Power failures, network fluctuations, under- or overvoltage … these are all real dangers that every network is exposed to on a daily basis. The resulting problems in the home are annoying. In the corporate sector or even in critical infrastructures, they can even have catastrophic consequences.
To prevent this, 3-phase UPS systems are used. These ensure a smooth supply in networks with heavy power loads.
The abbreviation UPS stands for uninterruptible power supply. UPS systems are therefore devices that guarantee a permanent and fail-safe power supply. They ensure an even power distribution and in the event of a failure, they bridge this with the help of an integrated battery. They therefore act like an emergency power system, but work with shorter switching times.
3-phase UPS are designed to split and evenly distribute the power from 3-phase power supply systems (also: three-phase current, 3-phase alternating current or heavy current). In the event of a supply problem, the power supply is still ensured by the integrated battery taking over.
The devices are also generally class 1 UPSs. These online UPSs (also known as continuous operation UPSs or continuous converters) act as power generators that constantly generate their own mains voltage - without any significant switchover time. Thanks to the so-called bypass circuit, it is possible to switch to an alternative supply branch without interruption in the event of problems. Because of these properties, 3-phase UPS are used in networks with very high requirements.
3-phase UPS are used wherever high power loads need to be transported. These include large data centers, industrial plants, widely branched networks and critical infrastructures.
Here, network failures are associated with huge consequential damage that must be urgently avoided.
Depending on the industry, these can be, for example:
It is important that you can classify your planned application accordingly. The (reasonably) high purchase costs are only economical if the 3-phase UPS is also necessary for the intended environment.
A spontaneous power supply failure can have far-reaching and serious consequences. With a 3-phase UPS, you can prevent these and stay one step ahead of various types of power failure.
Examples of these faults could be the following:
As a result, your IT infrastructure also protects your business from consequential damage such as interrupted processes, workflows or loss of data.
Instead, with a 3-phase UPS, you generate an even load distribution and a permanently secure supply for your networks. Thanks to its compact design, such a device takes up little space, but is highly efficient, especially with high current loads.
If you are not yet using a UPS system, it is high time to change this. However, you should obtain sufficient information before integrating one. Because like every part of a functioning IT infrastructure, the use of such a device should also be planned.
You should therefore first determine the overall performance of the systems to be protected. This is important in order to weigh up whether the purchase of a 3-phase UPS is economical and, above all, necessary. You can find out more about this in our UPS guide "UPS guide: How to find the right UPS system for your requirements".
Also keep the possibility of subsequent scaling in mind. Modern 3-phase UPS systems usually have the corresponding properties.
You can also obtain 3-phase UPS from IT-Planet, especially from the manufacturers APC and Eaton. Take a look at our UPS systems category.
This program can be a reliable and better priced alternative for your company, as the products are significantly reduced compared to new products.
In this blog post, you will learn why it is worth purchasing Cisco Refresh products and how to distinguish them from new Cisco hardware.
In this program, used Cisco devices are completely overhauled and refurbished to as-new condition. The products are certified and come with an extensive warranty. The quality of the products remains the same as a new product. In addition, these products have the same warranty and service options as new Cisco products.
They can increase their budget as the products offer a cost-effective solution as a single product, as they are significantly cheaper than new. This gives you the opportunity to purchase more devices and gain additional savings for other opportunities.
Other advantages include:
…sells used refurbished products to Excess Refurbished customers. They sell the products on the secondary market. You are then no longer considered an authorized Cisco partner.
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In summary, it can be said that Cisco Excess products, in contrast to Cisco Refresh products, are not completely refurbished and put into a new state, but 'only' focus on the functionality, but they are still relicensed.
Cisco Refresh products are therefore an ideal alternative for many purposes, whether you want to make savings, benefit from the same quality or pay attention to sustainability. You have the option of opting for these products if the hardware is not currently in stock with us in its new condition. You also have a large selection of Cisco products at IT Planet.
However, we also offer another option: IT remarketing. This gives you the opportunity to buy used IT hardware. You also benefit from considerable savings.
Nevertheless, the products are fully functional and come with a warranty. You also make an important contribution to environmental protection. If this is an interesting option for you, you will find the necessary information about this service on our website.
