Resources

White Papers

Raritan has created the following White Papers to help you better understand how we plan our products and integrations.
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Serial Console Servers

Five Ways Remote Access Technology Improves Business Continuity, Simplifies IT Management, and Reduces Costs.

The following white paper will detail the five key applications of serial console servers, explain the benefits of each and share real-world use cases on how organizations of all sizes can take advantage of the technology.

Power Monitoring and Metering

How Understanding Power Consumption Can Lead to a More Efficient Data Center

The following white paper will address how power monitoring solutions can be effectively used to meet the challenges faced by data center managers, while simultaneously delivering an IT environment that is able to achieve evolving business, usage, regulatory, and financial goals.

Embracing the Digital Data Center

In this whitepaper, we will examine the importance of data center environmental monitoring, explore the variety of monitoring strategies, and how they complement intelligent power monitoring solutions. From there, we’ll discuss how to instrument your data center with these tools and provide some real-world use cases.

Flying Solo or Going Colo?

Flying solo is the way to go when IT is a profit center rather than a cost center for the company. A well-designed IT environment with the right “user experience” can be a lucrative means of differentiating one company from another. On the other hand, choosing to place your data center assets at a colocation (“colo”) facility can be a logical step for many IT-centric businesses. In this whitepaper, we’ll further discuss the pros and cons of each.

Rack-Level Security and Compliance

It used to be sufficient to regulate access to the data center as a whole, as long as you could reasonably ensure that no unauthorized personnel had access to your sensitive digital infrastructure. However, times are certainly changing. Escalating regulatory requirements across industries now require that sensitive systems and data be subject to their own specific protections. As a data center manager, you must track and monitor their access to specific sensitive systems and ensure they have the correct rights to a particular area. With that being said, in order to fulfill your rack-level compliance requirements with the utmost confidence and efficiency, you need to make some smart decisions for both the near and long term.  This white paper outlines how you can accomplish this with limited resources.

High Performance Applications with the Dominon KX III

Broadcast, control room, government, military and other users of high performance applications face several challenges when it comes to remote access and control. They require ultra-fast switching, high definition video, low latency, and support for dual video and monitors. In addition, IT, engineering, and other departments also require 24/7 access to these computers to make sure if something does go wrong, it can be fixed quickly.

The New Digital Outpost: Why We Must Rethink Remote Infrastructure

IT has always supported computing at remote sites. But business-critical digital activity at remote sites is rapidly intensifying due to multiple factors that include pervasive mobility, Internet of Things (IoT), and real-time analytics. IT must therefore proactively rethink its approach to remote infrastructure in order to enable critical digital activity and to ensure that it continues uninterrupted — while at the same time driving cost out of remote site ownership

Datacenters of the Future: A Shifting Landscape from the Core to the Edge

Most new datacenters operate at optimal availability and with infrastructural energy efficiency close to theoretical design targets. As such, it might be argued that the two biggest challenges of datacenter technology in the past 30 years have been addressed. But despite this progress, the pace of change in the datacenter industry will continue and is likely to accelerate over the next decade and beyond. This will be spurred by increasing demand for digital services, as well as the need to embrace new technologies and innovation while mitigating future disruption. At the same time, there will also be a requirement to meet increasingly stringent business parameters and service levels.

Data Center Physical Realities in a Software-Defined And Virtualized World

As our businesses become increasingly digital, we tend to think about technology in non-physical terms. Our IT infrastructure becomes “the cloud.” Our servers and storage become “virtual.” Our networks become “software-defined.” The reality, however, is that information technology (IT) always depends on physical infrastructure. This white paper addresses five key aspects of IT that are inextricably tied to computing’s physical realities, even as that computing becomes more virtualized, software-defined, and cloud-based.

BlockOps: Getting Your Blockchain Infrastructure Off to the Right Start

Blockchain is a promising technology for many markets. With the decentralized network of trust that blockchain enables, large numbers of stakeholders can engage in secure data exchanges, financial transactions, and other multi-party business processes without depending on centralized clearinghouse authorities — which can add cost, friction, and a potential single point-of-failure to markets where agility and stakeholder sovereignty have become increasingly desirable.

DCIM Software and IT Service Management — Perfect Together

Information Technology is so fundamental to every business today that every organization needs to establish formal processes to ensure that IT services are continually aligned to the business, and deliver efficient and reliable support over the entire lifecycle of products and services. These processes, commonly classified as IT Service Management (ITSM), may follow a well-known model such as ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) or, more likely, a set of internally-developed best practices.

