Preparing your Data Center for

New Generation High Density Blade Servers

With the advent of high density blade servers and storage arrays, IT managers need a strategy that prepares the rack space to support high heat loads and power requirements to assure the investment is protected and available. This presentation outlines the problems and proposes strategies that IT managers can employ to be certain the data center infrastructure can support the intended applications. Site design, power distribution, power monitoring, precision air conditioning and, most importantly, testing of the strategies will be discussed.

Learning Points:

• How big is the problem? Blade server requirements and the limitations of traditional site designs will be discussed.
• What can be done to support high density loads? Reliability by design, power distribution and available technologies will be reviewed to solve the high density problem.
• How do you know the design will work? Theoretical modelling using Computer Fluid Modelling (CFM) in the design stage vs. actual testing of the completed design prior to blade server installation will be discussed as a basis for a comprehensive strategy.