SOLUTIONS BRIEF

Management and Wirelessin the Data Center

High Performance Wireless Networks

Management and Wirelessin the Data Center
Worldwide demand for new and more powerful
IT-based applications, combined with theeconomic benefits of consolidated physicalassets, has led to an unprecedented expansionof data centers in both size and density.
Limitations of space and power, along with theenormous complexity of managing a large datacenter, have given rise to a new category oftools with integrated processes – Data Center
Infrastructure Management (DCIM).

Xirrus and Raritan has joined together to provide a sophisticatedwireless monitoring and management solution, which addresses
three areas. These include:• Reliability• Security• Monitoring

Xirrus – High Performance
Wi-Fi for Secure Environments
Reliability

Temp/Humidity
Monitoring

Infrastructure Management
PWR Mgt Asset Mgt ENV Mgt

XirrusWireless ArrayXMSPowerMonitoring

Visibility
Policy Manager
Reporting

DeviceClassiﬁcation
PolicyEnforcement
Internet

Plenum/Sub-Floor
Air-Flow Monitoring

RemoteVisibility/Control

Once properly deployed, a comprehensive DCIM solution
provides data center operations managers with clear visibilityof all data center assets along with their connectivity andsystem status. However, along with the advantages of this new
approach come challenges, specifically how to interconnect all
the intelligent monitoring and control devices.
First generation data center monitoring systems relied on
Ethernet, but this required additional cabling, switches, cooling,rack space, and more. Historically wireless was seen as only
an overlay technology, supporting but not replacing the wired
infrastructure. That view is now changing as the result of advancesin Wi-Fi technology as well as the explosion of hand-held devices
penetrating the data center. Many industries including military,banking and medical have tested and verified that wirelesssystems can indeed support the reliability, performance andsecurity requirements of mission-critical systems.

XIRRUS

Reliability is probably the number one concern of IT
administrators and also the most misunderstood of wirelesscapabilities. Deployed correctly wireless can actually be morereliable than a wired network. Consider this, if a wired connectionis broken (port, cable, patch panel, switch), IT intervention isrequired to correct the failure. Wired networks were always highly
reliable at the closet and core layer and able to route trafficaround failures; however resiliency fell short from the switch tothe client with only a single, static cable. With Xirrus wireless,a client that loses connection with one radio can quickly sendtransmissions to another radio within tens of milliseconds.
The key to reliability is taking advantage of the ‘dynamic’ healingthat is available with Xirrus wireless:• Radio/Client Level – Wireless is designed for mobility at its core,engineered to allow devices to ‘roam’ from one radio to anotherand this capability is not limited to mobile clients. Fixed devices,like system monitors, are able to logically roam to anotherradio if the primary connection is lost and this requires no IT
intervention. Most roaming is accomplished in under 50ms so
the impact and potential loss of data is minimized.
• Device Level – Design the network so each wireless client can‘see’ multiple Xirrus Arrays, so failure of one device will nottake down the network. Second, eliminate any potential single
point of failure, such as legacy centralized wireless controllers.
In this way a failure can be compensated by neighboringdevices, eliminating any potential for a system-wide failure.
• Uplink/Backhaul Level – Ensure that all wireless accessdevices provide multiple uplink options, both wired andwireless. In this way failure of one device cannot disable asegment of the network. A wireless or wired failure can berouted around the problem.

SOLUTION BRIEF // 2• Access Point Level – Access Point (AP) requirements will
be based on building construction. The use of Xirrus Arrayswith multi-radios and high-gain antennas provide the mostflexibility. Heavy use of concrete block walls will require moreAPs, while sheetrock environments considerably less. Allenvironments will vary, even building-to-building and floorto-floor. It is recommended a predictive survey be performed
and which is validated with an on-site survey if required.	Some factors to consider when selecting an Raritan iPDU are
the following:

Security• Electronic Asset Tracking – Even modest-size data centers
have an enormous number of IT assets, from servers tostorage to networking equipment. Tracking these assets isoften accomplished using spreadsheets and Visio® diagrams,or by developing a home-grown system, which can be very
labor intensive. However, if you miss a few moves, adds orchanges, it can become a challenge to know what you have
and where it is located.

