CompTIA exam study guide presentations by instructor Brian Ferrill, PACE-IT (Progressive, Accelerated Certifications for Employment in Information Technology) "Funded by the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Grant #TC-23745-12-60-A-53" Learn more about the PACE-IT Online program: www.edcc.edu/pace-it

1. Rack and power
management.

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Instructor, PACE-IT Program – Edmonds Community College
Areas of expertise Industry Certifications
 PC Hardware
 Network Administration
 IT Project Management
 Network Design
 User Training
 IT Troubleshooting
Qualifications Summary
Education
 M.B.A., IT Management, Western Governor’s University
 B.S., IT Security, Western Governor’s University
Entrepreneur, executive leader, and proven manger
with 10+ years of experience turning complex issues
into efficient and effective solutions.
Strengths include developing and mentoring diverse
workforces, improving processes, analyzing
business needs and creating the solutions
required— with a focus on technology.

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PACE-IT.
– Rack management.
– Power management.

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Rack and power management.

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Rack systems are specially
designed racks used to hold
networking and computing
equipment. Sometimes they
are referred to as server racks.
These rack systems follow one of several different designs
(e.g., they may be bolted to the floor or they may be
freestanding); however, they all follow the same height
specification.
The specification is the standard unit (U) and it involves the
amount of vertical space that can be used to hold equipment.
A U is equal to 1.75 inches. (e.g., a 15U rack has 26.25
inches of vertical storage space). Most rack servers and
enterprise level networking equipment are designed to fit
within rack systems.
Rack and power management.

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Rack and power management.
– Types of racks.
» Racks are normally two-post or four-post racks.
» Server rail racks have slide mounts to make it easy to pull out
servers to perform necessary maintenance.
– Device placement.
» Devices that generate the most amount of heat, or are not heat
sensitive, should be placed toward the top of the rack.
» Devices that generate the least amount of heat, or are heat
sensitive, should be placed toward the bottom of the rack.
» All equipment cold air intakes should face the same direction;
all equipment exhaust outlets should, therefore, face the same
direction (i.e., hot aisle/cold aisle).
– Airflow.
» When mounting equipment in racks, vertical space should be
left between the equipment to promote adequate airflow.
» When multiple rows of racks are implemented, a hot aisle/cold
aisle approach should be used to promote proper airflow and
cooling.

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Rack and power management.
– Rack monitoring.
» Racks should be monitored for environmental factors to help
ensure the health of the servers and other equipment.
• Monitors should be in place for: temperature, humidity,
vibration, water leaks, smoke, and intrusion.
– Rack security.
» Most rack systems do not come with rack security in mind, but
it can be easily added after rack installation.
• Rack doors can be added that have either keyed or electronic
locks.
» If the equipment is not secured, it can be easily stolen.

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Rack and power management.

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Power is often overlooked
when designing a network;
however, without power
management, the network
may never work properly.
Most people assume that when they plug a piece of
equipment into a wall socket, that that piece of equipment is
going to power up just fine. In most cases, this is true.
However, if the circuit cannot provide enough amps to the
equipment, damage may occur.
It is important to know the power requirements and loads for
all of the equipment that will be in place. This helps to ensure
that the proper electrical circuits are installed, so that
sufficient power is delivered where it is needed.
Rack and power management.

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Rack and power management.
– Power converters.
» Convert electrical energy from one form to another (e.g., from
AC to DC or from one voltage level to another).
• Power inverters: a type of power converter that specifically
converts voltages DC to AC.
– UPS (uninterruptable power supply).
» Uses power converters to receive electrical current from an AC
electrical source and pass it to a battery (or batteries) for
storage.
» Uses a power inverter to receive DC current and pass it to
another device as conditioned (well regulated) AC flow.
» Used to provide a steady stream of conditioned electrical power
to components.
• Helps to protect sensitive electrical components from power
anomalies (e.g., power spikes or power sags).
– Power redundancy.
» Critical components should include redundant power supplies.
• If one of the power supplies fails, the other one takes over
immediately.

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Rack and power management.
Rack systems are specifically developed to hold computing and networking
equipment. Height is measured by the number of standard units that are
available. Several different styles of racks are available, including
freestanding. There several considerations when placing equipment in
racks, including airflow. Racks should be monitored for environmental
factors and rack security should be implemented.
Topic
Rack management.
Summary
Power management is often overlooked when designing network systems.
One consideration is that the electrical circuit can supply enough amps for
the equipment that is going to use it. Power converters are used to change
one or more characteristic of electricity. A UPS can be used to supply a
steady flow of conditioned power, helping to protect computing equipment.
Redundant power supplies should be used with critical components.
Power management.

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