Posts Tagged ‘colocation’
12 - 10 - 09
By: Darren Bonawitz
Here’s an article regarding Extreme Networks’ announcement at the Gartner Data Center Conference which promotes a fairly major paradigm shift. Essentially, Extreme Networks is proposing to eliminate server level virtual switching, which is just the opposite of Cisco’s proposed path. On one hand, I see where Extreme is coming from or at least where they are trying to go.
Click here to read the entire article
Virtual switches on servers are more complex from a management standpoint, and hardware switching is more reliable. The problem I see is that Extreme is not only going to collide with Cisco and their massive market share on this. Instead, this will also put them at odds from a strategy standpoint with the likes of HP, Juniper and Force10. Extreme is going to face an up-hill “us against the rest” battle, and that is tough to wage when you only have 1.5% market share, seriously declining revenues and major reorganization changes including the CEO stepping down a month or so ago. IT leaders have to have faith in the company before they can have faith in the technology – no matter how (potentially) innovative.
At the same time, it is tough to gain market share by following the herd, and I applaud them for the cutting edge attempt and taking such a brand defining stand. May the best solution win.
11 - 27 - 09
By Darren Bonawitz
It’s not always easy to admit when you don’t know something or that you need help, but as this article from the WHIR shows, setting ego aside can pay huge dividends. Data center managers either need to acquire knowledge or seek those who possess it regarding greening their IT operations. The cost of not doing so is simply too high. A reputable and qualified consultant can yield savings that offset the costs of obtaining their expertise. Keep in mind, the return on the investment increases month after month as savings are continually realized. At 1102 GRAND, I’ll admit we don’t utilize a lot of consultants because Todd, our director of operations, enjoys staying on top of trends and testing new products or solutions. He says learning and researching best practices and reading up on new or emerging technologies is half of the fun of his job. If that sounds like you, then maybe a consultant is not necessary. I guess my point is, the key is having a strategy and successfully implementing it consistently.
For example, just a few weeks ago Todd was able to apply a combination of things he learned at a conference, networking with other data center professionals and researching topics online to improve the under floor static pressure in raised floor data centers. It took him a couple of days to dial everything in (and some time to research, of course), but his answer was being able to shut off CRAC units that were no longer necessary with the current heat load in multiple collocation areas at our building. The result: savings of an estimated $20,000 per year, plus a reduction in our current carbon footprint. As I mentioned in a previous post, don’t look for million dollar savings. Find smaller savings that will result in incremental increases in both efficiency and cost savings.
In addition to seeking knowledge (on your own or through trusted advisors), and watching for new technologies that fit your data center environment, don’t forget to look for incentives. This is one I’ll admit nearly passed us by until I was researching something totally unrelated on our electric utility company’s website. I’m still looking into the opportunities and seeing how they’ll fit our current and future plans, but I think there are some definite opportunities. Stay tuned for more on that in a future post. As always, if you have experiences to share about utility company incentives, please let me know.
Bluestone Helps MA Data Center Earn Energy Efficiency Rebate
(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Engineering service firm Bluestone Energy Services (www.bluestoneenergy.com) recently helped a biotech firm to receive incentives from the local utility for achieving energy efficiency measures in its Boston area-based data center, according to a report by DatacenterDynamics.
(Read more)
09 - 28 - 09
When our property was purchased five years ago, the building was connected to the city’s steam loop. This steam loop connected to very inefficient steam registers which heated the office spaces in the building during the colder months of the year. So, in an attempt to save money, the ownership group of 1102 GRAND installed two large cooling towers on the roof. Learn more about their affect:
To read more, download the rest of the article.
09 - 09 - 09
Companies can make a significant impact in regards to energy usage by updating old, less energy efficient equipment. Here are some ideas on how to do so in an economically affect fashion.
To read more, download the rest of the article.
08 - 26 - 09
A critical component of the space in any data center in fire suppression. To make sure your collocation equipment is safe, take a look at this article: 1102 GRAND
08 - 26 - 09
Racking and equipment options can start with the basic two-post racks or four post racks and move to the secure full and partial private cabinets. To see more information on equipment, look here: 1102 GRAND
08 - 26 - 09
Collocation room needs are different for each company, starting at a few hundred square feet for some to tens of thousands of square feet for others. Plus, some companies may prefer caged space or even private data suites. Not sure what the best fit is for you? Take a look at this article: 1102 GRAND
08 - 26 - 09
The following whitepaper presents an overview on types of collocation spaces: 1102 GRAND
08 - 25 - 09
KANSAS CITY, MO–(Marketwire – August 24, 2009) – Data centers across the U.S. are attempting to green their IT operations, and a major Midwest Internet hub and thought leader is reviewing its historic landmark building for opportunities. Data center and Internet hub 1102 GRAND is reviewing green IT solutions for their building, which is not likely to be considered truly green without LEED certification, an unlikely option for a historic landmark.
Download the whitepaper on Selecting a Data Center: Space Series Part 1
Read the full press release at Marketwire.
08 - 10 - 09
It’s no secret the economy has been tough recently and cost cutting is a natural, knee-jerk reaction during periods of economic contraction. Regardless of the industry, cutting costs can be a potentially dangerous situation if not carefully analyzed and executed. This holds true when it comes to your data management.
Think of it this way: If you change widget suppliers to reduce overhead, quality may suffer leading to increased customer returns, decreased customer satisfaction or worse yet, losing the customer and their future sales altogether. The same is true when it comes to collocation. It is imperative to remember that collocation is not a commodity, contrary to what a real estate broker representing a large tier 1 carrier recently tried unsuccessfully to convince me.
When searching for your next collocation facility, pay heed to some old adages and clichés such as “you get what you pay for” and “if it is too good to be true, it probably is.” The bottom line is that there are real costs that facility providers have to pay whether it is the cost of cabinets, cooling units, or electricity. They can only lower their price to a certain level before it becomes unprofitable. Then they either price themselves out of business or find things to cut corners on like preventative maintenance in order to stay afloat.
