Console Manager
July 30, 2010
Recent research proves that data center power usage will be the top concern facing IT professionals over the next few years, increasing the need for remote power management solutions such as remote console servers.  Just five years ago, the average power required for a single rack PDU was 2 – 3 kilowatts.  With additional power now needed for memory and storage and the increasing density of the equipment being packed into each rack, that average has risen to the 5 – 7 kilowatt range.
While focusing on data center power design, IT managers must examine the cooling factors. Consider that one PDU rack that consumes 24 kilowatts of power requires about 78,000 BTUs, of cooling capacity. Â And in light of the fact that power and cooling costs are escalating, IT managers must assess equipment efficiency as a critical component of their decision process.
Most vendors who supply data-center PDUs (power distribution units) and UPS (uninterrupted power supplies) offer systems that can be outfitted to deliver 25% to 50% of total capacity. Â As the needed level of power increases, additional PDUs can be easily installed without adding floor space or creating downtime. Â The power delivery chain (including circuits, emergency power and generation) must be able to adequately support the power delivery chain.
Instead of initially installing a fully loaded PDU-UPS combination, IT managers should consider deploying two or more sparsely configured units while keeping future expansion in the equation. It will initially require more floor space and operating capital, but the data center’s upgrade path will be more clearly defined and downtime will be minimized.
Also to be considered is a switch from AC to DC-powered console servers and storage. The typical AC to DC-power supply found in most servers is 70% to 80% efficient, which means that 20% to 30% of every watt delivered produces nothing but heat. So not only are businesses paying for the wasted electricity to run the equipment, but they’re also paying for the electricity to cool the heat produced by that wasted electricity.  While IT professionals are AC-savvy, they know relatively little about DC power, so any plan to implement a DC-powered data center should include retraining costs.
I found your resource via Google on Saturday while searching for server rack cooling and your post regarding LWFX » Console Manager looked very interesting to me. I just wanted to write to say that you have a great site and a wonderful resource for all to share.
Your site looks very interesting and informative! I found your blog via Yahoo while searching for server rack cooling and your post regarding LWFX » Console Manager definitely captured my attention. I have seen many other so-called sites and they have been far from good quality.Your site has all the key ingredients to pulling in visitors.
On Saturday while searching for server rack cooling, your post regarding LWFX » Console Manager came up. Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you for a great resource.There is nothing else like your site on the net today. My friends are just going to love this site once I let them kw about it.