One of the findings of Uptime Institute’s recently published report Annual outage analysis 2020 is that the most serious categories of outages — those that cause a significant disruption in services — are becoming more severe and more costly. This isn’t entirely surprising: individuals and businesses alike are becoming ever more dependent on IT, and it is […]
Over the past few weeks, Uptime Institute held multiple customer roundtables to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 virus on data center operations and potential operational responses to its spread. We gathered our communities insights and best practices, we combined with our own 25 years worth of infrastructure operational management knowledge and we are now […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/GettyImages-1212420405-blog.jpg10672667Sandra Vailhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngSandra Vail2020-03-17 06:00:572020-03-17 09:44:54COVID-19: IT organizations move from planning to implementation
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/GettyImages-1069169304-blog.jpg10002700Rhonda Asciertohttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngRhonda Ascierto2020-03-09 06:00:132020-03-03 13:27:51Infographic: Data Center Industry Staffing and Gender Diversity in 2020
As enterprises continue to move from a focus on capital expenditures to operating expenditures, more data center components will also be consumed on a pay-as-you-go, “as a service” basis. “-aaS” goes mainstream The trend toward everything “as a service” (XaaS) is now mainstream in IT, ranging from cloud (infrastructure-aaS) and software-aaS (SaaS) to newer offerings, […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/GettyImages-1187121207-blog.jpg10002700Rhonda Asciertohttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngRhonda Ascierto2020-03-02 06:01:122020-02-28 15:23:13Pay-as-you-go model spreads to critical components
Despite years of discussion, warnings and strict regulations in some countries, data center hot work remains a contentious issue in the data center industry. Hot work is the practice of working on energized electrical circuits (voltage limits differ regionally) — and it is usually done, in spite of the risks, to reduce the possibility of […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Energized-hot-work-cropped-blog.jpg11983242Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2020-02-24 05:30:402020-02-14 15:34:41Phasing Out Data Center Hot Work
Uptime Institute Intelligence plans to release its 2019/2020 outages report shortly. This report will examine the types, causes and impacts of public outages, as well as further analyze the results of a recent Uptime survey on outages and impacts. The data will once again show that serious IT service interruptions are common and costly, with […]
Hardware refresh is the process of replacing older, less efficient servers with newer, more efficient ones with more compute capacity. However, there is a complication to the refresh cycle that is relatively recent: the slowing down of Moore’s law. There is still a very strong case for savings in energy when replacing servers that are […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/GettyImages-1017644632-50.jpg9952591Rabih Bashroushhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngRabih Bashroush2020-01-27 05:45:542020-01-27 09:59:00Optimizing server refresh cycles with an aging Moore’s law
Energy use by data centers and IT will continue to rise, putting pressure on energy infrastructure and raising questions about carbon emissions. The drivers for more energy use are simply too great to be offset by efficiency gains. Drivers Demand for digital services has seen sustained, exceptional growth over the past few years — and […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/GettyImages-1096717338-blog.jpg17624775Rabih Bashroushhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngRabih Bashroush2020-01-06 06:00:422019-12-19 11:12:47Data center energy use goes up and up and up
In her book “Surveillance Capitalism,” the Harvard scholar Shoshana Zuboff describes how some software and service providers have been collecting vast amounts of data, with the goal of tracking, anticipating, shaping and even controlling the behavior of individuals. She sees it as a threat to individual freedom, to business and to democracy. Zuboff outlines the […]
Separating production and non-production assets should be an operational requirement for most organizations. By definition, production assets support high-priority IT loads — servers that are critical to a business or business unit. In most organizations, IT will have sufficient discretion to place these assets where they have redundant power supplies, sufficient cooling and high levels of […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Separationj.jpg12403387Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2019-11-04 06:00:082019-10-21 10:23:36Non-production IT can hinder mission-critical operations
One of the most widely cited metrics in the IT industry is for availability, expressed in the form of a number of nines: three nines for 99.9% availability (minutes of downtime per year), extending to six nines — 99.9999% — or even, very rarely, seven nines. What this should mean in practice is show in […]
Regulation of Internet giants has focused so far mostly on data privacy, where concerns are relatively well understood by lawmakers and the general public. At the same time, the threat of antitrust action is growing. Congressional hearings in the US with Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google have begun, and governments in Europe, India and elsewhere […]
In the movie “Mary Poppins,” Mr. Banks sings that a British bank must be run with precision, and that “Tradition, discipline and rules must be the tools.” Otherwise, he warns, “Disorder! Chaos!” will ensue. One rule, introduced by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in 2018, suggests that disorder and chaos might be quite common […]
A previous Uptime Intelligence Note suggested that avoiding data center outages might be as simple as trying harder. The Note suggested that management failures are the main reason that enterprises continue to experience downtime incidents, even in fault tolerant facilities. “The Intelligence Trap,” a new book by David Robson, sheds light on why management mistakes continue to […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Blog-Part-Deux.jpg9802643Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2019-10-07 06:15:142019-09-23 10:16:41How to Avoid Outages - Part Deux
Uptime Institute has spent years analyzing the roots causes for data center and service outages, surveying thousands of IT professionals throughout the year on this topic. According to the data, the vast majority of data center failures are caused by human error. Some industry experts report numbers as high as 75%, but Uptime Institute generally reports […]
In the recently published 2019 Uptime Institute supplier survey, participants told us they are witnessing higher than normal data center spending patterns. This is in line with general market trends, driven by the demand for data and digital services. It is also a welcome sign for those suppliers who witnessed a downturn two to three […]
Uptime Institute has long argued that, although it may take many years, the long-term trend is toward a high level of automation in the data center, covering many functions that most managers currently would not trust to machines or outside programmers. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have made this seem more likely. (For more […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/BLOG-MM.jpg8012202Rhonda Asciertohttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngRhonda Ascierto2019-09-02 08:00:322019-08-19 15:29:41The Evolving Data Center Management Maturity Model, A Quick Update
Today, the role that the physical data center plays in software-defined data centers, particularly facility design and operational management, is often overlooked. However, this is likely to change. As more networking and compute becomes virtualized and flexible, so too must data center resources, in order to achieve maximum agility and efficiency. To virtualize only IT […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/DCIM-BLOG.jpg6931874Rhonda Asciertohttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngRhonda Ascierto2019-08-26 09:00:482019-08-19 15:24:53DCIM as a Hub: Integrations Make all the difference
Uptime Institute’s Annual outage analysis, published early this year, called attention to the persistent problem of IT service and data center outages. Coupled with our annual survey data on outages, the analysis explains, to a degree, why investments to date have not greatly reduced the outage problem — at least from an end-to-end service view. Gathering […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/GOA-chart-2.7aspect.jpg10002700Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2019-08-19 09:00:032019-08-19 15:20:06IT Outages in the Airline Industry, A New Report by the GAO
An artificial intelligence (AI) strategy for data center management and operation requires more than just data and some very smart humans. Selecting specific use cases and understanding the types of data that influence AI outcomes — and then validating those outcomes — will be key if the needs of the business are to be met. […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/GettyImages-1135342603-blog.jpg18414928Rhonda Asciertohttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngRhonda Ascierto2019-08-12 08:00:442019-11-18 08:49:50Data center AI: Start with the end in mind
In our October 2018 report, A mission-critical industry unprepared for climate change, Uptime Institute Intelligence urged data center operators and owners to plan for the effects of climate change. We specifically encouraged data center owners and operators to meet with government officials and utility executives to learn about local and regional disaster preparation and response plans. […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/carr-fire-gty-er-180731_hpMain-999x375.png373989Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2019-07-29 08:00:292019-07-07 06:18:23PG&E Turns Power Off (a.k.a. Climate Change and the Data Center)
It is still very early days, but it is clear that artificial intelligence (AI) is set to transform the way data centers are designed, managed and operated — eventually. There has been a lot of misrepresentation and hype around AI, and it’s not always clear how it will be applied, and when. The Uptime Institute […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/AI-2.jpg25877158Rhonda Asciertohttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngRhonda Ascierto2019-07-15 08:15:032019-07-07 06:17:22Artificial Intelligence in the Data Center: Myth versus Reality
Recently I attended the Data Center Dynamics (DCD) Smart Energy conference in Stockholm. During a panel discussion on energy, data centers and innovation, David Hall (Senior Director of Technology Innovation for Equinix) made two observations, almost in passing, about metrics and monitoring. Both were intriguing and, to my ears, suggested that operators’ thinking about sustainability […]
Sometimes it can be hard to get people to talk about their issues — other times, it can be hard to keep them quiet. A recent Uptime Institute Network member’s meeting began as an open discussion but was soon dominated by one issue: data center staffing. The members’ concerns reflect the growing disquiet in the […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/SKILLS-SHORTAGE.jpg9762375Sandra Vailhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngSandra Vail2019-05-22 09:00:482019-05-10 15:03:44The Data Center Staffing and Skills Shortage is here NOW!
