42U Webinar: Avocents Exciting Updates

Avocent Discusses Exciting Launch: DSView® 3 Upgrades to 3.6 & Innovative Power Manager Plug In

Date: Friday, July 11th
Time: 11AM MDT (1PM EDT)

Register Today!

Managing your data center has just become easier! The new DSView® 3 includes benefits ranging from labor-saving features such as consolidated access of physical and virtual servers, integrated virtual machine and power management support, and myriad out-of-band hardware support options…all in ONE tool.

Join 42U on Friday, July 11th as Dan Skrove, Senior System Engineer for Avocent, reviews the new features and benefits of the DSView® 3 management software and Power Manager Plug In.

Benefits of the DSView® 3 Power Manager Plug In:
- Measure overall IT energy consumption
- Understand available power capacity
- Measure IT energy cost

Benefits of the NEW DSView® 3 software version 3.6:
- Simplified set-up and configuration
- Integrated VMware environment support
- Increased device access and management options
- Enhanced power management with NEW Power Manager software
- Increased third-party KVM switch support
- Unlimited User Licenses
- Lowered virtual server support costs

This webinar will be beneficial for current DSView® 3 users as well as those who may be new to DSView® 3.

Register Today!

42U Earns Avocent Data Center Solutions Accreditation

Broomfield, CO - March 7, 2008 -- 42U today announced it is among the first wave of graduates from Avocent's initial VAR accreditation training program for data center solutions, one of several initiatives planned this year to help partners further expand their Avocent expertise and offer increased value to customers. The course emphasizes how partners can leverage Avocent's individual data center products to deliver end-to-end data center management for their customers.

"The advancements Avocent has made within the IT Infrastructure space are impressive. They are clearly focused on providing robust, best-in-class and comprehensive solutions for IT total asset management, "commented Alan Mamane, Founder and President of 42U. "We are thrilled to be one of Avocent's exclusive partners, serving all of the mountain west region."

Click here to read the entire data center solutions press release.

42U Awarded GSA Contract for Data Center Equipment

Broomfield, CO – January 29, 2008 -- 42U (http://www.42u.com/) the nation's largest, vendor-independent valued-added reseller of data center infrastructure solutions, today announced it has been granted a contract number by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). Inclusion on the GSA schedule allows 42U to bid on federal contracts for data center equipment. 42U's GSA contract number is GS-35F-0180U and can be found under Schedule Information Numbers (SINs) 132-8 (Purchase of Equipment).

42U's contract approval is the result of a 6-month application and negotiation process. With the completion of the contract, the organization can now service a federal and state government customers through a channel that previously was not available to them.

At the launch of its GSA contract, 42U will strictly be offering a select number of Avocent's IT infrastructure management tools including DSView 3, which provides data centers with a secure, centralized management solution for all of their IT assets-physical and virtual.

To read the entire press release visit 42U.

Curbing IT Power Usage

New Ideas To Save Energy In Your Data Center

Thanks to energy hogs such as blade centers, data center energy costs are high. SMEs will find it hard to absorb these kinds of financial hits without some help. Fortunately, there are more than a few ways to curb power consumption.

Measure Power Consumption
According to Chris Loeffler, product manager of the data center solutions group at Eaton (www.eaton.com), one of the biggest trends in data center energy savings is toward looking at how to monitor or meter data center power consumption (through power consumption metrics).

Data centers should start by measuring their power consumption across all of IT. “SMEs can’t afford to do much submetering. But, they can afford a power consumption monitor that they can plug selected equipment in to see how much electricity is being consumed by a range of representative equipment,” says Simon Mingay, research vice president at Gartner.

For SMEs that can’t afford the power monitor setup, equipment vendors (server and air-conditioning unit companies) have power consumption numbers available. These often come from the vendor’s customers. This information can be used to model power consumption of the IT infrastructure (using simple spreadsheets), according to Mingay.

Click here to learn about data center power requirements

To read the entire article visit Processor.com

KVM Streamlines Remote Server Management

For 3,000 machines, remote server management is easier than managing locally, but for business intelligence software company SAS, wrestling with multiple management interfaces was only marginally helpful.

...Reducing the divorce rate
Do not underestimate the power of remote server management, warned Dennis Drogseth, a vice president and analyst at Enterprise Management Associates. Marx, for example, says that he can now sit at his desk, perform remote server management tasks like installing software or doing a reboot, and all while checking email. But Drogseth said the benefits extend further, especially for IT staffers on call at odd hours.

...VMware support breaks the tie
According to Drogseth, there are two major players in the KVM management space: Avocent and Raritan, both of which SAS evaluated closely.

