Month: Οκτώβριος 2014

Datacenter Tiering According to Uptime Institute

by Pavlos Bizimis

Uptime Institute’s Tier Classification System for data centers is approaching the two decade mark. Since its creation in the mid-1990s, the system has evolved from a shared industry terminology into the global standard for third-party validation of data center critical infrastructure.

Uptime Institute created the standard Tier Classification System to consistently evaluate various data center facilities in terms of potential site infrastructure performance, or uptime. The below is a summary and please see Tier Standard: Topology and accompanying Accredited Tier Designer Technical Papers.

The Tiers (I-IV) are progressive; each Tier incorporates the requirements of all the lower Tiers.

Tier I: Basic Capacity A Tier I data center provides dedicated site infrastructure to support information technology beyond an office setting. Tier I infrastructure includes a dedicated space for IT systems; an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to filter power spikes, sags, and momentary outages; dedicated cooling equipment that won’t get shut down at the end of normal office hours; and an engine generator to protect IT functions from extended power outages.

Tier II: Redundant Capacity Components Tier II facilities include redundant critical power and cooling components to provide select maintenance opportunities and an increased margin of safety against IT process disruptions that would result from site infrastructure equipment failures. The redundant components include power and cooling equipment such as UPS modules, chillers or pumps, and engine generators.

Tier III: Concurrently Maintainable A Tier III data center requires no shutdowns for equipment replacement and maintenance. A redundant delivery path for power and cooling is added to the redundant critical components of Tier II so that each and every component needed to support the IT processing environment can be shut down and maintained without impact on the IT operation.

Tier IV: Fault Tolerance Tier IV site infrastructure builds on Tier III, adding the concept of Fault Tolerance to the site infrastructure topology. Fault Tolerance means that when individual equipment failures or distribution path interruptions occur, the effects of the events are stopped short of the IT operations.

Microsoft announces Windows 10

by Pavlos Bizimis

Microsoft today unveiled Windows 10, the long-awaited followup to Windows 8.

The latest version of Windows includes some of the more demanded changes since Windows 8 launch, including the return of the Start menu and improvements to how apps are displayed, while also adding multitasking enhancements that will appeal to those who use touchscreen devices as well as PCs.

According to Microsoft, Windows 10 represents the first step of a whole new generation of Windows.

Windows 10 will run across a broad set of devices – from the Internet of Things, to servers in enterprise datacenters worldwide, one product family, with a tailored experience for each device.

Developers were also taken under consideration: “across this breadth of devices, we are delivering one application platform for our developers. Whether you’re building a game or a line of business application, there will be one way to write a universal app that targets the entire family. There will be one store, one way for applications to be discovered, purchased and updated across all of these devices.”

Windows 10 will be available in late 2015.