Wireless networks are now common in many security conscious
industries such as healthcare, financial services and evengovernment facilities. A wireless network designed with bestpractices is widely considered equal to or more secure than awired network. By applying multiple layers of security throughthe Xirrus Array such as encryption, authentication, firewalls, andIntrusion Detection Systems/Intrusion Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS), the wireless network can be secured.
• Wireless Security – Security in most wired networks is basedon physical containment of the network. As long as only
authorized users have access to the cables, equipment, andservers communications are secure. But, the RF signal froman Array cannot be contained within a specific physical area.
As a result, protection methods – most importantly securing
the data itself – are employed to secure the communication
channel. With this approach, even if communication isobserved or intercepted, the actual data is not compromised.
• Layered Security – Network security, wired or wireless,encompasses a number of layers – from the physical securityof devices all the way up to the security of applications
running on the network. Layered security uses a suite ofprotection methods. An example of this is an Internet firewall.
It is a fundamental security tool in protecting networks
from attacks via the Internet. However, if a malicious attackis launched from the inside by an employee, one level ofsecurity has already been breached and it is up to other layersto contain the attack.

Raritan – Monitoring Systemsfor Data Centers
Monitoring
Monitoring systems are essential elements of any data center
deployment and many critical elements must be considered forsuccess.
• Intelligent Rack PDUs – Sophisticated energy management
systems utilized with Ethernet-based intelligent rack power
distribution units (iPDUs) are now available for wirelessnetworks. Raritan iPDUs offer modular, scalable building
blocks for the data center and are a key element forsuccessfully deploying power and monitoring systems. One ofthe easiest ways to implement such a system is with an iPDU
which supports USB wireless transmitters.

XIRRUS– 	Monitoring and metering of current (amps), voltage, power(kVA, kW) and energy consumption (kWh)– ISO/IEC +/- 1% billing-grade accuracy of kWh–	Power information from individual outlets, lines and circuit
breakers

Raritan electronic asset tracking can now be done wirelessly
and provide robust readings which allow data center operators
to have accurate, automated, real-time inventory of all IT
assets and their location. An asset management solution
helps manage the physical components from acquisition todeployment to provisioning to redeployment to disposal.
• Power Monitoring and Metering – The first step to managing
power is to baseline current power consumption. Ideally,
this will be done in a way that provides useful statistics to becompared over time. Using Xirrus Arrays eliminate the needfor deploying Ethernet connections to the Raritan PDUs.
Ideally, the power should be measured at the individual outlets
of a rack PDU. Monitoring the power at the outlet level ensuresthat IT equipment power consumption can be uniquely
identified to a particular device. This means specific actionscan be taken to improve efficiency such as eliminating lessefficient devices or virtualizing some physical servers.
• Environmental Monitoring – Another way to improve
efficiency is to increase the temperature of the air used tocool IT equipment thereby reducing the power consumed
by cooling and moving air. However, care must be takenthat hotspots don’t develop. To ensure that all IT equipment
is in a healthy environment it is wise to mount temperatureand humidity sensors at each rack. The American Societyof Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers(ASHRAE) recommend placing temperature sensors at thetop, middle and bottom of the cool air inlet side.
Airflow and air pressure sensors may be deployed to make surethat the cooling system is working properly. Airflow sensors
can be placed in plenums to monitor the movement of air. Air
pressure sensors can monitor the difference in pressure between
the floor and the subfloor or a hot aisle and a cold aisle.
• DCIM Solution Software – The information generated by
the monitoring systems described above can be aggregatedand analyzed by Raritan DCIM software. Managers who areconcerned about the utilization, availability and cost of power
can track this information from a central location. Data center
managers can use information gathered by various sensors tobe more energy efficient and to fully utilize their infrastructure.

SOLUTION BRIEF // 3

Those who are concerned about monitoring capital assets
can tap into the same DCIM platform to view real-time
information about facilities, networks and IT. Such a tool canvisualize the infrastructure to help manage the placement ofIT equipment and support informed capacity management
decisions and keep accurate track of data center assets.