One of the more intriguing results of the Uptime Institute Global Data Center Survey 2019 concerned energy efficiency. For years, data centers have become ever more efficient, with power usage effectiveness (PUE) ratings across the industry (apparently) falling. Big operators, such as hyperscale cloud companies and big colos, regularly claim annual or design PUE figures […]
Avoiding IT service outages is a big concern for any operator or service provider, especially one providing a business-critical service. But when an outage does occur, the business impact can vary from “barely noticeable” to “huge and expensive.” Anticipating and modeling the impact of a service interruption should be a part of incident planning and is key […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Outage-red-image.jpg5201371Andy Lawrencehttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngAndy Lawrence2019-05-08 09:00:322019-05-10 15:21:27Comparing the severity of IT service outages: Uptime Institute's Outage Severity Rating
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in data centers to drive up efficiencies and drive down risks and costs. But it also creates new types of risks. This is one of the findings from a recent Uptime Intelligence research report #25, “Very smart data centers: How artificial intelligence will power operational decisions”, published in April […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/DATACENTER-AI.jpg10862385Rhonda Asciertohttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngRhonda Ascierto2019-04-22 10:28:142019-04-22 10:46:13Data Center AI (Artificial Intelligence) Creates New Risks
The 1970s-era environmental phrase “Think globally, act locally,” is an apt way for data center operators to consider the best approach to understand and address the effects of climate change on their facilities and IT operations TODAY. Globally, we all hear that climate change threatens to bring warmer temperatures, stronger storms, rising sea levels, and […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Flooding-Hurricane-ClimateChange-851x360.jpg390851Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2019-01-16 15:13:322019-01-16 15:13:32"Think Globally, Act Locally": Re-Evaluating Data Center Resiliency in the Face of Climate Change
This is a guest post written by Brett Ridley, Head of Central Operations and Facility Management for NEXTDC.NEXTDC is Australia’s leading independent data centre operator with a nationwide network of Uptime Institute certified Tier III and Tier IV facilities. NEXTDC provides enterprise-class colocation services to local and international organisations. If you are interested in participating in […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NextDC-B2-night_851x360.jpg360851Brett Ridleyhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngBrett Ridley2018-09-27 13:58:492019-04-22 10:54:43NEXTDC: Obsessed with the details so our customers' business is always available
We’ve entered an era where our IT infrastructures are now becoming a compilation of capacity that is spread out and running upon a wide range of platforms; some we completely control, some we control partially and some we don’t control at all. No longer should our IT services discussions start with ‘And in the data center […]
On April 24th, Uptime Institute CTO, Chris Brown, participated in an “Ask the Expert” session on Data Center Infrastructure Management with BrightTALK senior content manager Kelly Harris. The 45-minute session covered topics ranging from best practices of a well-run data center to a list of the most common data center issues Uptime Institute’s global consultant […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ask-the-expert2.png360851Travis Pearlhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngTravis Pearl2018-05-11 16:53:162018-11-20 10:53:16“Ask the Expert”: Data Center Management Q&A with Uptime Institute CTO, Chris Brown
Hazards include server damage from loud noise during discharge of inert gas fire suppression systems By Kevin Heslin, with contributions from Scott Good and Pitt Turner A downtime incident in Europe has rekindled interest in a topic that never seems more than a spark away from becoming a heated discussion. In that incident, the accidental […]
Uptime Institute recently published “Top Considerations for Addressing Data Center Facilities Management Risks,” a guide for reducing data center risks in enterprise IT organizations . The guide comprises 14 top considerations useful for designing and running an enterprise-grade data center facilities management program. The full guide is available for download on the Uptime Institute website. […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Uptime_Institute_Top_Considerations_for_Addressing_Facility_.gif241600Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2017-06-13 08:22:012017-06-13 08:22:01Top Considerations for Addressing Data Center Facilities Management Risks
Nearly perfect M&O Stamp of Approval scores prove that NRI’s data centers operations are world class By Kevin Heslin Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. (NRI), a ¥18 billion ($US169 million) company that provides consulting, financial IT solutions, industrial IT solutions, and IT platform services mainly to a global financial marketplace, has earned Uptime Institute Management and […]
New diesel formulations put your generators at risk By Bernard Oegema, Pat Smyth, Brian Ponstein, William “Bill” Klein, and Martin Wesolowski The increased use of biodiesel has increased the risk to the diesel infrastructure of data centers and other facilities first noted with the adoption of ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD) in 2006. The U.S. Environmental […]
Tier Certification of Operational Sustainability enhances ENTEL’s services to customers By Kevin Heslin ENTEL began operations in 1964 as a provider of national and international long distance telephone services to companies in Chile. Today it is a consolidated provider of integrated telecommunication services and information technologies services, meeting the needs of corporations and large companies […]
Senior facility manager calls achieving Tier Certification of Operational Sustainability “a dream” By Kevin Heslin The New South Wales (NSW) Department of Finance, Services and Innovation (DFSI) is a government service provider and regulator for the southeastern Australian state. DFSI supports many government functions, including sustainable government finances, major public works and maintenance programs, government […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Unknown.jpeg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2017-01-03 09:29:212017-01-03 09:30:32When an Australian Government Department Required Operational Sustainability, Metronode Delivered
Uptime Institute recently awarded its Efficient IT (EIT) Stamp of Approval to LinkedIn for its new data center in Infomart Portland, signaling that the modern new facility had exceeded extremely high standards for enterprise leadership, operations, and computing infrastructure. These standards are designed to help organizations lower costs and increase efficiency, and leverage technology for […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/linkedinfinal.jpg4751200Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2016-12-08 08:12:292018-07-12 08:56:17LinkedIn’s Oregon Data Center Goes Live, Gains EIT Stamp of Approval
Uptime Institute has prepared this brief airline outages FAQ to help the industry, media, and general public understand the reasons that data centers fail. The failure of a power control module on Monday, August 8, 2016, at a Delta Airlines data center caused hundreds of flight cancellations, inconvenienced thousands of customers, and cost the airline […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/delta1.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2016-11-28 12:44:412016-11-28 12:44:41Airline Outages FAQ: How to Keep Your Company Out of the Headlines
Wearable technology and digitized operating procedures ensure compliance with standardized practices and provide quick access to critical information By Jose Ruiz No one in the data center industry questions that data center outages are extremely costly. Numerous vendors report that the average data center outage costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, with losses in some […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/wearables.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2016-10-24 10:25:162016-10-25 11:16:16Bulky Binders and Operations “Experts” Put Your Data Center at Risk
After commercial DCIM offerings failed to meet RELX Group’s requirements, the team built its own DCIM tool based on the existing IT Services Management Suite By Stephanie Singer What is DCIM? Most people might respond “data center infrastructure management.” However, simply defining the acronym is not enough. The meaning of DCIM is greatly different for […]
