ATS – Another Layer of Automated Redundancy

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Randal Kohutek

Data102 has numerous layers of redundancy at every level of infrastructure. Nowhere is this more evident than the power supply and cooling systems. Obviously, without power, servers are just expensive paper weights damaging your business and productivity. And without proper cooling, the hardware is at risk. With that in mind, Data102 has an elaborate system of checks and balances, controls, and monitoring systems like power distribution units, uninterrupted power supplies, and a redundant pump system, among many other systems, ensuring that every piece of hardware in our datacenter keeps running no matter what happens on the outside. A vital component of the power system is automatic transfer switches.

ATSs—Proactive Power Protection

The job of an automatic transfer switch (ATS) is to monitor the electricity powering the datacenter and to transfer power from one power source to another should the need arise. The transfer switch detects inconsistencies or outages coming from public utilities, for example, and will switch power to our generators if necessary. This has been especially necessary during periods of rolling brownouts where power levels drop significantly, causing major problems for large electrical systems. ATSs can also detect shorts or interruptions within the building or datacenter itself.

In order for an ATS to transfer power to the generators, they have to be on. The automatic transfer switches activate the generators as necessary before switching over. Once the generators are producing sufficient power, the transfer switch will make the jump almost instantaneously—within 100 milliseconds. This transfer is so fast that the servers do not experience a power loss.

Since ATSs monitor the power system at all times, they can send notifications to our technicians as soon as problems arise. In addition, every Saturday our ATSs fire the generators to make sure everything is working properly and that the generators are producing good, clean power. A report is then made available to our technicians to ensure our backup systems will be ready to go at a millisecond’s notice.

The Safest Datacenter in Southern Colorado

Data102 has put all of these controls in place to guarantee 99.9999% uptime to all of our customers. Be assured that your servers will be up, functioning safely, and protected in the state-of-the-art datacenter at Data102. This assurance is what has made us southern Colorado’s leading colocation and managed hosting solution. Give us a call today to find out more about our infrastructure and services.

Even More Redundancy with Uninterrupted Power Supplies

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Randal Kohutek

Above all else, the job of a datacenter is to keep servers powered at all times, regardless of external complications caused by public utilities, weather, hardware malfunctions, or other unforeseeable interruptions.

Every aspect of the power infrastructure at Data102 is backed up by redundant, monitored systems that ensure your servers stay up at all times. One of the primary systems we have in place is an uninterrupted power supply.

How UPSs Keep Our Servers Running

Every strip delivering power to the servers in our cabinets is connected to an uninterrupted power supply (UPS). These UPS units monitor the power coming from Colorado Springs Utilities, convert the electricity coming in from AC to DC, and charge the battery banks, after which the power is converted back to AC. This process cleans up the power, removing power spikes or dips before it is delivered to our clients.

The UPS also protects against brownouts—rolling reductions of power. When a brownout is detected, the UPS supplements the power coming in with in-house batteries. If a more serious power outage occurs, the UPS will switch to backup generators almost instantaneously.

The monitor also provides reports and controls for our technicians. The UPS will notify us of any number of issues including brownouts, site transformer problems, or any other power inconsistency or outage. The controls then switch to the backup power systems to keep everything humming.

The Power of Redundant Power Supplies

Data102 is southern Colorado’s leading colocation and managed service solution because of our redundant power supply systems, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and superior technical support. Don’t put the productivity, revenue, and reputation of your company in jeopardy. Entrust your servers to a datacenter that has a proven record of service and 99.9% uptime. Give us a call to learn more about our datacenter and the services we offer.

Power Protection

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Randal Kohutek

Strong monitoring and redundancy systems are vital for datacenters because our job is to keep your servers safe, efficient, and, above all, running. While there are many layers of redundancy and advanced monitoring systems throughout the datacenter, perhaps the most important are those of the electrical system.

Power loss, power spikes, and inefficiencies can all lead to major problems. Thanks to our redundant power system and end of row PDUs, Data102 has you protected.

End of Row PDUs
Power distribution units (PDUs) are used at the end of each row of cabinets to monitor the electrical systems and deliver power. These PDUs deliver power via overhead power cables, which travel through designated ladder racks and power troughs above each cabinet. Once the appropriate cabinet is reached, the power is delivered to redundant vertical power strips, which in turn power the servers. The end of row PDUs are connected to Data102’s UPS (battery banks and generators), ensuring no loss of power or interruption of service to our client’s equipment.

The functionality of end of row PDUs allows our technician to carefully monitor the power usage of each breaker delivering power to the power strips in every cabinet. The PDUs also allow Data102 technicians to balance the electrical load per power leg, helping to prevent wasted power and additional heat. This balance is performed during the initial installation of our client’s equipment. End of row PDUs report on usage and other details about each active circuit to our clients, as well as the power delivered from our UPS. These reports allow Data102 to watch for potential power issues.

In addition to just delivering power, PDUs are more efficient than breaker panels. They monitor and alert us to unsafe conditions and are safer and more secure than traditional panels. We have multiple PDUs running on each floor of our Colorado Springs datacenter to ensure true redundancy in power delivery.

Southern Colorado’s Leading Datacenter

Data102 takes the safety and efficiency of your servers seriously, which is why we have put in so many layers of protection and redundancy. We view each server colocated in our datacenter like it’s our own and do everything possible to keep your servers active 100% of the time. Come take a tour of our datacenter to see the systems we’ve put in place to provide superior colocation and managed hosting services.

The Power Is In Your Hands With PDUs

Posted on August 15, 2014 by Randal Kohutek

If you’ve ever tripped a breaker and lost power at your home, you know how disruptive it can be. However, once you’ve found your breaker and restored power, the inconvenience is generally over. With expensive electronics—like servers—drawing too much power can be much more problematic.

Powering a server is not as simple as plugging the cord into an outlet. While servers do use standard plugs, they draw a lot of power. When grouped together on a single circuit, the amperage can shoot through the roof. Without proper monitoring and controls, elevated power use may trip the breaker, fry the power strip, or even damage or destroy your servers. In some cases, a power strip may be pulling too much power but not enough to trip the breaker, which can lead to serious hardware problems. No matter what the cause, offline servers could lead to missed sales and internal disruption for your employees.

Fortunately, Data102 offers Power Distribution Units (PDUs) to keep your servers safe.

PDU Options
Every client purchasing colocation space from Data102 is given the option to lease two 24-outlet APC power strips. This A/B redundancy ensures that the any single power failure will not affect your duel fed equipment. However, the basic models do not provide any information about power usage. For that Data102 offers two systems that provide added levels of information and control:

Metered PDU — A metered PDU includes an LED monitor that displays the power usage of the whole unit. These reports will indicate if the PDU is drawing too much power overall. From this your technical support staff will then have a better idea of how to address any issue that may arise.
Switched Rack PDU — The most advanced option is a switched rack PDU. These units monitor and control each outlet individually. This level of granularity provides detailed information on all power usage throughout the strip. Additionally outlets may be remotely power cycled, saving your IT staff a lot of time and hassle.
Power Solutions from Data102
The technical support staff at Data102 has years of experience with server maintenance and safety. We have seen firsthand the consequences of ignoring server power usage. Don’t put your servers at risk. Contact us today about to find out more about PDUs and what Data102 can do to protect your equipment and your business.