Resources

Understanding Power Distribution Unit (PDU) Technology and Security Considerations To appreciate the security challenges associated with data center power infrastructure, it is essential to understand the different types of PDUs and how their functionalities correlate with potential vulnerabilities. PDUs can be broadly categorized based on their intelligence and management capabilities, with each category presenting a distinct risk profile. Basic PDUs: These are the simplest form of power distribution, essentially robust power strips designed for use in critical environments. They distribute power from a single input to multiple outputs but lack any form of metering, monitoring, or remote management capabilities. From a cybersecurity perspective, their risk is minimal and primarily confined to physical tampering, as they typically have no network connectivity. Metered PDUs: Metered PDUs provide the ability to monitor power consumption at the PDU level. This information, such as voltage, current, and power (kW), is typically displayed on a local digital meter. Some advanced metered PDUs may offer remote viewing of this aggregate data via a network connection, introducing a minimal level of network exposure and associated risks if not properly secured. Switched PDUs: Switched PDUs build upon metered PDU functionality by adding the capability to remotely control individual outlets. This allows administrators to power cycle equipment, turn outlets on or off, and schedule power sequences remotely. This remote-control feature inherently requires network connectivity and a more sophisticated management interface, thereby increasing the attack surface and the potential for unauthorized access or denial of service. Intelligent PDUs (iPDUs) / Smart PDUs: These are the most advanced type of PDUs, offering comprehensive remote monitoring and control down to the individual outlet level. They often integrate environmental sensors for temperature, humidity, and airflow, and provide detailed analytics and reporting capabilities. iPDUs are effectively networked embedded systems, possessing their own operating systems, firmware, and various network management interfaces (e.g., Web GUI, SNMP, SSH, Telnet, REST APIs). This complexity, while providing significant operational advantages, makes them the most susceptible to cyber vulnerabilities. Flaws in their embedded software, insecure default configurations, weak authentication mechanisms, or vulnerabilities in network protocols can be exploited by attackers. The transition from basic to intelligent PDUs illustrates a common trend in technology: increased functionality and connectivity often lead to an expanded attack surface. The very features that make iPDUs indispensable for modern data center management—such as remote accessibility via web browsers or command-line interfaces, outlet-level metering and control, and integration with centralized management platforms like DCIM—are the primary sources of their security risks. Each networked service (e.g., HTTP server for web interface, SNMP agent for monitoring), management protocol, and underlying operating system component represents a potential entry point for attackers if not meticulously secured and maintained.

Modern healthcare delivery is undergoing profound digital transformation. Critical functions, from maintaining comprehensive Electronic Health Records (EHR) and managing vast libraries of medical images via Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) to enabling remote patient consultations through telemedicine and leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) for diagnostics, are fundamentally dependent on a robust, highly available, and secure digital infrastructure. The sheer volume of medical data generated is increasing exponentially, placing unprecedented demands on the underlying IT systems. This reliance introduces unique and intense pressures on healthcare IT infrastructure. Data centers supporting healthcare operations must navigate a complex landscape defined by stringent regulatory compliance mandates, most notably the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which govern the privacy and security of patient data. Simultaneously, these facilities must guarantee near-continuous availability for critical patient care systems, where even minutes of downtime can have serious consequences. Compounding these demands are escalating cybersecurity threats specifically targeting valuable Protected Health Information (PHI) and electronic PHI (ePHI). Furthermore, healthcare organizations face constant pressure to improve operational and energy efficiency to control rising costs, all while managing increasingly complex physical and virtual infrastructures, often spanning on-premises, colocation, and cloud environments.

