, utility company, utility energy, utility grids
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Colocation Information, Disaster Recovery Solution, Energy, Uncategorized | No Comments »

StartKC hosts GrowFest

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Posted by: Darren Bonawitz

startkc%20white%20logo StartKC hosts GrowFest

1102 GRAND is a proud member of the founding committee of StartKC, an organization which works to make Kansas City an entrepreneurial and small business center. StartKC is a resource partner for many local entrepreneurs. Join StartKC and Thinking Bigger Business Media for GrowFEST on September 23 at 6:00 pm. This event will feature eight growing companies which are making innovative changes in their fields. The event will allow entrepreneurs to collaborate and connect with local peers, managers, and professionals.

Find more information and register here.

Tags: 1102 GRAND, business entrepreneur, business innovation, business networking, Darren Bonawitz, data center, Data Center Security, data circuit, data management, Data Suites, datacenter, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, innovation, innovation and technology, innovative business, innovators, it professionals, kansas city business, kansas city businesses, kansas city kansas, kansas city MO, kc, Midwest data center, Midwest Internet hub, networking groups, non-profit, research, research community, StartKC, technology, technology innovation, venture capitalists, visionaries
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Location, Midwest data center, Networking, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Kansas City IT Professionals September Networking Event

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Posted by: Darren Bonawitz

Interested in meeting other technology professionals in the area and making lasting connections? Kansas City IT Professionals will host a networking event at 6:00 pm on September 21 at The Well. This happy hour is a wonderful opportunity to engage in conversation with other Kansas City technology professionals. Kansas City IT Professionals aims to build connections between local technology businesses and IT professionals.

Tags: 1102 GRAND, business entrepreneur, business innovation, business networking, Darren Bonawitz, data center, Data Center Security, data circuit, data management, Data Suites, datacenter, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, innovation, innovation and technology, innovative business, innovators, it professionals, kansas city business, kansas city businesses, kansas city kansas, kansas city MO, kc, KC Hub, KCIT, Midwest data center, Midwest Internet hub, networking groups, non-profit, research, research community, technology, technology innovation, venture capitalists, visionaries
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Location, Midwest data center, Networking, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS)

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

By: Darren Bonawitz db Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS)

In this third installment dedicated to discussing power in colocation environments, we will be looking at uninterruptable power supplies (UPS). As mentioned before, these blog posts are not meant to be a comprehensive discussion but rather serve as a starting point and high level overview of things to consider when evaluating collocation facilities.

UPS systems, also known as battery backup systems, condition the utility power to defend against issues such as electrical spikes and also provide emergency power from a separate source when utility power is not available. This allows equipment to operate without interruption until a generator is operational and able to support the electrical load. Good questions to ask the collocation provider include the brand, capacity, minimum guaranteed run-time, redundancy and maintenance program for each UPS system. In addition, if you tour the facility, have them show you the exact unit which will service your unit.

Brand – There are several quality UPS manufacturers suitable for data center environments. Some common brands include (in alphabetical order): APC, Eaton (PowerWare), Liebert, MGE and Sentinel Power. The key is to note that not all UPS systems are equal. Make sure you are connected to a larger data center grade unit, which in my opinion, offers better protection and more robust features. UPS systems can be weak points in a power distribution network so this is not an area to skimp, and you do not want your critical infrastructure tied to smaller off-the-shelf units found in smaller hosting and commercial environments.

Capacity – Measured in kilovolt-amps (kVA) or kilowatts (kW). The difference between kVA and kW is what is known as the power factor. kVA multiplied by the power factor equals the kW.

For single-phase power:

KILOWATT (kW) =
VOLTS x AMPERES x POWER FACTOR
1000

For three-phase power:

KILOWATT (kW) =

VOLTS x AMPERES x POWER FACTOR x 1.73
1000

This tells you how big the UPS is and how much equipment can be powered by it. The size of the UPS needs to be proportional to the size of the colocation area and the corresponding electrical load. For example, if the data center operator states that their average customer utilizes 8kW per rack and they have 100 racks with equipment, it is not a good sign if their one and only primary UPS is a 500kW equivalent unit. Mathematically, they do not have enough power to support their existing customers — let alone your new equipment.

