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Two topics of interest for data center network administrators 

Presentation 1 

As data centers become more complex, the design and topology of the network's cabling system become critical. The choices made in this area will affect a data center's manageability, scalability, upgrade efforts, interoperability with other systems, capital and operating costs, port use, power consumption and other critical operational aspects. 

This presentation explains in detail how choosing a top-of-rack architecture differs from a structured-cabling architecture, and how each approach affects important network operations. It quantifies the results of each option, and concludes with a pros-and-cons discussion of the options available. 

As power-monitoring technology has grown in sophistication, data center administrators have become increasingly better able to examine with granularity the energy consumption of individual elements and systems in their facilities. 

This presentation describes the evolution of power-monitoring equipment, paying specific attention to some of the newest capabilities available. It describes how data center administrators can capitalize on increased visibility into power-consumption activity, to modify or update their infrastructure in order to achieve better results.