Presenter: Pitt Turner, Executive Director, Uptime Institute

Monday, May 17
8:30-9:00 am, Sutton Complex

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In the near term, the greatest opportunity for data center managers and executives is to take back control of their jobs! Some have, but most have not. In spite of myriads of opportunities, real pressures to change, solid accomplishments of industry leaders, and volumes of best practices, there remains much to do. This presentation will ground us in the importance of business requirements and lead us forward to implementation of proven upgrades.

Panelists include: James Houghton, Adaptivity; Kevin Meagher, EDSA; Antonio Piraino, Tier1 Research (Moderator); Byron Washom, University of California-San Diego

Monday, May 17
11:35-12:10 pm, Sutton Complex

"Plan your work... and work your plan." It's an axiom that personal productivity coaches have advocated for years... and nowhere is it more true than in the data center. Throughout the lifecycle of any data center, technology upgrades, equipment changes, and maintenance can inadvertently cause a data center to drift further and further from the original design specifications. The future as envisioned by virtualization, cloud computing and now energy management all require new and innovative approaches that imply clear understanding of what your base line is and how to move forward. Optimization is the key. As you deviate from your original design model or blueprint, can your attempts to "upgrade" your facility- or embarking on virtualization, cloud computing, and smart grid strategies - actually be causing it to operate sub-optimally?

Join executives from EDSA, Adaptivity, and fellow data center operators in this lively discussion about "IT Blueprints" and "model-based power analytics"... two important constructs in ensuring the highest possible levels of availability and energy efficiency.

Panelists include: Carl Cotulli, Wright Line; Joerg Desler, Stulz-ATS; Dr. Bob Sullivan, Uptime Institute (Moderator)

Monday, May 17
2:05-2:35 pm, Gibson

What cooling innovations should data center operators expect in the next few years? Some strategies, like hot / cold aisle containment, are easy to adopt and continue to evolve. Others, like outside air cooling, are still considered experimental but hold great promise.

Some have posited that in some ways, the cooling industry has "failed the CIO" in terms of delivering what data centers need. On this panel, cooling solutions providers, data center end-users, and Uptime Institute's "chief skeptic" Dr. Bob Sullivan meet to discuss (and debate!) the cooling options in terms of their costs, efficiency, and contributions to high availability.

Presenter:  Calvin Nicholson, Senior Director Product Management and Software Development, Server Technology

Tuesday, May 18
3:55-4:25 pm, Nassau A

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This presentation explores device and in-feed power measurements within the data center cabinet using a cabinet power distribution unit. These measurements can be used to help calculate PUE and DCiE efficiency metrics, allocate cooling resources, identify comatose servers, and for capacity planning. It also looks at kW-h power information that can be used for billing specific departments within an enterprise data center or by co-location facilities for billing based on actual power usage.

Panelists include Gregg Dixon, EnerNOC; Peter Panfil, Liebert AC Power; Jeff Thomas, Ark Continuity; Dr. Bob Sullivan, Uptime Institute (Moderator); Anthony Wanger, i/o Data Centers

Tuesday, May 18
9:20-9:50 am, Nassau Suite

The major goal of this session is to separate theory from practice, as they relate to renewable energy in data centers. Renewable energy has several potential benefits, including freedom from pollution, a hedge against rising electricity prices, backup power independent of the grid, and putting power close to the point of use. On the other hand, many users have been slow to adopt renewables in practice, despite the benefits.

For those that have adopted renewables, this panel explores the challenges that early-adopters face, how these challenges were overcome, and what other users can learn and apply to decision-making at their own sites. During the Q&A session, audience members are encouraged to share with the panelists what they think the renewables industry can do to better meet the needs of data center operators.

A Cool Low Energy Approach to Sustainable Data Center Design
Tuesday, May 18
10:05-10:35 am and 10:40-11:10 am, Gibson

PRESENTERS: Ed Kettler, HP Fellow and Green IT Strategist, HP Enterprise Services; John Mullan, Managing Director, Housham Henderson Architects

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The HP Wynyard Data Center takes advantage of a cool climate to reduce the energy required for cooling by using a large quantity of fresh air supplied by axial fans through high-efficiency filters . The building is an energy-efficient and sustainable design, incorporating recycled materials and rainwater harvesting.

Presenter: John Scumniotales, Vice President of Engineering, Verdiem

Tuesday, May 18
3:55-4:25 pm, Nassau B

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Extending efficiency gains and waste reduction beyond the data center poses many challenges for organizations. To succeed with a broad sustainability program, IT organizations must develop a balanced approach that considers the technology, people, and business impacts. Join your colleagues for a lively discussion and help us answer such questions as:

• How do you get centralized visibility and control of globally distributed heterogeneous end-points (including PCs, network devices, and facilities)?
• Desktop Management, Network Administrators, Security, or Facilities Management - Who makes the energy management call?
• How do you balance risk versus rewards of an IT energy management initiative?