Geeks in Paradise | Brian Chee » July 2007

July 24, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Behind the scenes of "Pimp your data center" Part 2

TAGS: Testing notes

Today is RackWise Training being done by Kristine Astrom of RackWise. The goal is to create in Visio+RackWise both a physical and logical layout of the new data center. Since floor loading has become an issue in this geriatric building, we're paying close attention to the weight thresholds in addition to the normal heat and power thresholds. In a nutshell, we're taking our inventory and tossing it into the new racks in the actual future layout. By adding in specific model numbers, the system can accurately add up heat output, weight and power consumption making it significantly easier to evenly load the room resources.

Once the room design is finalized right down to which cable is connected to what port on the switch; we can then give the work orders to Silverback Migration Solutions for the moves, adds and changes involved with the renovation.

Here are a few BEFORE pictures of the office turned data center....posted to Picasaweb.google.com Note, that thing on the floor is a centipede next to someone's flip flop and a hard disk to show how big it was...

/brian chee

 

 

 

Posted by Brian Chee on July 24, 2007 12:15 PM

July 20, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Behind the scenes of "Pimp your data center" Part 1

TAGS: Testing notes

We've all seen the excitement that television shows like Extreme Makeover creates and Oliver Rist and I are working with the University of Hawai'i School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) on Pimping out one of our smaller data centers on the 3rd floor of the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics (HIG).

HIG was chosen for a couple of reasons:

1. ANCL is located in the penthouse and will have our production racks located there when it's all done.
2. The building (HIG) is an older building, much more typical of what readers might encounter in a legacy building. The data center is actually two old offices combined to house the growing computing needs of the largest school at the University of Hawai'i.

So I'm hoping this situation sounds painfully familiar to our readership, and I'll be posting a series of stories on the grief we're going through in order to modernize this data center. Key issues we're dealing with right now are:

• The plans don't exist in CAD so we're having to work off paper plans
• This building was put up in the late 1960's and was retrofitted for the new earthquake regulations in the 1990's.
• Since this building is a concrete beam on post with concrete slabs laid on the beams, we've contracted a mechanical engineer to work with us on floor loading issues.
• The ceilings are tall, but have large beams protruding downward, so we've decided to shy away from a raised floor in favor of ceiling mounted cable raceways instead.
• The building does NOT have enough "spare" chillwater capacity in its air conditioning plant, which is forcing us to investigate emerging data center cooling systems. In this case we'll be using the new APC (American Power Conversation) system that will place the cold air where it's needed and keep the hot and cold air from mixing and thusly increasing the A/C efficiency.
• The original roof leaked, and has been retrofitted with foam slab insulation overlaid with a composite membrane for waterproofing. Installing heat exchangers on the roof is requiring a roofing contractor to modify the membrane so that we don't void the roof warranty.
• We don't have a real freight elevator in the building, so we're working with the APC engineers to size the rooftop heat exchangers so that we don't have to rent a crane to lift the units.
• Since floor loading, heat and power are always an issue; we'll be using both the APC and RackWise data center management systems to keep track of these key issues as we load everything up.

We'll turn over as many of the proverbial rocks as we can in hopes that our bleeding over these issue can help our readership in their renovation plans. If you folks have any data center renovation horror stories, toss them in as comments or drop me an email. Please indicate whether you want me to remove any references to your company or not.

Stay tuned....same Bat Channel...Same Bat magazine....

/brian chee

 

Posted by Brian Chee on July 20, 2007 11:46 AM

July 17, 2007 | Comments: (0)

iChannelDirect Direct Desktop Digital Delivery

TAGS: Testing notes

DigiWonder's Saas (Software as a Service) is offering iChannelDirect as a novel approach to the frustration some vertical markets have getting delivery confirmation on time sensitive and important messages. 

iChannelDirect™ Direct Desktop Digital Delivery

Simply put, the iChannelDirect client is a super small system tray app that periodically sends out a tiny http request to the service to check on status of various channels you're subscribed to. When new messages show up, their iBlob icon in the system tray starts pulsing. In a screencast done with the CEO Grant Holmes, he mentioned that it's the user's choice when and where to download the full message. Once you open the iBlob you get a list of your subscribed channels giving you a chance to determine whether you really need to get it here at the airport or wait until you get to the hotel room.

What makes this different from email is the ability to confirm and verify that the message has been opened. Grant's example scenario was a special deal for a particular sales channel for some unclaimed SuperBowl tickets, but if you read the message after SuperSunday, it's not worth delivering anymore. Another example are things like FAA airworthiness directives. I for one, REALLY REALLY want to make sure that airline mechanics get timely notices about aircraft safety changes AND read them.