Xirrus and Raritan –Cost Efficient Secure
Monitoring for Data Centers
While most IT administrators understand the advantage ofdeploying enterprise wireless infrastructure, some of the benefits
might not be as obvious. These include the following:• Lower capital and operational investment – When you
combine the material costs, the cabling, installation anddeployment time, the total cost of a Xirrus wireless network
can be dramatically lower than that of a wired network. Less
devices, less cabling, less switch ports equal less cost todeploy and less cost to support and manage. Some data
centers are now allocating only one Ethernet drop per cabinet.
• Faster installation – A wired network requires miles of cabling,wall jacks, patch panels, equipment racks, at least one switch
port per connection, lots of patch cables, closet power,
cooling and finally an enormous amount of time to install or
down time to upgrade.
On the other hand, a wireless network requires dramaticallyless cabling to pull, terminate and test, (one cable to an AP
can support hundreds of connections). With just a few wirelessaccess devices a wireless network can be deployed andoperational in a fraction of the time. Time and money savedon the network means more resources can be placed on bestpractices for installing sensors:–	20 to 50 iPDUs per wireless access point, typically two
iPDUs per rack–	Upgrade from basic PDUs to iPDUs without the need for
Ethernet to the PDU–	Wi-Fi dock and USB stick/antenna installed on top of a rack
to ensure proper bidirectional signal reception• Lower costs – Ethernet cable run costs can range anywherefrom $150 to $1000 per drop if you include cabling,termination and add costs for the switches required toconnect those cables. Studies have shown it is possible todeploy a wireless network for less than the cost of just pullingthe wired cables. Add to this the fact you never need to
upgrade your cabling plan. This cabling for the most partcannot be relocated. However, when a wireless network
is decommissioned, APs can easily be moved to the next
location, eliminating almost all stranded costs.

XIRRUS• Inherent redundancy – Wired or wireless administrators
require some level of redundancy in their networks. One areaof wired networks where redundancy is seldom available isthe final hundred meters (switch to device). If a wiring fault
occurs in this area IT intervention is required to resolve theproblem. Unlike wired networks, a wireless network has
inherent redundancy at the edge. If deployed correctly eachclient should see multiple radios. If a radio/AP were to fail thestation will automatically roam to another radio, normally withminimal interruption.
• Green initiatives – Global warming and carbon emissions
have become growing concerns. Wireless technologies canhelp reduce a data center’s carbon footprint through lesscabling, cooling, copper, and plastics.
• Reduced management role for network moves and changes– When a wired user relocates normally IT must reconfigure
switch ports, VLANs, phones service, etc. Wireless is designed
to work anywhere; users are not tethered to any specificport. Typical Moves, Adds and Change efforts are essentiallyeliminated.

Summary
A Xirrus wireless network simplifies and speeds the deploymentof Raritan environmental sensors and intelligent powermonitoring, including cost benefits realized through deploying
secure wireless DCIM systems. Using wireless communications
eliminates the need for Ethernet cabling to iPDUs, thereby
eliminating cabling, switches, rack space allocations, and costs.
Wi-Fi is also a green technology that lessens a corporation’s
carbon footprint by reducing the power, cooling, copper andplastics consumed.
Wireless monitoring and management is reliable enough for eventhe most critical systems, providing an enterprise class solutionthat is ideal for monitoring in real-time the environmental andpower conditions in IT dense areas. The Xirrus and Raritan solution
not only provides the highest reliability but also an affordable,
flexible and easy to deploy data center monitoring solution.

For More Information
For more details about how Xirrus can help you solve thepending influx of Wi-Fi devices visit us at www.xirrus.com orsend us an email at info@xirrus.com.
For more details about how Raritan can help you solve your Data
Center Power management challenges visit us at www.raritan.com
or send us an email at sales@raritan.com.

SOLUTION BRIEF // 4About Xirrus
Xirrus is the leader in high performance wireless networking. The enterprise-grade Xirrus Wi-Fi Array enables wireless connectivity
for small businesses to the Fortune 500. Headquartered in Thousand Oaks, CA, Xirrus is a privately held company that designs
and manufactures its family of wireless products.

About Raritan
Raritan is a proven innovator of power management, DCIM software, KVM and serial solutions for data centers of all sizes. In
more than 50,000 locations worldwide, our hardware and software solutions provide IT and facility directors, managers andadministrators with the control they need to increase power management efficiency, manage assets, change and capacity, andenhance branch office operations.
Raritan is an active member of the Green Grid, Climate Savers Computing Initiative, and the Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design associations. The company has been recognized by the EPA for its contribution to the agency’s data
center initiative.

High Performance Wireless Networks© 2012 Xirrus, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Xirrus logo is a registered trademark of Xirrus, Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Content subject to change without notice.

1.800.724.8090 Toll Free in the US
Raritan Inc. 400 Cottontail Lane
Somerset, NJ 08873 USA

To learn more visit:
raritan.com oremail sales@raritan.com

1.800.947.7871 Toll Free in the US+1.805.262.1600 Sales+1.805.262.1601 Fax
2101 Corporate Center Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA

To learn more visit:
xirrus.com oremail info@xirrus.com

SOLUTION BRIEF // 5