Data centers garnered a lot of attention in 2020 as many companies shifted to an entirely remote workforce and stay-home orders increased user demand. Let’s take a look at the top 20 articles of the year to see which topics drew the attention of our readers.

  1. Biological Viruses Versus Computer Viruses
    Biological viruses have always been a potent threat to humanity, as historic pandemics have proved. No wonder viruses became an ideal weapon model in a totally different world — a world of programming.
  2. Data Center Fire Suppression
    Fires may not be the most common cause of data center downtime, but they do occur and can cause major service interruptions.
  3. Coronavirus Implications for Data Center Strategies
    This article highlights 10 implications for data center facility strategies resulting from the pandemic.
  4. Rescue 42 Partners With AT&T
    Rescue 42 Inc. announced that the PodRunner division of Rescue 42 has entered into an exclusive supplier agreement with AT&T to provide the SatRunner Satellite communications platform configured with Wi-Fi internet and Band 14 cellular for the National First Responder Network, or FirstNet. 
  5. A Look at BYOD Environments and the Role They Play During the COVID-19 Pandemic
    Bitglass found that 85% of organizations already enable bring your own device (BYOD) environments for both employees and partners. Though these types of environments were typically not designed to support an organizations entire workforce, it certainly made the transition easier as the coronavirus forced work from home to shift from a luxury to a necessity seemingly overnight.
  6. ASHRAE Guideline 1.6: Data Center Commissioning
    In 2017, ASHRAE approved the development of a new commissioning guideline specific to data centers, and GPC-1.6, Commissioning of Data Centers, was formed. The new title, purpose, and scope were approved, and, in 2018, work began in earnest on developing this guideline. Current membership includes representatives from many well-known engineering and commissioning firms from both domestic and international locations.
  7. Driving Improvements for Efficient Data Center Cooling
    There are numerous options when it comes to motors and speed control solutions for fans, pumps, and compressors. When considering their efficiency, it is important to consider the total effect of both electrical and mechanical performance.
  8. Maintaining Data Center Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
    As the pandemic continues to play out, expect the value of traditional data center best practice to be reinforced. This isn’t so much a time to rip apart and rebuild as it is to validate what you’ve been doing all along and double down on it.
  9. What Does a Future-Ready Data Center Look Like?
    The move to future-ready data centers is underway, but more work is needed to ensure the successful transition of the existing wireless network, hardware technology, and network architecture to manage the integration of all new use cases and diverse requirements.  
  10. Designers Weigh Strategies for COVID-19 Isolation Rooms
    Help for fast-tracking the design of COVID-19 temporary treatment spaces is available from the American Society of Health Care Engineering, ASHRAE’s COVID-19 guidance document, and the American Institute of Architects.
  11. Examining the Role of Data Centers During the Coronavirus Outbreak
    In the digital age, data centers have a unique responsibility in times of crisis. The internet is vital to nearly every industry, and it relies on data centers to function.
  12. The Dark Web DDoS Attacks Sell for as Low as $10 Per Hour
    According to Nexusguard’s 2020 Threat Report, in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, DDoS attacks increased by more than 278% compared to Q1 2019, and by more than 542% compared to the previous quarter.
  13. Two-Phase Liquid Immersion Cooling Enables the Future of Technology
    Traditional air-cooled data centers will continue to work for many of the legacy applications. However, there are better solutions that enable space reduction, increased efficiency, cost reduction, and sustainable operations, all while providing the ability to compute at higher densities, causing a reinvigoration of Moore’s Law and enabling future technology innovations.
  14. Richard Zbin Named Mission Critical’s 2019 Facility Manager of the Year
    Six years ago, Richard Zbin was asked to “fill in” as facility manager while his company searched for a permanent replacement. Today, he is the proud winner of the 2019 Facility Manager of the Year contest. So how did he get from point A to point B?
  15. Myths and Realities of Prefabricated Data Centers
    There are many misconceptions when it comes to the pros and cons of prefabricated data centers. The biggest single reason for this is that when people hear “prefabricated,” they often imagine a containerized solution. 
  16. Video | What Is a Data Center?
    Scott Roots, Uptime Institute’s business development director in Europe, created this video to explain what data centers are in way that allows students to understand and appreciate the industry.
  17. Design-Build Team Achieves Data Center First for Michigan
    Granger Construction, Integrated Design Solutions, IBI Group, Motor City Electric, and Conti Corp. made history as their design-build data center project became the first in the state of Michigan to receive Uptime Institute’s Tier III Certification for both design and constructed facilities.
  18. Getting to Know the MCP
    Matt Silvers got his start in facilities 25 years ago, working as a calibration technician for a local HVAC firm that served the biopharmaceutical sector. He was promoted to lead technician before moving to another company, where he served as a facilities manager for a hyperscale data center provider. 
  19. Congratulations to the Top Tier Products Awards Winners
    Choosing between the best of the best is no easy task, but that’s exactly what the Top Tier Product Awards is all about — recognizing manufacturing excellence in mission critical equipment that embraces safety, energy efficiency, and innovative solutions to ensure reliable uptime for the data centers of today and tomorrow. Seven manufacturers stepped into the inaugural winner’s circle, and, together, they are raising the bar when it comes to mission critical equipment and what to expect.
  20. Redundant Rack Power Distribution Can Lead to Failure
    The rack PDU may be the last part of the power chain, but it’s a critical link. While facility engineers are responsible for the entire electrical power chain, IT and operational staff typically request redundant branch circuits to the racks, select the PDUs, and install the equipment. Ultimately, statistics show that human error, not hardware failure, is the root cause of most data center power failures.