In July 2016, Yuval Bachar, principal engineer, Global Infrastructure Architecture and Strategy at LinkedIn announced Open19, a project spearheaded by the social networking service to develop a new specification for server hardware based on a common form factor. The project aims to standardize the physical characteristics of IT equipment, with the goal of cutting costs […]
FORTRUST regards management and operations as a core competency that helps it win new clients and control capital and operating expenses Shortly after receiving word that FORTRUST had earned Uptime Institute’s Tier Certification for Operational Sustainability (Gold) for Phase 7 of its Denver data center, Rob McClary, the company’s executive vice president and general manager, […]
Oil exploration and drilling require HPC By Issa A. Riyani and Nacianceno L. Mendoza Saudi Aramco’s Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Computer Center (ECC) is a three-story data center built in 1982. It is located in Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It provides computing capability to the company’s geologists, geophysicists, and petroleum engineers to enable them […]
Operations teams use the Uptime Institute Network’s Abnormal Incident Reports (AIRs) database to enrich site knowledge, enhance preventative maintenance, and improve preparedness By Ron Davis The AIRs system is one of the most valuable resources available to Uptime Institute Network members. It comprises more than 5,000 data center incidents and errors spanning two decades of […]
Peer-based critiques drive continuous improvement, identify lurking data center vulnerabilities By Kevin Heslin Shared information is one of the distinctive features of the Uptime Institute Network and its activities. Under non-disclosure agreements, Network members not only share information, but they also collaborate on projects of mutual interest. Uptime Institute facilitates the information sharing and helps […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/lurkingtop.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2016-06-30 07:23:422016-07-01 08:24:59Identifying Lurking Vulnerabilities in the World’s Best-Run Data Centers
The team approach helped the Bank earn Uptime Institute’s M&O Stamp of Approval By Matt Stansberry The Bank of Canada is the nation’s central bank. The Bank acts as the fiscal agent of the Canadian government, managing its public debt programs and foreign exchange reserves and setting its monetary policy. It also designs, issues, and […]
How insights from Tier Certification of Constructed Facilities avoids unforeseen costs and errors for all new projects By Kevin Heslin Uptime Institute’s Tier Classification System has been a part of the data center industry lexicon for 20 years. Since its creation in the mid-1990s, the system has evolved into the global standard for third-party validation […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/head.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2016-05-11 13:44:582016-05-11 13:53:25Avoid Failure and Delay on Capital Projects: Lessons from Tier Certification
Vantage Data Centers certifies design, facility, and operational sustainability at its Quincy, WA site By Mark Johnson In February 2015, Vantage Data Centers earned Tier III Gold Certification of Operational Sustainability (TCOS) from Uptime Institute for its first build at its 68-acre Quincy, WA campus. This project is a bespoke design for a customer that […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/vantagecover.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2016-01-19 08:30:402016-01-19 08:30:40Achieving Uptime Institute Tier III Gold Certification of Operational Sustainability
Meeting OSHA and NFPA 70E arc flash safety requirements while balancing prevention and production demands By Ed Rafter Uninterruptible uptime, 24 x 7, zero downtime…these are some of the terms that characterize data center business goals for IT clients. Given these demands, facility managers and technicians in the industry are skilled at managing the infrastructure that supports […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/arc.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2015-12-01 11:03:522015-12-01 11:03:52Arc Flash Mitigation in the Data Center
A statistical justification for 24×7 coverage By Richard Van Loo As a result of performing numerous operational assessments at data centers around the world, Uptime Institute has observed that staffing levels at data centers vary greatly from site to site. This observation is discouraging, but not surprising, because while staffing is an important function for […]
By Kevin Heslin and Lee Kirby Driving operational excellence across multiple data centers is exponentially more difficult than managing just one. Technical complexity multiplies as you move to different sites, regions, and countries where codes, cultures, climates, and other factors are different. Organizational complexity further complicates matters when the data centers in your portfolio have […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/herb.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2015-07-20 09:52:582015-07-22 12:42:34AIG Tells How It Raised Its Level of Operations Excellence
By Matt Stansberry and Lee Kirby Driving operational excellence across multiple data centers is exponentially more difficult than managing just one. Technical complexity multiplies as you move to different sites, regions, and countries where codes, cultures, climates and other factors are different. Organizational complexity further complicates matters when the data centers in your portfolio have […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/mo.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2015-06-18 09:54:552015-09-02 21:13:42Meeting the M&O Challenge of Managing a Diverse Data Center Footprint: John Sheputis and Don Jenkins, Infomart
Better information leads to better decisions By Jose Ruiz New tools have dramatically enhanced the ability of data center operators to base decisions regarding capacity planning and operational performance like move, adds, and changes on actual data. The combined use of modeling technologies to effectively calibrate the data center during the commissioning process and the […]
These small devices prevent accidental disconnection of mission critical gear By Scott Good Today IEC plugs are used at the rack-level PDU and the IT device. IEC plugs backing out of sockets create a significant concern, since these plugs feed UPS power to the device. In the past, twist-lock cord caps were used, but these did […]
On March 13, 2015, Data Center Knowledge published an article “ViaWest Accused of Misleading Customers in Las Vegas”. The following is excerpted from the article. ViaWest, the Shaw Communications-owned data center service provider, is being accused of misleading customers about reliability of its Las Vegas data center. Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s office has asked […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/1.jpg4751201Matt Stansberryhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngMatt Stansberry2015-03-17 11:56:222015-03-17 12:43:12Data center design goals and certification of proven achievement are not the same
Good MOPs (method of procedure) help humans manage the complexity inherent in data centers By Alfonso Aranda with Lee Kirby Data centers are complex techno–human systems. The number of interrelated and interdependent elements (including the human element) that interact in the normal operation of a data center and the large number of interactions that take […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/aranda.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2015-02-25 12:31:562015-03-11 09:41:04The Making of a Good Method of Procedure
An imminent return of service causes a top-to-bottom examination of data center facilities and operations By Rocco Alonzi and Paolo Piro When Sun Life Financial completed a return of service for its data center operations in 2011, the Enterprise Infrastructure (IE) and Corporate Real Estate (CRE) teams immediately saw an opportunity to improve service stability, […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/sunlife7.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2015-02-03 09:46:082015-02-11 14:16:59Sun Life Plots Data Center Facilities and Operations Roadmap to Meet Application Demands
Examining the scope of the challenge By David Schirmacher Digital Realty’s 127 properties cover around 24 million square feet of mission-critical data center space in over 30 markets across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, and it continues to grow and expand its data center footprint. As senior VP of operations, it’s my job to […]