Many things are currently unthinkable without electricity. Especially in the IT sector, devices need electricity to function properly. Whether switches, servers or routers - they are only intact if they are supplied with electrical power. If only one computer in your network is affected by a power failure, the damage is relatively minor. But if an entire server room fails, the consequences are far greater.
This blog post summarizes how power failures and overvoltages and how you can protect your company against them.
A power outage is an interruption in the supply of electrical energy. Generally speaking, it is a disruption of the balance between electricity consumption and electricity generation.
This can normally be of short duration, i.e. a few seconds, minutes or hours. In extreme cases, however, it can last for several days or weeks. If it also affects many people and entire regions, it is referred to as a "blackout". The latter can have far-reaching consequences for all those affected, be it households, companies or industrial society.
IT security in your company is therefore extremely important and should never be neglected.
You can find out more about IT security in companies in our article “IT Security in Companies: Importance and Solutions”.
An overvoltage is a voltage increase that lasts from a few microseconds to hours. This voltage increase exceeds the tolerance range of the permissible operating voltage.
The connected electronic components of an appliance are damaged or even destroyed. This leads to a failure, in extreme cases even to an explosion or fire of the appliance. If these also occur more frequently, they will damage the device and therefore your IT infrastructure in the long term.
Very high overvoltages are also referred to as a short circuit, in which case the system must be repaired.
Many people often think of overvoltages as direct lightning strikes or a strong electromagnetic field, which is sometimes the case. However, switching operations, i.e. manual or automatic interventions in the power transmission system, also cause disruptions in your network and downtime for your devices. Surges also occur when the load increases due to a power interruption.
There are 3 ways to protect your end devices, installations or equipment from overvoltages, depending on the type of overvoltage. Firstly, lightning current arresters protect against high-energy faults. This prevents lightning from entering your building.
However, there is also the option of using surge arresters. They reduce the interference voltage. For sensitive devices, there are also surge arresters that reduce the interference voltage even further.
An outage can have many causes. In any case, it is important to act quickly to minimize the impact on your network.
Causes include, for example:
Power outages of short duration alone can have serious consequences for your company:
In order to minimize the damage caused by a power outage, careful and early planning is an advantage.
Emergency management ensures safety:
A UPS protects technical devices from faults in the power grid by supplying them with battery power. The UPS is used automatically, especially during short interruptions, more often than you might think.
The UPS is therefore very important to provide additional protection for your IT systems. You can find more information on this under "UPS guide: How to find the right UPS system for your requirements".
If you don't want to be left behind when it comes to digitalization, you shouldn't do without solid and well-connected network planning. This is crucial for improving internal processes, increasing security and ensuring smooth communication with (potential) customers. It is therefore best to start building a strategic IT infrastructure as soon as possible.
In this blog post, we explain the things you need to bear in mind and the basics you should know when setting up an IT architecture.
The IT infrastructure is the strategic composition of all resources that ensure smooth and secure data transmission. It includes hardware, software, data centers and their cabling as well as the management and maintenance of these - for example by IT personnel.
Especially in complex structures, such as in companies, it forms the foundation for smooth operation and a high level of security. How the IT infrastructure is set up is highly individual and depends on several factors. These include the type of network you use, the functions relevant to your industry, but also the financial resources available to you.
It always makes sense for individual components of a network to be coordinated - even in a private environment. In a business environment, however, it is crucial for your success. Even more important: a strategically designed IT infrastructure is the basis for secure data transmission and is therefore indispensable in companies and public institutions.
A mature IT architecture brings these advantages with it:
Precisely because the corresponding IT architecture is individual and depends on many circumstances, there is no general guide. If you are looking for a checklist that you can follow 1:1 to set up your IT infrastructure, we will have to disappoint you.
However, we can give you a helpful guide in one possible direction. The rest of the text can help you to define specific goals.
This is also helpful if you do not want to take over your IT organization yourself, but want to bring specialists on board. Knowing what goals you are aiming for will help you to communicate clearly how your IT infrastructure should be set up.
Although the type of setup is always individual, there are objectives that are worthwhile for every industry and every network.
Your IT infrastructure should …
… be designed as a long-term solution. This is the only way to ensure that it does not have to be permanently adapted.
… fulfill all security aspects. IT security for companies and official bodies is unavoidable. But you should also take this principle to heart in your private environment in order to protect your data.
