Tag Archives: data centers

A little levity from Diane Alber

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diane_alber_blogthumbdiane_alberI had the pleasure of meeting perhaps the industry’s only data center comic writer Diane Alber at the AFCOM Data Center World event last week. Diane is the creator and writer of the Kip and Gary Data Center comic and technology blog.

Diane is well qualified to make fun of data centers since by day she is a WESCO/CSC’s Global Account Manager for the Western Region. Combining her industry knowledge, art background, and sense of humor, she hits the nail on the head with her book What Happens In The DATA CENTER… available from Amazon.

kip_comic_bookI particularly liked this comic from Page 24 poking fun at some people’s understanding (or expectations) of Hot Aisle Containment. Just so you know, rubber duckies cost extra.

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Selling into Latin America

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Latin America is one of the fastest growing data center markets in the world, so the topic “Building Data Centers in Latin America” was perfect for IDG’s 21st Century Data Center Symposium held in Dallas a couple weeks ago.
Based on the conference, I have these recommendations for product latijns-amerikadelivery into the region:
  1. Set expectations based on the specifics the individual country, LatAm is not homogeneous. For example, Chile is strict on paperwork, Guatemala is more relaxed.
  2. Clarify delivery terms. Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) needs to clearly define the shipment hand-off. The difference between the “construction site” and the “staging/off site receiving area” can be weeks—and kilometers—apart.
  3. Value Added Tax (VAT) is complex, get professional help. In some cases it can be recovered, in most cases it needs to be paid in advance.
  4. Business practices vary by country, there’s a large gray area of local expeditors, prepaid contractor fees, etc. Know that going in, do the necessary research.
  5. Duties vary widely with Brazil having the steepest ones. Plan for these in your project costing and make sure duty codes for your products are correct.
brazil-startup4116-620x354Polargy has partnered with Anixter for most of our product deliveries into the LatAm region which allows us to leverage local boots on the ground to handle most of these logistical, tax, and duty issues.
We anticipate continued success in the LatAm region and look forward to sharing more insights as we gain them.

US Patent #8,684,067 goes to SPS

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On April 1, 2014, Polargy received approval for our patent application for PolarPlex™ Suspended Panel System (SPS) by the US Patent & Trademark Office.

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PolarPlex SPS is a ceiling-suspended aisle containment solution for data centers. It’s designed with an innovative quick-connect channel system that holds SPS panels perfectly straight and secure while also allowing quick and easy removal.

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Lightweight ceiling-suspended SPS panels offer functional and aesthetic advantages over vinyl curtains yet are competitively priced. PolarPlex SPS provides better thermal sealing, simpler installation, and a cleaner appearance than curtain containment.

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For overhead applications, PolarPlex SPS is rack-independent, supported by the ceiling rather than server cabinets. This design enables cabinets to be moved in and out without affecting the containment system. In containment environments built with our Overhead Prefabricated System or Floor Mounted Infrastructure, full-length SPS panels can fill gaps between racks or completely isolate the aisle during commissioning.

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CEO of Polargy, Cary Frame, reports: “PolarPlex SPS has filled a product gap in data center containment for at least the past year and we’re delighted to receive patent approval for this invention. The novel SPS channel design means these panels hang straight and strong for optimal airflow management, but can be installed and removed quickly and easily without tools. PolarPlex SPS has raised the bar on hot- and cold-aisle containment solutions.”

Watch Cary’s video about now-patented SPS.

We also recently announced a major update to its website www.polargy.com which now features CAD, BIM, and SketchUp design files for Polargy containment solutions. These freely downloadable design files help data center architects and engineers quickly evaluate and spec our containment solutions for new construction and retrofit projects.

See further details about SPS here.SPS1

Space is Limited in Manhattan

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I visited a banking customer in Manhattan last month and finally had the opportunity to revisit an installation Polargy had completed several years back. The bank had discovered too many hot spots in their data center and looked to Polargy for a solution. Their problems were caused by the room’s space limitations of a short ceiling and a cable cluttered  12” raised floor. As densities grew, so did their hot spots.

Al Helmke of JEM Tech in the Bank

Al Helmke of JEM Tech in the Bank

After assessing the available space and airflow patterns, Polargy installed PolarPlex TM Drop-Away Panels for cold aisle containment and a strip curtain door to close off the end of the aisle. The project was a success in that it solved the bank’s hot spot problems: intake air temperature dropped from 90°F to 70°F.

Al Hemlke, of JEM Tech, is pictured above in the cold aisle of the data center. Al is a well-known, respected industry veteran who is deeply familiar with the NY/NJ market and leads our relationship with this customer. The PolarPlex Drop-Away Panels are situated just above him and the strip curtain door can be seen at the far end of the aisle behind him. Generally, we avoid strip curtains because the curtains can sometimes dance due to airflow characteristics at the end of aisles. However in this case, the airflow was not strong enough to create a problem.

Because of space limitations in Manhattan, many data centers have relocated outside the city proper, to surrounding communities in New Jersey, other New York neighborhoods, or into Connecticut. Confined spaces can lead to the types of density problems our banking customer experienced. However, as they discovered and I was able to see in action, sometimes all it takes to solve the problem is a reevaluation of containment and airflow solutions. High density issues can still be addressed even while working in a limited amount of space.