The fourth annual Uptime Institute Data Center Industry Survey provides an overview of global industry trends by surveying 1,000 data center operators and IT practitioners. Uptime Institute collected responses via email February through April 2014 and presented preliminary results in May 2014 at the 9th Uptime Institute Symposium: Empowering the Data Center Professional. To immediately […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/17-header.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2014-11-21 15:56:262015-07-24 08:54:12Annual Data Center Industry Survey 2014
Pharmaceutical installs economizers in a live site to improve energy efficiency By Wayne Everett, Dean Scharffenberg, and Coleman Jones McKesson Corporation, the oldest and largest health-care services company in the United States, plays an integral role in meeting the nation’s health-care needs. McKesson is the largest pharmaceutical distributor in North America, delivering one-third of all […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/20.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2014-10-07 11:03:142014-10-07 13:23:49McKesson Retrofits Economizers in Live DC Environment
Removing heat is more effective than adding cooling By Steve Press, with Pitt Turner, IV According to Wikipedia, the term target fixation was used in World War II fighter-bomber pilot training to describe why pilots would sometimes fly into targets during a strafing or bombing run. Since then, others have adopted the term. The phenomenon […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/kaisertop.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2014-10-07 06:28:102014-10-07 07:48:17Avoid Target Fixation in the Data Center
The lack of transparency can be seen as a root cause of outages and incidents By Jason Weckworth I recently began a keynote speech at Uptime Institute Symposium 2013 by making a bold statement. As data center operators, we simply don’t share enough of our critical facilities incidents with each other. Yet Uptime Institute maintains […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/07.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2014-09-24 07:54:372014-09-24 07:54:37Data Center Outages, Incidents, and Industry Transparency
Using relevant technologies and techniques to develop an optimized system for addressing data center PQ concerns By Kuochuan Chu For years, engineers and data centers operators have implemented various strategies to improve power quality in mission-critical facilities. We have found, however, that good power quality requires a solid grounding system. By efficiently utilizing the essential […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/17.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2014-09-08 13:00:062014-09-15 11:17:12New System Combats Data Center PQ Concerns
RoHS-compliant products exacerbate the problem By Christopher Muller, Dr. Prabjit Singh, G. Henry White, and Paul Finch End users have worried about the reliability of electronic gear almost since the introduction of the circuit board. Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS), or lead-free, manufacturing regulations for electronic equipment that went into effect in 2006 only served […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/11.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2014-09-08 10:01:192014-09-15 13:48:21Solving Air Contaminant Problems in Data Centers
Details of dual-corded power change, but the theme remains the same. Uptime Institute has worked with owners and operators of data centers since the early 1990s. At the time, data center owners used single-corded IT devices for even their most critical IT assets. Figure 1 shows a selection of the many potential sources of outage […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Dual-Corded-Power.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2014-08-18 12:25:402016-10-24 10:27:14Dual-Corded Power and Fault Tolerance: Past, Present, and Future
At Symposium 2013, Erik Ko of Twitter, Hewlett-Packard’s Ken Jackson, and James Pryor of Regions Bank discussed the experience of selecting and implementing DCIM solutions from the end user perspective. The panel was moderated by Uptime Institute’s Kevin Heslin. Earlier that week, Symposium 2013 attendees heard presentations that focused on the potential for DCIM and […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/dcim.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2014-07-23 08:16:432014-07-24 06:12:59Putting DCIM to Work for You
No longer “the best kept secret” the Uptime Institute Network has gone international These interviews with Uptime Institute Network directors Rob Costa, Sylvie Le Roy, and Mozart Mello highlight the qualifications of the Uptime Institute staff working with Network members across the globe and also portray the opportunities for growth and need for the Network […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/network.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2014-07-21 06:15:142014-07-21 06:15:14Uptime Institute Network Activities Around the Globe
An Uptime Institute survey reveals that best practices and preparation pay dividends In late October 2012, Superstorm Sandy tore through the Caribbean and up the east coast of the U.S., killing over a hundred, leaving millions without power and causing billions of dollars in damage. In the aftermath of the storm, Uptime Institute surveyed data […]
Step-by-step guide to data center cooling best practices will help data center managers take greater advantage of the energy savings opportunities available while providing improved cooling of IT systems The nature of data center temperature management underwent a dramatic evolution when American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) adopted new operating temperature guidelines. […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/04.jpg4751201Kevin Heslinhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngKevin Heslin2014-06-25 11:45:592014-06-25 11:45:59Implementing Data Center Cooling Best Practices
Data center operations and management are increasingly the target of codes that impact safety, communications, and economic systems. Going well beyond the guidelines laid out by NFPA 75 and 76, the new 2011 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) actually provides for regulatory oversight of mission-critical facility management. This video will provide a history of codes […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/elie2.jpg4751201Matt Stansberryhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngMatt Stansberry2014-06-24 08:57:392015-07-13 13:11:23Code mandates for data center operations
In 2013, Barclays removed 9,124 physical servers from its data centers globally, winning Uptime Institute’s Server Roundup competition for the second year running. This effort is part of a server footprint reduction across the entire company. The organization reaped significant cost benefits, but this project has also reduced risk and complexity, providing Barclays’ internal IT […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/25.jpg4751201Matt Stansberryhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngMatt Stansberry2014-06-18 13:40:172014-06-18 13:40:17Server Decommissioning as a Discipline: Paul Nally, Barclays
Cleaning up your act: A guide to exhaust standards By Lamont Fortune, PE, United Health Group Are your diesel generators used strictly for emergency or non-emergency purposes? Your answer to this question will tell you just how clean your diesel exhaust has to be by 2015 (and as early as 2014) as far as the […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/011.jpg4751201Matt Stansberryhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngMatt Stansberry2014-05-19 10:54:402014-06-18 10:28:20Diesel exhaust after treatment for data centers
Don’t pit man against machine By Charles Selkirk, ATD While data centers in Southern Africa utilize world-class designs and construction techniques, ongoing operational sustainability models struggle to attract and retain sufficient qualified and motivated personnel, in part due to the lack of recognition of the importance of their work (unless something goes wrong!). The Uptime […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/31.jpg4751201Matt Stansberryhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngMatt Stansberry2014-05-16 04:10:222014-06-27 07:37:06How business practices can impair data center availability
Excel is the basis of a surprisingly simple visual tool to document underfloor conditions By Chad Beery, ATD Engineers regularly employ pictures and drawings to communicate design ideas. They sketch on whiteboards during a meeting, talk with their hands and sometimes even sketch on the back of napkins. In fact, the deliverables produced by design […]
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/29.jpg4751201Matt Stansberryhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UI_logo_blue_240x88.pngMatt Stansberry2014-05-08 08:12:112017-12-13 08:36:58Documenting Underfloor Conditions in an Operational Data Center
Are IT Infrastructure Outages Getting Longer?