Deploying High Power to IT Equipment Racks
With average rack power consumption still increasing, the deployment of high power to racks is becoming more of a necessity for data center managers. Well aware of this trend, Raritan has remained a high power industry thought leader and solutions provider. Download our white paper, Deploying High Power to IT Equipment Racks, to learn about high power best practices, trends, common configurations, future industry speculation and more.
Open RMSP - You Control Your Management Solution
Raritan is committed to providing real value in open standards-based IT management. To support that commitment, we created this paper to increase understanding about DASH and the OpenRMSP project.
Server Room Solutions: How small to midsize IT businesses can make their budgets appear larger
Managers of small and midsize IT departments must deliver uninterrupted service 24/7. Undersized budgets, bare bones staff, increasingly complex infrastructures and miniature workspaces are all part of the equation they’re expected to solve. But there’s a danger in this juggling act, and even the most skillful managers are vulnerable.
Best Practices When Enabling Smart Card Authentication in a KVM System
While many organizations have employed smart card identification to enhance their physical security infrastructure, data centers in particular can benefit greatly from the two-factor authentication that a smart card inherently provides to the logical realm. When seeking a smart card-enabled KVM system, choose not only a solution that fulfills the basic requirement of supporting PKI authentication to multiple servers from a single location, but also one that makes the necessary KVM feature adjustments to enable seamless use of the reader. Finally, it should adhere to industry standards to ensure that security thresholds are met.
Understanding Remote Server Management in Small and Midsize Server Rooms and Data Centers
In November 2005, Computerworld surveyed its small business subscribers on IT infrastructure and server management issues. The goal of the survey was to better understand the challenges of remote server management in smaller organizations. The survey was commissioned by Raritan, with data gathered and tabulated independently by Computerworld Research. This white paper presents the top-line results of the survey.
A New Dimension in IT Infrastructure Management: Integrated KVM and Serial Console System
As large, multiplatform, heterogeneous IT infrastructures proliferate, data centers have become ever more complex. Advances in remote management hardware and software now aggregate access to KVM, serial, and power control devices under a single platform, providing logical and physical views of IT assets. Browser-based access allows administrators to work from any Internet-connected PC. This white paper describes how today's KVM and serial console control tools can help companies meet the IT management challenge.
Virtualization and Data Center Management
Virtualization presents a tremendous opportunity for IT organizations. Yet deployment involves major process and management complexities. Our new white paper outlines best-practice methodologies that help you tackle challenges brought on by virtualization. We also suggest key questions to ask when evaluating a consolidated management solution.
ESP Is Not Free: Look to KVM over IP for Efficient Data Center Control
Embedded service processors free? Not so fast. To use the features you really need, you typically pay additional licensing costs. Plus, KVM over IP features lower TCO, multivendor support, enhanced security and flexible user management, among other cost savings.
Service Management Made Simple for Midsize Organizations
Fortune 1000 companies have traditionally led the way in IT best practices. By comparison, midsize businesses (MSBs) tend to be more conservative in their approach. The challenge for them is how to make it simple. Implementing service management at an MSB does not have to be a huge nor expensive undertaking. In this white paper, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) discusses an approach specifically for midtier companies based on Raritan’s CommandCenter® management products – CommandCenter NOC and CommandCenter Secure Gateway.
The Role of Remote Management in Assuring IT Infrastructure Uptime
Maximizing systems uptime is paramount in most IT organizations. Implementing remote management solutions can provide dramatic savings in operational expenses, along with faster MTTR, increased ROI and overall IT uptime. Learn how you can realize the benefits of remote management solutions in this white paper from EMA.
The Distributed Enterprise: Remote Access and Management of IT Infrastructure
For IT managers, remote offices can cause any number of headaches. Fortunately, Raritan offers a variety of solutions easing the fallout of the control, security and budgetary issues involved in remote management. Our white paper, The Distributed Enterprise: Remote Access and Management of IT Infrastructure, we examine and analyze the increases in uptime and security provided by out-of-band access and control tools.
Data Center Transformations
Implementing an effective Build Out, Consolidation and Acquisition (BOCA) project requires progress through five basic stages: assess, plan, build, stabilize and optimize. This white paper discusses each of the five stages and how the right remote access and IT infrastructure management tools will dramatically improve overall efficiency.
Data Center Power Overload Protection: Circuit breakers and branch circuit protection
Average power consumption per server is on the rise. Data centers racks are becoming more densely packed with power-hungry IT equipment. To meet the need for additional power, data center managers must deploy PDUs that handle higher voltages and currents. This white paper examines new rack PDU certification requirements and why data center managers should seriously consider replacing fused rack PDUs with ones that have the latest UL Listed UL 489 circuit breakers.