Avocent already had the edge in Marx's mind because SAS was already using Avocent's KVM switches. Still, the company went through a two- to three-month evaluation, and Marx said he prefers Avocent's roadmap. He thought Avocent seemed to be more on top of the game in terms of various vendors' remote console access methods. He was also encouraged by Avocent's ability to manage virtual VMware servers as well as physical devices. So, about a year ago, SAS settled on Avocent's digital switches and its DSView 3 management software.

Click here to find out more about Avocent and Raritan products.

Click here to read the entire article

Web Seminar: Avocent IT Infrastructure Tools

Unleashing the Power of Avocent IT Infrastructure Tools

Data center build outs, expansions, updates and server consolidation have reached a feverish pace and so have the challenges in keeping up with compliance, green initiatives – all while attempting to lower costs, increase scalability and keeping IT operations and Business always on.

On Wednesday, February 6th at 11pm PST, join Steve Lewis, IT Infrastructure Consultant for 42U and Mark Harris, VP Strategic Marketing for Avocent Corporation for this informaitonal webinar.

During this webinar, you’ll learn ways you can:

- Increase Operation Effectiveness – get more out of your data center hardware investment
- Minimize Risk of Data Center– and ensure greater availability and control
- Increase Data Center Security
- Increase IT Infrastructure Productivity – through automation

click here to register

Avocent Introduces Family of Space-Saving Desktop KVM Switches for Small and Home Offices

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Dec. 17, 2007 – Avocent Corporation (Nasdaq: AVCT) today introduced its family of SwitchView® 100 desktop KVM switches for small and home offices. These latest additions to the Avocent family of market-leading connectivity solutions include four space-saving desktop KVM switches that support multimedia applications.

SwitchView 100 switches come bundled with all the necessary cables for a solution that’s ready to deploy out of the box, simplifying both the buying and set up process and offering a complete package at a competitive price. Full audio support is also included, eliminating the need for separate sets of speakers and microphones for each computer – providing an uninterrupted multimedia experience across platforms.

To read the entire press release visit the Avocent website.

TOP 10 WAYS TO SAVE ENERGY IN THE DATA CENTER

By Shamus McGillicuddy, News Writer
11.29.2007 | SearchCIO.com

LAS VEGAS -- Gartner Inc. has predicted that the cost of supplying energy to a server over its three-year lifetime will soon exceed the server's acquisition cost.

With this in mind, Chris Loeffler, product manager of data center solutions at Eaton Corp. in Cleveland, offered delegates at this week's Gartner Data Center Conference the top 10 ways to save energy in the data center. He said these "low-hanging" management options and technologies can combine to reduce data center energy consumption by up to 50% without compromising availability.

...

8. Adopt cooling best practices.
Loeffler said many data centers may use hot aisle/cold aisle configurations to improve cooling efficiency, but there are also some small things they can do. Simple "blanking panels" can be installed in server racks that have empty slots. "That's a great way to make sure the cold air in the cold aisle doesn't start mixing with the hot air in the hot aisle any sooner than it needs to," he said.

Loeffler said organizations should also seal cable cutouts to minimize airflow bypasses. He said data organizations should consider air handlers and chillers that use efficient technologies such as variable frequency drives, which adjust how fast the air conditioning system's motors run when cooling needs dip.

9. Assess the utilization and efficiency issues in your data center.
In addition to turning off unused IT equipment, as mentioned above, organizations should also retire unused software applications and focus on adopting more effective software that requires extra CPU cycles.

10. Prioritize actions to reduce the energy needs of your data center.
Loeffler said organizations should identify and prioritize the steps needed to reduce the energy needs of a data center. He said IT should get executive-level support before embarking on these efficiency gains and form a cross-functional team to develop an energy strategy for IT operations.


Click here to read the complete article

Server Racks & Enclosures Add Value

Businesses Have Increasing Options When Tailoring Racks For Data Center Operation

Businesses are increasingly turning their attention to optimization of the racks and enclosures used within their data center operations as they seek to enhance efficiency and build out physical infrastructure that can provide a path for growth.

The proper selection of appropriately sized racks can allow a business to correctly attack power and cooling requirements, says Cliff Unger, senior sales engineer for DirectNET, a data center equipment and services company. Midmarket businesses are increasingly looking to take a strategic approach to data center design and facilitation, selecting enclosures and related power and cooling equipment to maximize current and future operational efficiency.

Please click here to read the full article.

State-by-State Green Power Locator

More companies are tracking the carbon footprint of their data center facilities as part of broader initiatives towards eco-responsibility. As a result, there's growing interest in renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas and hydro power. But how do you find these "green power" providers? The Environmental Protection Agency has gathered information on the renewable energy options from utilities in each of the 50 states, which is available online through the EPA's Green Power Locator. Listings for each state include the utility, program name, type of renewable energy offered, and whether the program includes premium pricing. The data was last verified in 2006, but should provide a head start for companies researching green power options.

Click here to see where you can buy Green Power in your state.