/in Executive, Operations /by Andy LawrenceOne of the findings of Uptime Institute’s recently published report Annual outage analysis 2020 is that the most serious categories of outages — those that cause a significant disruption in services — are becoming more severe and more costly. This isn’t entirely surprising: individuals and businesses alike are becoming ever more dependent on IT, and it is […]
COVID-19: IT organizations move from planning to implementation
/1 Comment/in Executive, News, Operations /by Sandra VailOver the past few weeks, Uptime Institute held multiple customer roundtables to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 virus on data center operations and potential operational responses to its spread. We gathered our communities insights and best practices, we combined with our own 25 years worth of infrastructure operational management knowledge and we are now […]
Infographic: Data Center Industry Staffing and Gender Diversity in 2020
/in Executive, Operations /by Rhonda AsciertoPay-as-you-go model spreads to critical components
/in Executive, Operations /by Rhonda AsciertoAs enterprises continue to move from a focus on capital expenditures to operating expenditures, more data center components will also be consumed on a pay-as-you-go, “as a service” basis. “-aaS” goes mainstream The trend toward everything “as a service” (XaaS) is now mainstream in IT, ranging from cloud (infrastructure-aaS) and software-aaS (SaaS) to newer offerings, […]
Phasing Out Data Center Hot Work
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinDespite years of discussion, warnings and strict regulations in some countries, data center hot work remains a contentious issue in the data center industry. Hot work is the practice of working on energized electrical circuits (voltage limits differ regionally) — and it is usually done, in spite of the risks, to reduce the possibility of […]
The spectre of ransomware
/in Executive, Operations /by Andy LawrenceUptime Institute Intelligence plans to release its 2019/2020 outages report shortly. This report will examine the types, causes and impacts of public outages, as well as further analyze the results of a recent Uptime survey on outages and impacts. The data will once again show that serious IT service interruptions are common and costly, with […]
Optimizing server refresh cycles with an aging Moore’s law
/in Executive, Operations /by Rabih BashroushHardware refresh is the process of replacing older, less efficient servers with newer, more efficient ones with more compute capacity. However, there is a complication to the refresh cycle that is relatively recent: the slowing down of Moore’s law. There is still a very strong case for savings in energy when replacing servers that are […]
Data center energy use goes up and up and up
/in Design, Executive, Operations /by Rabih BashroushEnergy use by data centers and IT will continue to rise, putting pressure on energy infrastructure and raising questions about carbon emissions. The drivers for more energy use are simply too great to be offset by efficiency gains. Drivers Demand for digital services has seen sustained, exceptional growth over the past few years — and […]
Surveillance Capitalism and DCIM
/in Executive, Operations /by Andy LawrenceIn her book “Surveillance Capitalism,” the Harvard scholar Shoshana Zuboff describes how some software and service providers have been collecting vast amounts of data, with the goal of tracking, anticipating, shaping and even controlling the behavior of individuals. She sees it as a threat to individual freedom, to business and to democracy. Zuboff outlines the […]
Non-production IT can hinder mission-critical operations
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinSeparating production and non-production assets should be an operational requirement for most organizations. By definition, production assets support high-priority IT loads — servers that are critical to a business or business unit. In most organizations, IT will have sufficient discretion to place these assets where they have redundant power supplies, sufficient cooling and high levels of […]
99 Red Flags
/in Executive, Operations /by Andy LawrenceOne of the most widely cited metrics in the IT industry is for availability, expressed in the form of a number of nines: three nines for 99.9% availability (minutes of downtime per year), extending to six nines — 99.9999% — or even, very rarely, seven nines. What this should mean in practice is show in […]
Big Tech Regulations: an UPSIDE for Cloud customers?
/in Executive, Operations /by Rhonda AsciertoRegulation of Internet giants has focused so far mostly on data privacy, where concerns are relatively well understood by lawmakers and the general public. At the same time, the threat of antitrust action is growing. Congressional hearings in the US with Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google have begun, and governments in Europe, India and elsewhere […]
Outage Reporting in Financial Services
/in Executive, Operations /by Andy LawrenceIn the movie “Mary Poppins,” Mr. Banks sings that a British bank must be run with precision, and that “Tradition, discipline and rules must be the tools.” Otherwise, he warns, “Disorder! Chaos!” will ensue. One rule, introduced by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in 2018, suggests that disorder and chaos might be quite common […]
How to Avoid Outages – Part Deux
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinA previous Uptime Intelligence Note suggested that avoiding data center outages might be as simple as trying harder. The Note suggested that management failures are the main reason that enterprises continue to experience downtime incidents, even in fault tolerant facilities. “The Intelligence Trap,” a new book by David Robson, sheds light on why management mistakes continue to […]
How to avoid outages: Try harder!