Redundancy- If you have mission-critical equipment collocated, it is important to make sure your provider offers A & B power feeds to your cabinet. If you equipment is not dual power supplied, then consider an in-cabinet automatic transfer switch which has inputs for two power feeds which then output to a single power strip. This will protect you if one feed loses power or one path needs to be taken out of service for scheduled maintenance. Remember that scheduled maintenance is a part of a data center environment, and you need to plan for it. Not everyone needs A & B power, and if you don’t need it, having the option to pass on being supplied a B feed could keep your price down. At the same time, you have to be realistic and realize that you cannot cut costs and then complain about outages (whether scheduled or not) when you elected to not take advantage of the available levels of redundancy offered by the facility.

Maintenance Schedule- Ask to see the provider’s maintenance schedule and report. This is to make sure they are testing UPS regularly and maintaining/replacing batteries, capacitors, etc. as necessary. This can also serve as a qualifier that let’s you know if they are being truthful with you. If the provider does not have documentation of their maintenance records, consider another facility. This is a very common area that data center operators cut corners on. All of 1102 GRAND’s UPS systems and supporting infrastructure are under preventative maintenance contracts and serviced on regular schedules. It is not inexpensive to do this, but we firmly believe in the importance of this and know it helps separate us from many competitors.

Tags: 1102 GRAND, automatic transfer switch, backup generators, cabinet level PDUs, colocation provider, colocation services, data center, data center cost, data center network, data center operations, data center server, data center servers, data colocation, datacenter, efficiency, electric company, electric energy, electric utility grid, electric utility substation, electrical, electrical energy, electrical substations, electricity, Energy, energy advantages, energy conservation, energy cost, energy saving, energy savings, energy-efficiency, facility, floor level power distribution units, generation power, generator transfer switch, green data center, green energy, Green IT, greening it, hardware, hardware maintenance, heating and air, heating and cooling, heating and cooling system, heating and cooling systems, heating systems, Interconnection, Internet Hub, Internet hub and data center, Internet Service Prodiver, IT, IT infrastructure, it infrastructure management, Kansas City Power & Light, Midwest data center, Midwest Internet hub, pc power supply, PDUs, plant power, power protection, power supply, power supply system, power supply unit, switching power supply, uninterrupted power, uninterrupted power supply, uninterruptible power, uninterruptible power supplies, Uninterruptible Power Supply, uninterruptible power supply systems
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Colocation Information, Data Center Security, Disaster Recovery Solution, Energy, Green IT, Midwest data center, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Kansas City Data Center and Internet Hub features KC Hub

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

By: Darren Bonawitz

This week we featured KC Hub, an organization which aims to shape Kansas City into a center for research and innovation. Aaron Sloup, co-founder of KC Hub, answered some questions about the organization.

Tell us a little about your organization’s background:
Our official name is the KC Hub Foundation, but we go by KC Hub. Ryan Weber and I came up with the concept of creating a Kansas City based Silicon Valley or Research Triangle (like the one in North Carolina) in October 2009. For about six months, the concept was in somewhat of an incubator stage – we did a ton of research and talked to hundreds of people about the idea. We formed a non-profit corporation in July 2010. Other founding members of the Board include Matt Wilson, Matt Sawka and Aaron Siders.

Why was it founded and what is the group’s mission or core focus?:
Our goal is to create an ecosystem for innovation. Originally we hoped to find that there was already a group that was taking shape and pursuing a mission like the one we envisioned. We found that Kansas City is fairly “siloed;” we have some strong vertical ecosystems in specific sectors. Life sciences is a great example. Through the effort of many groups across the region, researchers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and non-profits, the life sciences community works together to come up with the next big idea and then bring that idea to market. KCnext is another good example. At KC Hub, we want to build on some of that momentum and help innovators across all sectors connect. There are definite economies of scale that we, as a city and a region, can take advantage of.

Who should consider becoming a member of your group?
KC Hub has always been about connecting the people with the next big idea and the people that can make that idea happen. We generally refer to those two groups as “innovators.” This is a pretty diverse group, which is why it’s a little hard to target. It includes people from universities and research institutions, angel and venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and startup companies and though leaders from established companies. And those are just some examples; anyone who’s an innovator is welcome.

What are some of the member benefits?
Connecting with other innovators is the main benefit. Finding others with the same mindset, that think big, take big risks and make big ideas happen can have all kinds of benefits from helping launch a business, find a resource or just have a great discussion.

