Data Center Newsletter - Edition 1 - January 2009
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| January 2009 |
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Silverback Migration Solutions Datacenter Newsletter. As a datacenter engineering company, we are often able to provide insight, tips & tricks, and industry solutions that are not as common knowledge as one might expect.
In this edition we outline some key components of a rock solid "datacenter toolkit", provide some insight into the necessity of 120v power, and interview Tom Cignarella, Vice President of Operations at Clickability.
We also recently launched our new website, complete with tips and tricks from various entities around the web. www.teamsilverback.com is now a central hub for data center news, insight and solutions. Please feel free to check back often!
We understand that time is valuable, and we strive to ensure that every minute spent with Silverback is a minute well spent!
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| January 2009 |
Over the past 5 years, we have spent more money on testing the effectiveness of our tools than our budgeting committee would care to admit. We have tried 5 or 6 different brands of drill/driver combinations, different length bit extenders, toolboxes, screw types, clip nuts, cage nuts, ... ... ... the list goes on and on. What we have today, the "standard issue gorilla toolkit" is a compilation of the knowledge we have gained over the last several years. Feel free to click on the name of each tool for more information!
Most companies do not need an entire standard issue kit, but here are a few things no datacenter cage should be without:
1. Milwaukee 12v Compact Driver - pound for pound the best datacenter screw gun available. It is very lightweight, quite powerful, has 15 torque settings, and my favorite parts; an LED that comes on when the trigger is pulled, and a battery life indicator. Retail price: approximately $120.00USD
2. "Flush Cut" Nippers - an absolute requirement for cutting the ends off of zip ties. Many companies have banned zip ties from their facilities due to poorly cut zip ties that end up hurting people. Flush Cut Nippers allow you to cut the zip ties exactly flush, reducing the possibility of injury . Retail Price: under $10.00USD
3. Rubber Mallet - I can see the raised eyebrows from here. Yes, a rubber mallet. Properly used, a rubber mallet can assist in an assortment of datacenter tasks. Adjusting vertical rails for example. There are a few "not to be spoken" uses for them as well, but we won't mention those. Retail Price: under $20.00 USD
4. #2 Phillips Screwdriver Bits - Quality over quantity. #2 Phillips head screwdriver bits are one of the most important tool you will use. If you use the wrong size bit (#1 bits for example) you will strip or mushroom screws when you first install a device, and it will be nearly impossible to remove that device later. We recommend Milwaukee or Bosch brand screwdriver bits. Retail Price: Approximately $1.00USD per bit (sold in multi packs)
5. Broken Screw Extractor - See #4. We use Gator Bits. They work well in most situations. On a side note, the Milwaukee 12v Compact Driver is powerful enough to drill through mushroomed screws using the Gator Bits. Retail Price: Approximately $20.00USD
We will bring you more items from our "toolbox" as
well as helpful datacenter tips in our next issue!
Photo courtesy of Vacacion per the flickr Creative Commons license.
Data Center Power Planning
| January 2009 |
We have noticed a shift in datacenter power delivery. Many of our customers are moving towards 208v power from 120v power. While the benefits of such a change are numerous, many folks don't realize how important having a 120v circuit really is.
With the growth of technology, most of the support infrastructure is keeping pace. That said *most* items in a datacenter environment have power supplies that can run in either 120v or 208v settings. In fact of those that can operate in a wide range, most will do so automatically!
Now let us jump down the ladder...to the things that few people think about when deploying a datacenter. During a recent installation, Silverback was installing a slew of equipment, all into cabinets outfitted with dual 208v circuits. The customer had thought of everything, including getting the adaptors from a C14 power strip plug to a NEMA5-15R (standard household plug) so they could plug in their laptops.
Everything was going quite well, until the screwdriver battery died. Using a C14/NEMA5-15 adaptor, they plugged in the Milwaukee battery charger. Thirty seconds later after a loud pop and some smoke, all of the network equipment started to beep. The drill charger was only rated for 120v, not 208v. It popped the circuit breaker and took down an entire PDU.
With that little bit of excitement, we started checking the power bricks on other non-server hardware. The cordless phone, the DSL modem for the out of band (OOB) network, cell phone chargers, the label maker, all of these things were rated for 120v power.
The customer ordered a new circuit to be delivered a few days later, and the facility was nice enough to lend us an extension cord and PDU until then. You may not be so lucky. Make sure you are aware of the power settings required by your equipment, and ensure you have the proper power available.