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinUptime Institute has spent years analyzing the roots causes for data center and service outages, surveying thousands of IT professionals throughout the year on this topic. According to the data, the vast majority of data center failures are caused by human error. Some industry experts report numbers as high as 75%, but Uptime Institute generally reports […]
Troubling for operators: Capacity forecasting and maintaining cost competitiveness
/in Executive, Operations /by Rabih BashroushIn the recently published 2019 Uptime Institute supplier survey, participants told us they are witnessing higher than normal data center spending patterns. This is in line with general market trends, driven by the demand for data and digital services. It is also a welcome sign for those suppliers who witnessed a downturn two to three […]
The Evolving Data Center Management Maturity Model, A Quick Update
/in Operations /by Rhonda AsciertoUptime Institute has long argued that, although it may take many years, the long-term trend is toward a high level of automation in the data center, covering many functions that most managers currently would not trust to machines or outside programmers. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have made this seem more likely. (For more […]
DCIM as a Hub: Integrations Make all the difference
/in Operations /by Rhonda AsciertoToday, the role that the physical data center plays in software-defined data centers, particularly facility design and operational management, is often overlooked. However, this is likely to change. As more networking and compute becomes virtualized and flexible, so too must data center resources, in order to achieve maximum agility and efficiency. To virtualize only IT […]
IT Outages in the Airline Industry, A New Report by the GAO
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinUptime Institute’s Annual outage analysis, published early this year, called attention to the persistent problem of IT service and data center outages. Coupled with our annual survey data on outages, the analysis explains, to a degree, why investments to date have not greatly reduced the outage problem — at least from an end-to-end service view. Gathering […]
Data center AI: Start with the end in mind
/1 Comment/in Executive, Operations /by Rhonda AsciertoAn artificial intelligence (AI) strategy for data center management and operation requires more than just data and some very smart humans. Selecting specific use cases and understanding the types of data that influence AI outcomes — and then validating those outcomes — will be key if the needs of the business are to be met. […]
PG&E Turns Power Off (a.k.a. Climate Change and the Data Center)
/in Design, Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinIn our October 2018 report, A mission-critical industry unprepared for climate change, Uptime Institute Intelligence urged data center operators and owners to plan for the effects of climate change. We specifically encouraged data center owners and operators to meet with government officials and utility executives to learn about local and regional disaster preparation and response plans. […]
Artificial Intelligence in the Data Center: Myth versus Reality
/in Executive, Operations /by Rhonda AsciertoIt is still very early days, but it is clear that artificial intelligence (AI) is set to transform the way data centers are designed, managed and operated — eventually. There has been a lot of misrepresentation and hype around AI, and it’s not always clear how it will be applied, and when. The Uptime Institute […]
Recover heat, re-charge power
/in Operations /by Andy LawrenceRecently I attended the Data Center Dynamics (DCD) Smart Energy conference in Stockholm. During a panel discussion on energy, data centers and innovation, David Hall (Senior Director of Technology Innovation for Equinix) made two observations, almost in passing, about metrics and monitoring. Both were intriguing and, to my ears, suggested that operators’ thinking about sustainability […]
The Data Center Staffing and Skills Shortage is here NOW!
/in Design, Executive, Operations /by Sandra VailSometimes it can be hard to get people to talk about their issues — other times, it can be hard to keep them quiet. A recent Uptime Institute Network member’s meeting began as an open discussion but was soon dominated by one issue: data center staffing. The members’ concerns reflect the growing disquiet in the […]
Is PUE actually going UP?
/1 Comment/in Executive, Operations /by Andy LawrenceOne of the more intriguing results of the Uptime Institute Global Data Center Survey 2019 concerned energy efficiency. For years, data centers have become ever more efficient, with power usage effectiveness (PUE) ratings across the industry (apparently) falling. Big operators, such as hyperscale cloud companies and big colos, regularly claim annual or design PUE figures […]
Comparing the severity of IT service outages: Uptime Institute’s Outage Severity Rating
/in Design, Executive, Operations /by Andy LawrenceAvoiding IT service outages is a big concern for any operator or service provider, especially one providing a business-critical service. But when an outage does occur, the business impact can vary from “barely noticeable” to “huge and expensive.” Anticipating and modeling the impact of a service interruption should be a part of incident planning and is key […]
Data Center AI (Artificial Intelligence) Creates New Risks
/in Executive, Operations /by Rhonda AsciertoArtificial intelligence (AI) is being used in data centers to drive up efficiencies and drive down risks and costs. But it also creates new types of risks. This is one of the findings from a recent Uptime Intelligence research report #25, “Very smart data centers: How artificial intelligence will power operational decisions”, published in April […]
“Think Globally, Act Locally”: Re-Evaluating Data Center Resiliency in the Face of Climate Change
/in Design, Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinThe 1970s-era environmental phrase “Think globally, act locally,” is an apt way for data center operators to consider the best approach to understand and address the effects of climate change on their facilities and IT operations TODAY. Globally, we all hear that climate change threatens to bring warmer temperatures, stronger storms, rising sea levels, and […]
NEXTDC: Obsessed with the details so our customers’ business is always available
/in Design, Executive, Operations /by Brett RidleyThis is a guest post written by Brett Ridley, Head of Central Operations and Facility Management for NEXTDC.NEXTDC is Australia’s leading independent data centre operator with a nationwide network of Uptime Institute certified Tier III and Tier IV facilities. NEXTDC provides enterprise-class colocation services to local and international organisations. If you are interested in participating in […]
Mission Critical Computing Fabric
/in Executive, Operations /by Mark HarrisWe’ve entered an era where our IT infrastructures are now becoming a compilation of capacity that is spread out and running upon a wide range of platforms; some we completely control, some we control partially and some we don’t control at all. No longer should our IT services discussions start with ‘And in the data center […]
“Ask the Expert”: Data Center Management Q&A with Uptime Institute CTO, Chris Brown
/in Operations /by Travis PearlOn April 24th, Uptime Institute CTO, Chris Brown, participated in an “Ask the Expert” session on Data Center Infrastructure Management with BrightTALK senior content manager Kelly Harris. The 45-minute session covered topics ranging from best practices of a well-run data center to a list of the most common data center issues Uptime Institute’s global consultant […]
Fire Suppression Systems Bring Unexpected Risk
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinHazards include server damage from loud noise during discharge of inert gas fire suppression systems By Kevin Heslin, with contributions from Scott Good and Pitt Turner A downtime incident in Europe has rekindled interest in a topic that never seems more than a spark away from becoming a heated discussion. In that incident, the accidental […]
Top Considerations for Addressing Data Center Facilities Management Risks
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinUptime Institute recently published “Top Considerations for Addressing Data Center Facilities Management Risks,” a guide for reducing data center risks in enterprise IT organizations . The guide comprises 14 top considerations useful for designing and running an enterprise-grade data center facilities management program. The full guide is available for download on the Uptime Institute website. […]
Japan’s Biggest Provider of Critical IT Services Earns M&O Stamp of Approval
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinNearly perfect M&O Stamp of Approval scores prove that NRI’s data centers operations are world class By Kevin Heslin Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. (NRI), a ¥18 billion ($US169 million) company that provides consulting, financial IT solutions, industrial IT solutions, and IT platform services mainly to a global financial marketplace, has earned Uptime Institute Management and […]
Reconsider Your Diesel Fuel Supply
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinNew diesel formulations put your generators at risk By Bernard Oegema, Pat Smyth, Brian Ponstein, William “Bill” Klein, and Martin Wesolowski The increased use of biodiesel has increased the risk to the diesel infrastructure of data centers and other facilities first noted with the adoption of ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD) in 2006. The U.S. Environmental […]