The rapid growth and technological shifts within the data center industry present colocation providers with a complex set of interconnected challenges that span operational, financial, technical, and strategic domains. Successfully addressing these hurdles is essential for sustained success. Managing Capacity, Density, and Scalability: Accurately planning and managing data center capacity is becoming increasingly difficult. Forecasting demand, particularly with the volatile and often project-based nature of AI training workloads, presents significant uncertainty. Simultaneously, providers face pressure to maximize the utilization of existing space, especially in high-demand markets with record-low vacancy rates. A major technical challenge is accommodating the dramatic increase in rack power densities driven by AI and High-Performance Computing (HPC) workloads. Many existing facilities lack the power distribution and cooling capacity to handle densities moving towards 30kW, 50kW, or even higher per rack. Providers need infrastructure that is not only dense but also flexible enough to adapt to diverse and evolving client requirements for power, cooling, and network configurations. Optimizing Power and Cooling Efficiency: Power has become a critical constraint and cost factor. Securing sufficient, reliable power from utility grids, which are often strained, is a major hurdle for new developments and expansions. Furthermore, rising energy costs directly impact operational expenditure (OpEx) and profitability. Managing the immense heat generated by high-density server racks is a parallel challenge, necessitating investments in advanced cooling technologies, such as various forms of liquid cooling or highly optimized airflow management systems, to prevent equipment failure and maintain efficiency. Improving overall energy efficiency (often measured by PUE) remains a priority for cost reduction and sustainability, but achieving gains beyond basic measures requires sophisticated monitoring and control strategies.

The unique regulatory and operational pressures within the financial services industry place an exceptional burden on IT infrastructure management. Modern data centers are inherently complex ecosystems housing diverse components like servers, routers, switches, storage arrays, and power distribution units. The trend towards hybrid environments further complicates matters, distributing critical assets across potentially numerous physical locations including owned facilities, colocation sites, and edge deployments. Managing GRC effectively across this distributed and complex footprint demands robust data management and reporting capabilities specifically tailored to infrastructure. Meeting these diverse requirements hinges on the availability of accurate, timely, complete, and auditable data regarding the infrastructure GRC posture. This includes detailed information about every asset, its configuration, physical location, network and power connections, associated software and firmware, and its entire change history. However, achieving this level of data integrity is often hampered by fragmented tooling and persistent manual processes. Common challenges include incomplete asset information in Configuration Management Databases (CMDBs), limited visibility into cabling and interrelationships, lack of precise resource usage data (power, space, cooling), and change processes that "go dark" when moving between IT service management systems and the physical data center floor.

Asset Integrity Monitoring is a practice that focuses on achieving SLA commitments, ensuring equipment and data is secure, financial accountability, and tracking and reporting for regulatory compliance. Knowing what is in production and what equipment…

Managing data centers is more challenging than ever. Data Center managers demand operational efficiencies and uninterrupted availability of critical business applications while remaining flexible. How can data center operators achieve their management and operational goals…

Integrated Data Center Management (IDCM) is deep integration between data center critical facilities infrastructure, the resources (e.g., servers, switches, assets, etc.) within the data center, and the application workloads running there. IDCM’s most simplistic description would be the integration between Building Management Systems (BMS), also referred to as Building Automation Systems (BAS), DCIM solutions, and IT operations – yet the vision of IDCM is much more than that description captures.

Our compact guide explores the implications of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) for data centers, shedding light on the critical role it plays in promoting sustainable operations. Delve into the EED's vital metrics and learn how to effectively apply them to enhance your data center's environmental, economic, and social performance. Whether you're seeking regulatory compliance or aiming for sustainable transformations, this guide offers the insights you need.

One of the most stressful moments in managing data centers is realizing the status quo isn’t working. Perhaps the spreadsheets and other manual methods are falling further and further out of sync with the assets…

This paper describes a framework for deploying DCIM software. Each data center moves through different phases in managing their infrastructure, often starting with spreadsheets and diagrams, then moving to early stage DCIM and on to…

What is a Workload, and why is management of Workload Assets needed?

Nlyte can start with a CMDB’s Configuration Items: Connecting Nlyte to a CMDB allows you to set rooms and customer data, accurately representing a client’s environment. You can take that as the base representation of…

While DCIM is effective, IT organizations need to go a step further to fully integrate their data center operations into their IT service management (ITSM) processes. DCSM bridges this gap, enabling organizations to manage infrastructure,…

Workflow is essential for any organization implementing data center service management (DCSM). It orchestrates and effectively manages the many processes occurring in a modern data center. The Nlyte workflow engine helps ensure people within the data center can efficiently perform moves, additions, changes and decommissions that conform to the organization’s policies.

Nlyte Colocation: A DCIM Solution Custom-Made for Colocation Facilities.