Roundup: Products Launched at Data Center World Spring

From cooling to cabling, numerous vendors rolled out a variety of data center infrastructure products at this week’s Data Center World in Las Vegas. Here’s a roundup:

Monitoring: TrendPoint Updates Data Center Power Metering Platform

Energy monitoring company TrendPoint launched a new version of its branch circuit power meter (BCPM) for data centers. One of the company’s marquee customers is Facebook, which uses the BCPM product in its data centers.

In BCPM 2.0 TrendPoint has added waveform capture and harmonics visibility for branch circuits. The vendor aims to simplify power metering by putting monitoring of all kinds of data center power equipment (switchgear, switchboards, distribution panels, etc.) on a single platform.

“We can implement one power meter, one platform, one system in one piece of equipment, and provide all necessary data points with less complexity for communication, integration, and device management,” TrendPoint CTO Jon Trout said in a statement.

Modeling: ManageEngine Launches 3D Data Center Modeling Software

ManageEngine, an IT-management vendor, announced beta release of its RackBuilder Plus 3D modeling software for data centers. A tool for data center management, the software gives admins a virtual visualization tool for layout of their data centers.

Users can build their 3D models by adding racks, hot and cold aisles, walk paths, and walls to the data center view. RackBuilder Plus is built on ManageEngine’s OpManager software for data center infrastructure management and has the ability to monitor devices on the data center floor.

Customers can convert RackBuilder Plus into the fully-fledged OpManager DCIM solution to add network management, physical and virtual server monitoring, fault management, workflow automation, and asset management.

Cooling: Mestex Intros Evaporative Cooling System

Cooling systems vendor Mestex announced its new Aztec AMC HVAC system for data centers. The company said the design combines evaporative cooling with an advanced “air-turnover system,” a rare combination in industrial applications.

The system includes direct-drive plenum fans with variable frequency drives that can dial cooling down when IT gear is operating at partial load. Web-based digital controls help monitor an adjust the system for comfort, costs, and energy efficiency.

Evaporative cooling does not require use of refrigerants, which lowers power consumption over traditional data center cooling. “Unlike other technologies just starting to be developed to reduce energy, costs, and environmental impact, this technology is available today and proven effective,” Mextex President Mike Kaler said in a statement.

Racks: Enlogic Launches Plug-and-Play Rack

Enlogic introduced a data center rack that combines power distribution, energy management, environmental monitoring, and door access controls, all working as an integrated system.

The idea is to reduce installation time, simplify connectivity, and have comprehensive cabinet-level management. Enlogic said it wanted to bring plug-and-play convenience to installation of servers in the data center rack.

Power Distribution: Enlogic Intros Data Center PDUs

Enlogic also launched two PDU products at the conference.

One is a wireless-metered PDU, which has a built-in antenna module that transmits energy and environmental data, reducing the amount of necessary cabling. It addresses security by using a proprietary wireless protocol designed to carry power data only, segregating it from other wireless networks.

The other one is a horizontal PDU with hot-swappable management capability.

Cabling: Sumitomo Brings Eight-Fiber Connector to Market

Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, which provides optical fiber and connectivity solutions, launched a connector that enables real-time on-site cable builds and permanent terminations of jumpers, trunk cables, harnesses, and arrays.

The eight-fiber QSFP-4oG0SR4 spice-on connector is meant to simplify 40 GbE and 100 GbE connectivity in data centers. QSFP stands for Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable.

Because it has eight fibers instead of the usual 12, it helps increase efficiency by eliminating unused fibers. It has to be used with eight-count fiber ribbon cable.

Cabling: Total Cable Solutions Pushes 40/100G Signals to 300 Meters

Total Cable Solutions released a new end-to-end OM4+ solution for data centers designed to push 40/100G fiber signals up to 300 meters. The system includes trunk cables, harnesses, patch cords, MTP cassettes and adapter plates in violet to easily identify the new OM4+ infrastructure.

TCS chose to adopt the violet color in an effort to create standardization and avoid confusion in the data center. Other vendors have used the color as well.