ENTEL Achieves Uptime Institute Tier Certification of Operational Sustainability
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinTier Certification of Operational Sustainability enhances ENTEL’s services to customers By Kevin Heslin ENTEL began operations in 1964 as a provider of national and international long distance telephone services to companies in Chile. Today it is a consolidated provider of integrated telecommunication services and information technologies services, meeting the needs of corporations and large companies […]
When an Australian Government Department Required Operational Sustainability, Metronode Delivered
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinSenior facility manager calls achieving Tier Certification of Operational Sustainability “a dream” By Kevin Heslin The New South Wales (NSW) Department of Finance, Services and Innovation (DFSI) is a government service provider and regulator for the southeastern Australian state. DFSI supports many government functions, including sustainable government finances, major public works and maintenance programs, government […]
LinkedIn’s Oregon Data Center Goes Live, Gains EIT Stamp of Approval
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinUptime Institute recently awarded its Efficient IT (EIT) Stamp of Approval to LinkedIn for its new data center in Infomart Portland, signaling that the modern new facility had exceeded extremely high standards for enterprise leadership, operations, and computing infrastructure. These standards are designed to help organizations lower costs and increase efficiency, and leverage technology for […]
Airline Outages FAQ: How to Keep Your Company Out of the Headlines
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinUptime Institute has prepared this brief airline outages FAQ to help the industry, media, and general public understand the reasons that data centers fail. The failure of a power control module on Monday, August 8, 2016, at a Delta Airlines data center caused hundreds of flight cancellations, inconvenienced thousands of customers, and cost the airline […]
Bulky Binders and Operations “Experts” Put Your Data Center at Risk
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinWearable technology and digitized operating procedures ensure compliance with standardized practices and provide quick access to critical information By Jose Ruiz No one in the data center industry questions that data center outages are extremely costly. Numerous vendors report that the average data center outage costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, with losses in some […]
If You Can’t Buy Effective DCIM, Build It
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinAfter commercial DCIM offerings failed to meet RELX Group’s requirements, the team built its own DCIM tool based on the existing IT Services Management Suite By Stephanie Singer What is DCIM? Most people might respond “data center infrastructure management.” However, simply defining the acronym is not enough. The meaning of DCIM is greatly different for […]
Open19 is About Improving Hardware Choices, Standardizing Deployment
/in Operations /by Matt StansberryIn July 2016, Yuval Bachar, principal engineer, Global Infrastructure Architecture and Strategy at LinkedIn announced Open19, a project spearheaded by the social networking service to develop a new specification for server hardware based on a common form factor. The project aims to standardize the physical characteristics of IT equipment, with the goal of cutting costs […]
FORTRUST Gains Competitive Advantage from Management and Operations
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinFORTRUST regards management and operations as a core competency that helps it win new clients and control capital and operating expenses Shortly after receiving word that FORTRUST had earned Uptime Institute’s Tier Certification for Operational Sustainability (Gold) for Phase 7 of its Denver data center, Rob McClary, the company’s executive vice president and general manager, […]
Saudi Aramco’s Cold Aisle Containment Saves Energy
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinOil exploration and drilling require HPC By Issa A. Riyani and Nacianceno L. Mendoza Saudi Aramco’s Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Computer Center (ECC) is a three-story data center built in 1982. It is located in Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It provides computing capability to the company’s geologists, geophysicists, and petroleum engineers to enable them […]
Data-Driven Approach to Reduce Failures
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinOperations teams use the Uptime Institute Network’s Abnormal Incident Reports (AIRs) database to enrich site knowledge, enhance preventative maintenance, and improve preparedness By Ron Davis The AIRs system is one of the most valuable resources available to Uptime Institute Network members. It comprises more than 5,000 data center incidents and errors spanning two decades of […]
Identifying Lurking Vulnerabilities in the World’s Best-Run Data Centers
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinPeer-based critiques drive continuous improvement, identify lurking data center vulnerabilities By Kevin Heslin Shared information is one of the distinctive features of the Uptime Institute Network and its activities. Under non-disclosure agreements, Network members not only share information, but they also collaborate on projects of mutual interest. Uptime Institute facilitates the information sharing and helps […]
Bank of Canada Achieves Operational Excellence
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinThe team approach helped the Bank earn Uptime Institute’s M&O Stamp of Approval By Matt Stansberry The Bank of Canada is the nation’s central bank. The Bank acts as the fiscal agent of the Canadian government, managing its public debt programs and foreign exchange reserves and setting its monetary policy. It also designs, issues, and […]
Avoid Failure and Delay on Capital Projects: Lessons from Tier Certification
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinHow insights from Tier Certification of Constructed Facilities avoids unforeseen costs and errors for all new projects By Kevin Heslin Uptime Institute’s Tier Classification System has been a part of the data center industry lexicon for 20 years. Since its creation in the mid-1990s, the system has evolved into the global standard for third-party validation […]
Achieving Uptime Institute Tier III Gold Certification of Operational Sustainability
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinVantage Data Centers certifies design, facility, and operational sustainability at its Quincy, WA site By Mark Johnson In February 2015, Vantage Data Centers earned Tier III Gold Certification of Operational Sustainability (TCOS) from Uptime Institute for its first build at its 68-acre Quincy, WA campus. This project is a bespoke design for a customer that […]
Arc Flash Mitigation in the Data Center
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinMeeting OSHA and NFPA 70E arc flash safety requirements while balancing prevention and production demands By Ed Rafter Uninterruptible uptime, 24 x 7, zero downtime…these are some of the terms that characterize data center business goals for IT clients. Given these demands, facility managers and technicians in the industry are skilled at managing the infrastructure that supports […]
Failure Doesn’t Keep Business Hours: 24×7 Coverage
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinA statistical justification for 24×7 coverage By Richard Van Loo As a result of performing numerous operational assessments at data centers around the world, Uptime Institute has observed that staffing levels at data centers vary greatly from site to site. This observation is discouraging, but not surprising, because while staffing is an important function for […]
AIG Tells How It Raised Its Level of Operations Excellence
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinBy Kevin Heslin and Lee Kirby Driving operational excellence across multiple data centers is exponentially more difficult than managing just one. Technical complexity multiplies as you move to different sites, regions, and countries where codes, cultures, climates, and other factors are different. Organizational complexity further complicates matters when the data centers in your portfolio have […]
Meeting the M&O Challenge of Managing a Diverse Data Center Footprint: John Sheputis and Don Jenkins, Infomart
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinBy Matt Stansberry and Lee Kirby Driving operational excellence across multiple data centers is exponentially more difficult than managing just one. Technical complexity multiplies as you move to different sites, regions, and countries where codes, cultures, climates and other factors are different. Organizational complexity further complicates matters when the data centers in your portfolio have […]
The Calibrated Data Center: Using Predictive Modeling
/in Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinBetter information leads to better decisions By Jose Ruiz New tools have dramatically enhanced the ability of data center operators to base decisions regarding capacity planning and operational performance like move, adds, and changes on actual data. The combined use of modeling technologies to effectively calibrate the data center during the commissioning process and the […]
Retainers Improve the Effectiveness of IEC Plugs
