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Technology Industry

Firm favors switched PDUs: high rate of failure led real estate company to new solution for its data centers

Communications News, Sept, 2007

Increasing power densities, combined with enhanced product functionality, have created strong demand for cabinet power-distribution units (PDUs) within today's data centers. The type and amount of power delivered to the cabinet can greatly affect costs, cooling efficiency, redundancy and future expansion plans within these facilities. At Colliers Turley Martin Tucker (CTMT), a full-service commercial real estate firm, implementing switched PDUs was necessary in order to service and support its data center customers,

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CTMT handles more than $4 billion in annual real estate transactions and manages in excess of 140 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space. CTMT has more than 1,100 associates throughout its regional offices in Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis; St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo.; Minneapolis/St. Paul; and Nashville, Tenn.

When CTMT took over the management of data centers in St. Louis and Tempe, Ariz., however, they were already populated with racks and PDUs. Since CTMT wanted to keep things uniform, the same PDUs were also used for all new installations.

Generally, the CTMT staff thoroughly tests each PDU prior to installation. Each site is equipped with a custom-built test station, and has written and approved testing and configuration procedures for each type of PDU in use. This practice, however, was not in place during the initial build-out of these data centers.

"We have always used cabinet PDUs, but previously used other brands, which caused reliability issues," says Chris Wanger, CTMT data center manager.

CTMT began to notice a high rate of failure in the PDUs they were receiving, Wanger says. Additionally, after only a couple years of service in the data center environment, PDUs began failing in the cabinets, with numerous and varied types of failures. "It was clear that changes had to be made," he adds.

LEGACY PROBLEMS REMAIN

"We are still dealing with problems related to the other manufacturer's PDUs," explains Wanger. "For instance, on an eight-outlet PDU, we have to schedule downtime with sometimes several different equipment owners to enable us to change the PDU. Some PDUs have outlets that powered themselves off and will not allow them to be turned back on."

CTMT's critical-facilities team, directed by John Scheer, who manages data centers in St. Louis, Tempe, Ariz., Orlando, Fla., Cincinnati, Toronto and the United Kingdom, says critical factors when specifying IT equipment for data centers include reliability and functionality, with strong customer support and service. This belief led CTMT to search out vendors capable of delivering high-quality products that provide unique technical advantages and solutions.

The CTMT staff researched new alternatives from numerous PDU manufacturers, with a number of evaluation units tested. Server Technology (STI) offered all the options that CTMT thought it would need in a PDU, Wanger says, including a customizable product.

During installation, a laptop computer is used, along with the native Hyperterm application, to access the Server Technology integral user interface. "The ServerTech PDU software provides more than enough critical information to the user, all through the simplistic Hyperterm application," explains Wanger.

A secure Web-based, IP-enabled interface is available, allowing both in-band and out-of-band communications with the PDU. The IP-based communication protocols include HTTP, HTTPS, Telnet and SSH. Other communication tools include LDAP, LDAPS, TACACS+, DHCP and a serial interface.

"Our St. Louis and Tempe sites have 250 to 300 standard racks each," Wanger says. "Both sites have a 30-inch raised floor, 36,000 square feet each, and both sites are capable of providing either 120 or 208 VAC, static or non-static power. In all cases, we try to primarily use 208 VAC, unless certain equipment requires 120. On all multicorded equipment, each power supply can be traced all the way back to different UPS units, providing complete redundancy. We monitor and record power all the way to the individual equipment cords."

A couple of years ago, CTMT began using STI's Sentry switched cabinet distribution units (CDU), which come in both single- and dual-fed power configurations, in order to solve the problem of employees completely bypassing the Facilities team by installing and plugging in equipment. Often, this meant the equipment was plugged in incorrectly, creating extra work, because once they are discovered, an outage is required to make corrections. With switched STI PDUs, unused outlets are turned off so the facilities personnel must be present during all new installations, allowing direct supervision of the installation, including which power sources and outlets are utilized for any new equipment.

LEAD TIME REDUCED

When customers decide to install new hardware, and their requests must be supported in a timely fashion. With CTMT's previous PDU supplier, the average lead time was five weeks, and in several instances, orders were delayed six to seven months. Since switching to STI PDUs, Wanger says, CTMT has not had a lead time greater than seven days.

Technology Industry

Firm favors switched PDUs: high rate of failure led real estate company to new solution for its data centers

Communications News, Sept, 2007

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