What do you like best about being involved in the research / technology community in Kansas City?
There’s always something new and exciting to learn about. You hear so much about technology companies on the coasts or in other regions of the world, but the reality is, KC’s actually got a lot of interesting things going on in the tech community. It’s fun to discover some of these hidden gems.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Yes. We’ve had some great advisors that have been critical to our success. And beyond that, so many people have provided ideas, advice and resources. It’s really been a community effort, so thanks to everyone that has contributed.

How should interested people get in touch with you?
The best way is via our website, kchub.org. Right now, it’s just a placeholder while our innovation networking site is being developed, but we update our social networking groups often – there are links to our Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter from kchub.org, as well as a general email address.

Tags: 1102 GRAND, business entrepreneur, business innovation, business networking, Darren Bonawitz, data center, Data Center Security, data circuit, data management, Data Suites, datacenter, economy, ecosystems, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, innovation, innovation and technology, innovative business, innovators, Internet Hub, Internet hub and data center, kansas city business, kansas city businesses, kansas city kansas, kansas city MO, KC Hub, life sciences, Midwest data center, Midwest Internet hub, non-profit, research, research community, technology, technology innovation, venture capitalists, visionaries
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Midwest data center | No Comments »

Electric Utility Grids/Substations

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

By: Darren Bonawitz

db Electric Utility Grids/Substations

In this post, a continuation of an ongoing blog series about colocation power, we will be taking a look at electric utility grids/substations. Keep in mind that this is not meant to be a comprehensive discussion but rather a starting point and high level overview of things to consider in regard to grids/substations and colocation. When searching for a colocation provider, or when verifying that your current provider meets your needs, ask the data center or colocation provider what the makeup is for its power grids. A grid serves a specific geographical area and is a network of all the elements, such as power lines and transformers that are necessary to distribute power to a particular area. Some facilities will only be on one power grid whereas some will have the luxury of dual power grids (some even more). This means that if one side of the grid were to fail for any reason, the second could potentially supply power adding an extra level of redundancy.

If a facility does have dual power grids, I recommend making sure it has an automatic transfer switch (ATS), which will automatically switch from grid one to grid two without manual intervention. Speaking of ATSs, make sure there is also an ATS between the utility power and backup power infrastructure. In fact, be sure to ask to see the generator servicing your equipment. Believe it or not, we are aware of unscrupulous data center operators who claim to have generator support when they in fact do not. We will discuss generator support more in a later post. Another item I recommend checking into is whether the transmission lines between the power plant and substation as well as the substation and colocation facility are underground. I won’t go so far as to say it should be a requirement to have underground transmission lines, but I do think it is a competitive advantage if you are comparing facilities that otherwise appear equal.

Tags: 1102 GRAND, automatic transfer switch, backup generators, cabinet level PDUs, colocation provider, colocation services, data center, data center cost, data center network, data center operations, data center server, data center servers, data colocation, datacenter, efficiency, electric company, electric energy, electric utility grid, electric utility substation, electrical, electrical energy, electrical substations, electricity, Energy, energy advantages, energy conservation, energy cost, energy saving, energy savings, energy-efficiency, facility, floor level power distribution units, generation power, generator transfer switch, green data center, green energy, Green IT, greening it, hardware, hardware maintenance, heating and air, heating and cooling, heating and cooling system, heating and cooling systems, heating systems, Interconnection, Internet Hub, Internet hub and data center, Internet Service Prodiver, IT, IT infrastructure, it infrastructure management, Kansas City Power & Light, Midwest data center, Midwest Internet hub, PDUs, plant power, plants power, power, power connector, power generation, power generator, power generators, power loss, power one, power plant, power plants, power protection, power service, power supply, processor.com, Public Utility Commission, Raw Space, remote facility, save energy, server, server colocation, source energy, sources energy, sources of energy, substation design, substations, substations electrical, supply power, sustainable energy, telecommunications, transfer switch, transmission lines, uninterruptable power supplies, utility companies, utility company, utility energy, utility grids
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Colocation Information, Data Center Security, Disaster Recovery Solution, Energy, Midwest data center, Saving Money, Uncategorized | No Comments »

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Archive for September, 2010

KANSAS CITY DATA CENTER AND INTERNET HUB FEATURES STARTKC, INC.

Monday, September 27th, 2010

How to Assess Generator Size, Make, Model, and Fuel Type When Choosing a Colocation Provider

Monday, September 20th, 2010

StartKC hosts GrowFest

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Kansas City IT Professionals September Networking Event

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS)

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Kansas City Data Center and Internet Hub features KC Hub

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Electric Utility Grids/Substations

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010