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinThese small devices prevent accidental disconnection of mission critical gear By Scott Good Today IEC plugs are used at the rack-level PDU and the IT device. IEC plugs backing out of sockets create a significant concern, since these plugs feed UPS power to the device. In the past, twist-lock cord caps were used, but these did […]
Data center design goals and certification of proven achievement are not the same
/in Design, Executive, Operations /by Matt StansberryOn March 13, 2015, Data Center Knowledge published an article “ViaWest Accused of Misleading Customers in Las Vegas”. The following is excerpted from the article. ViaWest, the Shaw Communications-owned data center service provider, is being accused of misleading customers about reliability of its Las Vegas data center. Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s office has asked […]
The Making of a Good Method of Procedure
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinGood MOPs (method of procedure) help humans manage the complexity inherent in data centers By Alfonso Aranda with Lee Kirby Data centers are complex techno–human systems. The number of interrelated and interdependent elements (including the human element) that interact in the normal operation of a data center and the large number of interactions that take […]
Sun Life Plots Data Center Facilities and Operations Roadmap to Meet Application Demands
/in Design, Operations /by Kevin HeslinAn imminent return of service causes a top-to-bottom examination of data center facilities and operations By Rocco Alonzi and Paolo Piro When Sun Life Financial completed a return of service for its data center operations in 2011, the Enterprise Infrastructure (IE) and Corporate Real Estate (CRE) teams immediately saw an opportunity to improve service stability, […]
Digital Realty Deploys Comprehensive DCIM Solution
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinExamining the scope of the challenge By David Schirmacher Digital Realty’s 127 properties cover around 24 million square feet of mission-critical data center space in over 30 markets across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, and it continues to grow and expand its data center footprint. As senior VP of operations, it’s my job to […]
Annual Data Center Industry Survey 2014
/in Design, Executive, Operations /by Kevin HeslinThe fourth annual Uptime Institute Data Center Industry Survey provides an overview of global industry trends by surveying 1,000 data center operators and IT practitioners. Uptime Institute collected responses via email February through April 2014 and presented preliminary results in May 2014 at the 9th Uptime Institute Symposium: Empowering the Data Center Professional. To immediately […]
McKesson Retrofits Economizers in Live DC Environment
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinPharmaceutical installs economizers in a live site to improve energy efficiency By Wayne Everett, Dean Scharffenberg, and Coleman Jones McKesson Corporation, the oldest and largest health-care services company in the United States, plays an integral role in meeting the nation’s health-care needs. McKesson is the largest pharmaceutical distributor in North America, delivering one-third of all […]
Avoid Target Fixation in the Data Center
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinRemoving heat is more effective than adding cooling By Steve Press, with Pitt Turner, IV According to Wikipedia, the term target fixation was used in World War II fighter-bomber pilot training to describe why pilots would sometimes fly into targets during a strafing or bombing run. Since then, others have adopted the term. The phenomenon […]
Data Center Outages, Incidents, and Industry Transparency
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinThe lack of transparency can be seen as a root cause of outages and incidents By Jason Weckworth I recently began a keynote speech at Uptime Institute Symposium 2013 by making a bold statement. As data center operators, we simply don’t share enough of our critical facilities incidents with each other. Yet Uptime Institute maintains […]
New System Combats Data Center PQ Concerns
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinUsing relevant technologies and techniques to develop an optimized system for addressing data center PQ concerns By Kuochuan Chu For years, engineers and data centers operators have implemented various strategies to improve power quality in mission-critical facilities. We have found, however, that good power quality requires a solid grounding system. By efficiently utilizing the essential […]
Solving Air Contaminant Problems in Data Centers
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinRoHS-compliant products exacerbate the problem By Christopher Muller, Dr. Prabjit Singh, G. Henry White, and Paul Finch End users have worried about the reliability of electronic gear almost since the introduction of the circuit board. Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS), or lead-free, manufacturing regulations for electronic equipment that went into effect in 2006 only served […]
Dual-Corded Power and Fault Tolerance: Past, Present, and Future
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinDetails of dual-corded power change, but the theme remains the same. Uptime Institute has worked with owners and operators of data centers since the early 1990s. At the time, data center owners used single-corded IT devices for even their most critical IT assets. Figure 1 shows a selection of the many potential sources of outage […]
Putting DCIM to Work for You
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinAt Symposium 2013, Erik Ko of Twitter, Hewlett-Packard’s Ken Jackson, and James Pryor of Regions Bank discussed the experience of selecting and implementing DCIM solutions from the end user perspective. The panel was moderated by Uptime Institute’s Kevin Heslin. Earlier that week, Symposium 2013 attendees heard presentations that focused on the potential for DCIM and […]
Uptime Institute Network Activities Around the Globe
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinNo longer “the best kept secret” the Uptime Institute Network has gone international These interviews with Uptime Institute Network directors Rob Costa, Sylvie Le Roy, and Mozart Mello highlight the qualifications of the Uptime Institute staff working with Network members across the globe and also portray the opportunities for growth and need for the Network […]
Lessons Learned From Superstorm Sandy
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinAn Uptime Institute survey reveals that best practices and preparation pay dividends In late October 2012, Superstorm Sandy tore through the Caribbean and up the east coast of the U.S., killing over a hundred, leaving millions without power and causing billions of dollars in damage. In the aftermath of the storm, Uptime Institute surveyed data […]
Implementing Data Center Cooling Best Practices
/in Operations /by Kevin HeslinStep-by-step guide to data center cooling best practices will help data center managers take greater advantage of the energy savings opportunities available while providing improved cooling of IT systems The nature of data center temperature management underwent a dramatic evolution when American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) adopted new operating temperature guidelines. […]
Code mandates for data center operations
/in Operations /by Matt StansberryData center operations and management are increasingly the target of codes that impact safety, communications, and economic systems. Going well beyond the guidelines laid out by NFPA 75 and 76, the new 2011 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) actually provides for regulatory oversight of mission-critical facility management. This video will provide a history of codes […]
Server Decommissioning as a Discipline: Paul Nally, Barclays
/in Operations /by Matt StansberryIn 2013, Barclays removed 9,124 physical servers from its data centers globally, winning Uptime Institute’s Server Roundup competition for the second year running. This effort is part of a server footprint reduction across the entire company. The organization reaped significant cost benefits, but this project has also reduced risk and complexity, providing Barclays’ internal IT […]
Diesel exhaust after treatment for data centers
/in Operations /by Matt StansberryCleaning up your act: A guide to exhaust standards By Lamont Fortune, PE, United Health Group Are your diesel generators used strictly for emergency or non-emergency purposes? Your answer to this question will tell you just how clean your diesel exhaust has to be by 2015 (and as early as 2014) as far as the […]
How business practices can impair data center availability
/in Operations /by Matt StansberryDon’t pit man against machine By Charles Selkirk, ATD While data centers in Southern Africa utilize world-class designs and construction techniques, ongoing operational sustainability models struggle to attract and retain sufficient qualified and motivated personnel, in part due to the lack of recognition of the importance of their work (unless something goes wrong!). The Uptime […]
Documenting Underfloor Conditions in an Operational Data Center
/in Operations /by Matt StansberryExcel is the basis of a surprisingly simple visual tool to document underfloor conditions By Chad Beery, ATD Engineers regularly employ pictures and drawings to communicate design ideas. They sketch on whiteboards during a meeting, talk with their hands and sometimes even sketch on the back of napkins. In fact, the deliverables produced by design […]