Minimize server and device downtime in your data center with remote reboot smart IP power strips and intelligent power management software

Remote power management solutions provide IT professionals with the information and tools necessary to manage and maintain IT operations across geographically dispersed locations. The benefits of these tools are numerous and can offer a significant positive impact on an organization.

Minimize Downtime

As today’s organizations rely more heavily on IT infrastructure and system availability, the risk of downtime due to a server or infrastructure failure becomes an increasing concern. Recent studies show that estimated losses can reach $1.5 M per hour in manufacturing and financial organizations, and greater than $2 M per hour in other industries, such as energy and telecommunications. These numbers indicate that equipment downtime must be mitigated through all available technologies.

Remote power management products, or intelligent power solutions, reduce server downtime, outages, and losses, and shorten the Mean Time to Repair (MTTR). With traditional power management systems, when the need to perform a cold reboot arises, a third-party technician is often required. These services can cost upward of $250 per incident. Should an organization be faced with temperamental or problematic equipment, this cost can quickly rise. As remote power switch products provide outlet-level power control, in most cases, it is unnecessary to dispatch field personnel to execute a hard reboot manually. Implementing this technology can help reduce dependency on IT staff and third-party services, facilitating cost-effective lights-out operation at remote offices and branch locations.

Integrate With Data Center Management Tools

While remote power management products provide full functionality as stand-alone devices, many options allow integration with existing infrastructure management tools. These products can be easily integrated with existing KVM over IP solutions and allow power control of the same servers and devices associated with KVM equipment, providing a single interface for console access and remote power. Additionally, certain intelligent power products can also be combined with environmental monitoring devices, providing mission-critical protection by monitoring datacenter conditions such as amperage draw per circuit, humidity, temperature, and in some cases, intrusion. They can alert you automatically via SMTP/SMS/SNMP when conditions exceed established thresholds and allow IT managers to respond to any irregularities before they become larger problems quickly. Similar to the integration with KVM over IP equipment, combining remote power management products with environmental monitoring devices is a simple task and can be accomplished using a variety of products.

Leverage Advances in Power

Remote power products not only provide intelligent control of attached systems, they also allow administrators to leverage leading advances in power distribution. IT administrators and datacenter managers are increasingly using 3-Phase power in server rooms and datacenters. This trend is expected to continue to rise, as the use of power-intensive blade technology increases. While 3-Phase power technology is not exclusive to remote power management products, many solutions can accommodate it. Compared to single-phase power, 3-Phase power significantly increases available amperage into the server rack, uses fewer circuits, provides a more balanced power load, and reduces the overall number of PDUs needed to power equipment. For example, in a traditional rack environment, it would require (4) 20-amp circuits to achieve 64 amps of available power (assuming a maximum 80% load). In contrast, a 3-phase circuit can provide up to 51.6 amps per circuit, or more than 82 amps of available power, while only requiring 2 circuits (assuming a maximum 80% load).

Protect Your Equipment with Power-Up Sequencing

Often overlooked, the ability to manage how devices power up can be vital to the integrity of a power system. Power-up sequencing, or the ability to control the flow of power to each outlet, can mitigate the effects of a power failure. This technology allows you to control the sequence by which your power outlets and attached devices activate, helping prevent circuit overload, and ensuring that attached devices power-up in an appropriate sequence.

Intelligent Power Management Considerations

• Amperage requirements
• Redundant power capabilities
• Grouping outlets across circuits for dual/multi-power devices
• Monitoring of amperage and environmental factors
• Value of reducing system downtime

Power Management-only one piece of the puzzle…..

When considering data center management, intelligent power management is only one piece of the puzzle. Other key considerations include effective rack cooling, KVM console management tools, and appropriate server rack or enclosure infrastructure. The team at 42U specializes in assessing needs, creating solutions, and supporting our clients, to ensure that IT professionals maximize their use of current technologies to improve overall business performance.