Another differentiation is that the iChannelDirect system can also provide delivery verification via a certificate stating date/time/ipaddress/machine info/etc.

So while this may sound a bit Big Brother-ish, I can see a need in certain applications. It's just too easy to delete an email and then use the excuse that you never got it. So while it might not be a big thing for a sale notice, it could be a huge deal if it's a lawyer getting notification of a new witness in a trial.

An interesting SaaS application that isn't going to appeal to everyone; but for those verticals that absolutely positively MUST have a message delivered it could be a godsend.

Check out the iChannelDirect website if you're interested...the DigiWonder folks are looking for beta testers and now is your chance to put your $0.02 worth in.

You can also get additional detail in my screencast that Grant and I did over WebEx using Camtasia to capture the video and synch our conversation.

 

Posted by Brian Chee on July 17, 2007 04:26 PM

July 12, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Pssst...wanna buy a used router?

TAGS: Industry Trends

Regardless of what some of the network equipment manufacturers might say, used networking equipment is a reality of life. The problem is that they're some folks out there that are preying on the unsuspecting by selling them gear that's fallen off the back of the truck. The good news is that there is a thriving association of businesses that have banded together to remove the Hollywood image of a back alley shyster.

Who is UNEDA?
UNEDA is an alliance of more than 300 of the top used network equipment dealers worldwide. These secondary market suppliers work together to promote industry best practices, ensure the highest standards of product quality, and eradicate counterfeit and fraud in the secondary market.
Why You Need UNEDA
Our mission is to ensure that the secondary equipment market is an affordable, safe and reliable alternative to purchasing new networking equipment. With combined annual revenues of more than 2 billion dollars, UNEDA members provide millions of pieces of equipment to tens of thousands of customers each year.
Highest Standards for Product Quality and Service.
As in any industry, the secondary network equipment market includes providers offering products and services at varying levels of quality and integrity. UNEDA is a community of secondary market suppliers committed to maintaining the highest standards in product procurement, inspection, testing, warranty and post-sale service practices. Look for UNEDA members to ensure that you are purchasing equipment from reliable sources.
Exposing & Prosecuting Counterfeit and Fraud.
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) acknowledge that counterfeit has penetrated their authorized channel, yet there are few resources publicly available to educate buyers against this threat. With unmatched experience in current and past-generation equipment, secondary market equipment providers are the frontline in the battle to protect buyers from counterfeit, theft and fraud in the secondary market. UNEDA members work closely with various law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute offenders.

This wonderful organization was brought to my attention by Gillian Canty-Ross of SubSpacecom.com a member out of Atlanta. As a spouse of a long time Interop NOC team member, the past-noc is a group that has a long history of helping each other out on projects (we do LOTS of community service) and private projects. Many of us would not have been able to get our project/company/school/etc off the ground if we had to purchase everything new.

I should point out to the Network Equipment Manufactures (NEMS) out there that used equipment should be viewed as a golden opportunity to print money. Once we get on our feet, the equipment that helped us get there is ripe for service contracts and free white hot leads! It's just a shame that some NEMS have decided to look only at the short term loss of new equipment sales, and make it difficult to get contracts on used gear. It's a sale that you wouldn't have gotten anyway, and now is the time to buddy up to that startup and make them your best buddy and pal. Salesmanship101 dude!

So to Gilly (aka Gillian Canty-Ross) and the rest of the members of UNEDA, my hat is off to you and I wish you folks MANY years of success and good luck on putting those back alley shysters out of business. Stolen gear is bad, properly checked out and supported used gear is good....thanks for the lead Gilly....

/brian chee

 

Posted by Brian Chee on July 12, 2007 06:11 PM

July 10, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Openmoko.org Portal Site

TAGS: Lab Freaks, Open Source, Toys and tools

With all the iPhone hype, I've just got to wonder just how open the iPhone platform is going to be? While I've been hearing about java sdk's for it, I've not seen a download link yet on the Apple site. Is this really a Mac OSx machine under the covers, and just how well will it support java app porting? (*NOTE: the Interop NOC team has been grabbing the iPhone up all over the world and so far all the Interop NOC team folks love it. I just can't justify that much coin on a phone when I have a mortgage to pay)

Openmoko.org Portal Site

 The NEO1973 is the answer for those that want a cool looking communications platform, but either don't like Apple, don't like the iPhone, hate locked phones, etc, etc, etc...

So while the NEO1973 and the iPhone may look similar, the hardware under the hood isn't. Some key technologies on the iPhone are: Multitouch, and Sensors (accelerometer, etc) missing in the first development platform on the NEO.

