VOIP & Remote Power Management

VOIP & Remote Power Management
Enhancing Internet Telephony Networks

Enhancing Internet Telephony Networks with Remote Power Management
As carriers speed to deploy integrated voice, data and video communications, additional equipment units are being rapidly installed to build-out new arms of an underlying infrastructure. The enabling infrastructure that supports these new communications services is a complex array of data communications and telecom equipment. A critical success factor of implementing integrated communications is ensuring that networks maintain maximum availability-- leaving zero tolerance for downtime due to crashed or failing equipment units. 

CLECs, ILECs, IXCs and ISPs are building new business models and service offerings based on the dependability of data communications and telecom internetworking equipment. While these carriers rely on battery power (DC) or power conditioning/UPS (AC) to ensure power availability, a dependable power supply alone cannot be relied upon to maintain the operational status of these devices. Despite high reliability assurances from hardware manufacturers and software programs, equipment units do malfunction. When equipment units “lock-up” or fail, the most proven method to restore the device to its operational state is to cycle the power – a reboot. However, when equipment units are remotely located in a distant POP site, co-location facility or telco central office, performing the reboot can be a costly function of time, distance and third party expense. At risk for the service provider are lost revenue, customer dissatisfaction, decreased productivity and potential Service Level Agreement penalties.

Consider what happens when a remote router locks-up. The router’s power cord is connected to one of the UPS's multiple power outlets, but a UPS does not have the ability to individually power cycle an individual power output receptacle. The recovery action choices available to the network control center are limited. The first option is a sledgehammer approach whereby an operator commands the UPS to simultaneously power cycle the UPS and all its attached devices. The second option is to find a technician that can be dispatched to the remote location to power cycle only the locked-up router. Neither choice is attractive or efficient.

One leading Internet telephony service provider has found a solution for not only addressing the problem of crashed internetworking devices in remote locations, but also faster installation and build-out of its infrastructure. Net2Phone, the first company to bridge the Internet with telephone networks, is utilizing Sentry Remote Power Managers from Server Technology, Inc. to ensure its global network of PC-to-phone, phone-to-phone, fax-to-fax, and e-commerce solutions for businesses and consumers maintains maximum uptime and availability.

Net2Phone offers the most advanced telecommunications application harnessing the global power of the Internet and has enabled more than 1,000,000 customers to place phone calls over the Internet at rates up to 95% less than current phone rates. Creating this new Internet telephony service has required Net2Phone to build a network consisting of servers, routers, CSU/DSUs and other equipment units placed at several international POPs. Supporting Net2Phone’s infrastructure of servers and internetworking devices are the Sentry Remote Power Managers. With a remote power management unit in place, the recovery of a locked-up equipment unit is easy. A remote power manager provides a logical, software-controlled interface to individual power outlet ports. Now, upon receiving notification of a locked-up equipment unit, a Net2Phone network operations center can immediately reach out to power cycle (reboot) the individual equipment unit and quickly return it to an operational status -- without interrupting all the equipment attached to the UPS.

In addition to remotely rebooting devices, Net2Phone also utilizes a unique feature of the Sentry power managers that it has deployed at more than 40 international POP sites. Built into each Sentry unit are asynchronous communications ports that allow a network operator to establish serial communications to the management port for all the internetworking devices located in an equipment rack. 

Net2Phone found that being able to remotely establish a communication session to the management console port on an internetworking device allows the service provider to more quickly build its global infrastructure. As Net2Phone deploys servers and other internetworking devices, the service provider distributes the devices from a central “staging” management center. The units are shipped to international locations, where technicians follow master cabling and installation instructions from the management center. Upon successful installation of the equipment units, the Net2Phone management center connects to the Sentry power manager to “power on” the devices. Then, via the asynchronous communications ports, Net2Phone establishes a serial communications session with each of the internetworking devices to remotely configure and monitor each device in its Internet telephony POP site. This process allows Net2Phone to dramatically reduce the time it takes to add new international POPs to its global infrastructure. 

About Server Technology:
Server Technology, Inc., designs and manufactures intelligent power distribution products for enterprise data centers, service providers and branch office locations. Founded in 1984, Server Technology is recognized as a leader in innovative Remote Power Management solutions. The company’s line of Sentry™ power products eliminates unnecessary trips to remote locations and minimizes the impact of locked-up internetworking equipment on business critical networks, combining intelligent power distribution, remote management and power measurement. Server Technology is located in Reno, Nevada and can be reached at (800) 835-1515, or on the Web at www.servertech.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS: High-resolution images are available for publication. Please email Calvin Nicholson at calvin.nicholson@servertech.com for more information.

Calvin Nicholson,
Marketing Manager
calvin.nicholson@servertech.com  
Server Technology Inc. 
www.servertech.com
1-800-835-1515