Power Distribution Units (PDUs): Power Monitoring and Environmental Monitoring
It's more important than ever for IT and facility managers to focus on challenges like monitoring power consumption, managing power at the rack and data center cooling. But what are the most efficient methods to meet these challenges? This white paper explores how intelligent rack PDUs can address these critical uptime and capacity planning issues.
Data Center Power Distribution and Capacity Planning
Managing power is critical. But where do you start? Raritan and PTS Data Center Solutions developed this white paper that examines the myths and realities of power measurement. Learn what instrumentation helps calculate your data center power efficiency and how to set standards to align with the Green Grid.
Measuring Power in your Data Center
There are many ways power has been allocated, estimated, and sometimes measured in data centers. This white paper will discuss the reasons why data center power should be measured, where power consumption should be measured, what to do with the data once it is gathered, and some of the new technologies available.
Power Distribution in Data Centers: STARLINE Track Busway, PX iPDUs and Power IQ
Today’s data center managers are being asked to do more with less: to supply more computing power using less energy in a smaller space, while meeting limited budgets and maintaining mission-critical reliability. This white paper focuses on power distribution and monitoring solutions that are successfully meeting these demands.
Monitoring Efficiently
A period of enormous technological, corporate and legislative change looms for the data center industry. In order to negotiate the challenges presented by new requirements of resource management, reporting and accountability, budgetary constraint and operational flexibility, the monitoring of data center operations needs at the very least to keep pace with these trends. This White Paper uses the results of a survey conducted among a sample of upper-level US data center owners and operators to suggest some principles of ‘best practice’ based on how these owners and operators are approaching monitoring and reporting in their facilities and where they would most like to see improvement.
EO 13514 and Smart Federal Government Data Center Management
On October 5, 2009, President Obama signed executive order EO 13514 “to establish an integrated strategy towards sustainability in the Federal Government and to make reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) a priority for Federal agencies.” By identifying and using tools and practices that can target areas for improvement, federal agency data centers can not only perform more efficiently, but lead the way in reducing energy usage, helping agencies meet the objectives of the executive order. This white paper examines data center management relating to the measurement, use and saving of energy. It also suggests criteria that can help you decide whether these areas can help you achieve the goals established by EO 13514.
Environmental Data Center Management and Monitoring
It wasn’t too long ago that data center managers relied on simple room thermostats to indicate the ambient temperature of their data centers. Unfortunately, a room thermostat’s limited range makes it an inadequate tool for monitoring and controlling the temperature and other conditions that exist throughout even a small data center. Today, a wide variety of sensors are used to monitor and control temperature, humidity, airflow, differential air pressure, water, and contact closure. These sensors can tell data center managers when a cabinet door is open, calculate the precise difference in pressure between two locations, reveal the presence of water, and much more. This white paper examines how these sensors, when properly deployed and managed, can help you maintain the optimum environment for consistently efficient operation of your data center.
An Introduction to Data Center Infrastructure Management
Space and power limitations in data centers, along with increased complexity, have led to a new category of management tools with integrated processes – Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM). This document takes a look at how DCIM products can help you simplify and streamline operations, automate data center asset management, optimize the use of resources, reduce costs and more.
Decrease Costs and Gain a Competitive Advantage By Improving Data Center Infrastructure Management
For any organization to be successful, its IT arm must align with business objectives and deliver applications efficiently and effectively to better service its customers and employees. But with increasingly complex infrastructures, how do data center operations managers control expense, improve productivity, support new applications, provide reliable service and project future infrastructure needs? And how can executive management set realistic objectives, provide useful guidance and make informed budget and capital expenditure decisions? This paper looks at how DCIM software will give companies the visibility, control and insight to leverage IT assets to align with business goals.
The New Truth in Data Center Management
If you are a data center manager or in a related position then this white paper has something for you. It takes you beyond spreadsheets to the benefits of Raritan’s total Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software solution that helps you better manage space, power, equipment and connections. The simple truth is that you now have a comprehensive and easy to use tool that will help you organize all of your assets to achieve new levels in your data center planning, management and optimization while reducing costs. Raritan’s DCIM will simply help make you and your organization more valuable to your company.