So before we jump to conclusions and outright say the iPhone is superior, let me point out that the NEO is currently in a "reference design" that developers can use as a starting point. Like most embedded Linux systems, the NEO uses a toolchain to manage its applications and core functions, however because of its openness we should see a huge collection of legacy Linux apps ported to the platform if developers really do get on the bandwagon.

So anyway, Linux geek that I am, I'm in line for a demo unit available this coming sept/oct timeframe with a classroom full of wireless java geeks drooling at the opportunity to hack at a new platform. A friend at the UH Department of Information and Computer Sciences has been involved with the Japanese DoCoMo revolution, and has been packing her classroom with kids all wanting to write the next killer wireless app.

So I mentioned some key technologies in the iPhone. Multitouch is huge...instead of a single touch point, multitouch allows you to use multiple fingers to resize, reshape, etc. If you really want to see a demo of just how different multitouch can be...check out the YouTube video on Jeff Han at the TED conference in Monterey. His demo is nothing short of breath taking.

Next, the sensors in the iPhone include accelerometers, and to understand just how significant that is, just look at how much fun those games are on the WII! My nieces and nephews don't care that the graphics are primitive and plastic; that bowling game is outstanding, and tennis was a hoot. Though their favorite game is still pile on uncle Brian.

No the NEO isn't going to kill the iPhone, yet...but because it's open, and community developed, I wouldn't count it out anytime soon. I'm really looking forward to playing with it this fall, and have been lurking on the development site to see what kinds of cool things I can download for it or cobble together myself. Who knows, since the design is open, we may see multipoint touch screens and accelerometers for it yet.

/brian chee

Posted by Brian Chee on July 10, 2007 12:48 PM

July 05, 2007 | Comments: (0)

How to fix cellular dead spots

TAGS: Toys and tools

I can currently see a couple ways to fixing the One to none bar syndrome in your home or business.

1. Bitch loudly and constantly at your cellular provider but stop short of them not answering your calls
2. Setup your own cellular repeater system
3. Go VoIP on a dual mode cellular+WiFi handset

Solution #1: First and foremost, when a mobile provider has to pay somewhere between $300-$1000/month just to bolt a set of antennas on top of a building, then add in the leased line costs, and the gear; and you get a formula for bitch triage. They just can't make everyone happy. Even with folks like Verizon, T-Mobile, etc all plunking huge amounts of money down for employees to drive around checking coverage; you always end up with pockets of dead that are out of their control. Like for instance, if you happen to be on the other side of a bank vault from the cell site, count yourself lucky if you get any signal at all.

Solution #2: Personal cell repeaters really are legal and they no longer cost a king's ransom. Folks like Cellantenna.com make several solutions of varying sizes. Keep in mind that you MUST get one antenna outside and the amplifier needs power.

The above diagram is "borrowed" from the folks at Cellantenna.com

Cellular Solutions is another result from my Google Search using "cellular repeaters home" as my search criteria. So with lots of solutions to choose from, you need to keep a few things in mind.

• How far away can the exterior antenna be from the indoor amp? Extension cables are NOT a  good idea since signal drops logarithmically by cable length.
• If you can't get a good signal in the general location where you'd put the outdoor antenna, you may not want to use an omnidirectional antenna there. Instead go for a yagi (unidirectional) instead that will concentrate the RF energy in a single direction instead of trying to grab it from everywhere.
• Just keep in mind that unidirectional antennas need to be aimed in two dimensions...it needs to point at the cell tower.
• This isn't a magic bullet...there are limits to how much it can amplify. If the signal is too weak, all the amp will do is amplify both noise and signal and all you get is garbage.
• Lastly, these units are typically sized by number of users. If a phone is turned on, it's going to suck up one of those channels on some units, while others only count the number of people actually calling through the system. Make sure you check which one you're buying.

Solution #3: Dual mode handsets are now pretty common and I've already talked about just how good the DiVitas Mobility Solution is in a video I did at the Interop HotStage. However that's only going to help if you've got an IT group that's into VoIP. There is however, another solution from the folks at T-Mobile and that's T-Mobile - HotSpot @Home where you literally setup a T-Mobile hotspot in your home or office. Basically as long as you have a WiFi system that your dual mode phone can connect to, AND a $20/month extra fee subscription, you can have your phone flip over from cellular to WiFi. The best part is that it also doesn't seem to count against your cell minutes, but the catch is that you MUST have an unlimited data plan attached to that dual mode phone. The other catch is that the list of phones supported is fairly short for now, but growing quickly.

Posted by Brian Chee on July 5, 2007 02:47 PM