APC White Paper Podcast

System planning is the Achilles' heel of a data center physical infrastructure project. Planning mistakes can magnify and propagate through later deployment phases, resulting in delays, cost overruns, wasted time, and ultimately a compromised system. Much of the trouble can be eliminated by viewing system planning as a data flow model, with an orderly sequence of tasks that progressively transform and refine information from initial concept to final design.

System planning is the Achilles' heel of a data center physical infrastructure project. Planning mistakes can magnify and propagate through later deployment phases, resulting in delays, cost overruns, wasted time, and ultimately a compromised system. Much of the trouble can be eliminated by viewing system planning as a data flow model, with an orderly sequence of tasks that progressively transform and refine information from initial concept to final design.

As the design and deployment of data center physical infrastructure moves away from art and move toward science, the benefits of a standardized and predictable process are becoming compelling. Beyond the ordering, delivery, and installation of hardware, any build or upgrade project depends critically upon a well-defined process as insurance against surprises, cost overruns, delays, and frustration. This paper presents an overview of a standardized, step-by-step process methodology that can be adapted and configured to suit individual requirements.

A Quantitative Comparison of High Efficiency AC vs DC Power Distribution for Data Centers (#127)

Cooling Strategies for Ultra-High Density Racks and Blade Servers

Increasing Data Center Efficiency by Using Improved High Density Power Distribution

Alternatives for providing electrical power to high density racks in Data Centers and Network Rooms are explained and compared. Issues addressed include quantity of feeds, single-phase vs. three-phase, number and location of circuit breakers, overload, selection of plug types, selection of voltage, redundancy, and loss of redundancy. The need for the rack power system to adapt to changing requirements is identified and quantified. Guidelines are defined for rack power systems that can reliably deliver power to high density loads while adapting to changing needs.

Many of the mysteries of equipment failure, downtime, software and data corruption, are often the result of a problematic supply of power. There is also a common problem with describing power problems in a standard way. This white paper will describe the most common types of power disturbances, what can cause them, what they can do to your critical equipment, and how to safeguard your equipment, using the IEEE standards for describing power quality problems.

This Technical Note discusses many common misunderstandings about the function of the neutral wire and its relation to power problems. The subjects of dedicated lines, phase reversal, isolation transformers, and grounding are addressed. Various myths are described and criticized.

Well-informed accounting treatment of Network-Critical Physical Infrastructure (NCPI) assets provides significant opportunities to contribute to improving the financial performance of a business, institution, or organization. Design and manufacturing improvements in modular, scalable UPS systems, power distribution units (PDUs), and computer room air conditioners have not only created technological benefits, but provide entirely new NCPI asset management opportunities with direct and measurable financial benefits.