Eaton adds load-shedding

“Many organisations say their software integrates into VMware, but Eaton was the only one who could deliver when challenged to demonstrate that in-house for us,” said Tom McNinch, IT manager, Washington Unified School District. “If our power goes down, we are able to stage our shutdown process using Eaton’s software to keep critical machines up in the virtualised environment and we can consolidate servers to maximise uptime.”

Pre-configured to operate with VMware vCenter SRM, Eaton’s IPM software synchronises virtual machines (VMs) and automatically initiates the execution of a recovery plan to avoid data loss and reduce downtime during a power event. Eaton’s latest IPM software, version 1.5, builds on the robust platform, allowing data centre and IT managers to organise and prioritise groups of VMs within VMware vCenter SRM.

“Eaton’s latest Intelligent Power Manager software addresses key priorities in the data centre, simplifying power management processes and more importantly, maximising uptime and reliability to protect critical workloads,” said Rory Higgins, product manager software, Eaton EMEA. “Enhancing operations and converged infrastructure deployment, Eaton’s newest solution helps customers maximise business value through product innovation and integration with major virtualisation platforms.”

Enabling end-users to set specific times for VMs to shut down during a power event, IPM 1.5 is engineered to keep critical applications up-and-running while shutting down non-essential machines for enhanced flexibility and protection. For increased ease of operation, the software installs into several virtual management systems and can read attributes from both power equipment and environmental data such as temperature and humidity.

IPM 1.5 is optimised to work with Eaton power management solutions, including uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), enclosure power distribution units (ePDUs) and other power devices, through the VMware® vSphere® 5.5 virtualisation platform. IPM software can be paired with Eaton’s latest ePDU® third-generation (G3) platform, offering end-users an integrated power management platform to monitor multiple units through virtualisation systems.
Subsequently, IPM 1.5 can also play a pivotal role in protecting the investments in software, equipment and time resulting from Windows Server 2003 migrations. By integrating virtualisation-ready power management solutions into their migration strategy, IT professionals can put in place the tools to transform their infrastructure, taking their migration to the next level. The right power infrastructure will not only enhance the flexibility offered by virtualisation, but will also provide a more reliable and robust solution to help ensure business continuity.

Eaton is an Elite level member of the VMware Technology Alliance Partner program and its Intelligent Power Manager software is certified VMware Ready™, the highest level of endorsement for VMware based on a detailed validation process.

Eaton’s Intelligent Power Manager software version 1.5 is available in a basic package that is free for up to 10 nodes, in addition to an advanced platform that offers end-users more functionality and features up to 100 nodes for an optimised power monitoring and management system.