… be flexibly expandable. Keep this in mind when setting up your IT infrastructure. As your company grows, it simply grows with it - and saves you having to reorganize the entire architecture.
… be sustainable. As a forward-looking institution, responsible ecological action is not an option. What your strategy looks like again depends on individual factors. However, one option is to use professionally remanufactured IT hardware.
If you are setting up an IT infrastructure, the first step should be to think about what you expect from it. Think about what makes your company special and which requirements are essential.
Questions such as:
In the next step, you should take a close look at the existing components of your hardware and software. On the one hand, this serves to take stock so that you know which components you need to purchase to expand.
On the other hand, you analyze which parts of your IT environment are already working well - and which are not. This helps you to narrow down the need for action and define where there is a particular need for action when setting up your IT infrastructure.
It is important that all components ultimately work together smoothly. It is therefore best to focus on the parts that work and start planning from there.
Opinions differ as to which type of IT infrastructure is the best decision. A basic distinction is made between an on-premises solution (local server or data center) and a cloud solution (installation on an online cloud server).
There is an obvious trend towards the cloud - but this is by no means the best choice for every IT environment. Security aspects in particular are causing companies to have doubts at this point.
Ultimately, however, it's all a question of weighing up the pros and cons of both IT infrastructures. The decisive factor is therefore which features you consider to be particularly important.
Hybrid solutions that combine the best features of cloud and on-premises to create a fully-fledged IT infrastructure are also possible.
Below we give you an overview of the features of both models. However, this is very abbreviated, as the advantages and disadvantages are manifold. Before deciding how you want to set up your IT infrastructure, you should therefore always speak to an IT specialist.
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Depending on whether you opt for a cloud, on-premise or hybrid solution, the composition of the necessary components will vary. In addition, there are the individual goals and requirements of your industry mentioned above.
You need these components to set up an efficient IT structure:
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In addition, you should not do without specialist personnel - even after the IT infrastructure has been set up! This is because it requires constant care, maintenance and monitoring in order to function smoothly in the long term and, above all, to offer the best possible security.
We hope that this article has given you the necessary insight into the basics of an IT infrastructure. Despite all the complexity, you now have the opportunity to think in detail about which factors are particularly important to you.
This way, you will be well prepared when you speak to a specialist who is to set up your IT infrastructure.
Although we cannot help you with this, we are happy to provide you with the necessary components. Best of all, our hardware is available either new or refurbished. The latter servers, routers, transceivers and all other parts are refurbished so that you can benefit from them for many years to come … at a lower purchase price and with a 2-year guarantee.
Are you just starting to get to grips with IT issues? Then continue reading our blog. Here we cover the basics of network technology as well as more in-depth information technology topics.
In principle, a switch handles the targeted data transmission between at least two participants within a network. However, when searching for a suitable device, it quickly becomes apparent: There are a number of differences and the choice is not so easy without the appropriate knowledge.
In this blog post, we will therefore provide you with a clear summary of the available variants and the requirements they meet. This will give you an overview of which switch is right for your network.
Each switch assumes the role of the transmitter between the participating hosts of a network. The exchange is targeted so that data packets are only transmitted to the recipient who is supposed to receive them. This makes switches not only more secure, but also faster than hubs, which send all data unfiltered to each host, due to the compressed data transmission.
Switches are therefore the means of choice nowadays for setting up a stable and secure network. How secure and stable this should ultimately be always depends on the area of application. A large company with a widely branched network requires different software and hardware than a home network.
In order to meet all requirements, from small to huge, you will receive switches that differ beyond the basic functions mentioned here.
The Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI model for short) is used in network technology to define in a standardized way how networks should communicate with each other and transfer data. The complex processes are divided into seven layers, each of which performs a specific task. This makes it easier to identify the cause of any problems that occur.
Assignment of switches to OSI layers:
Layer 2 switches can (as the name suggests) be assigned to the second layer of the model, i.e. the data link layer (layer 2). They therefore take on the function of a bridge. Using Mac addresses, they transmit data packets in a targeted manner to the addressed recipient within the local network.
Layer 3 switches can also recognize IP addresses and thus take on additional router functions. They can therefore be assigned to the network layer (layer 3) and also enable global communication. These devices often replace routers, especially in large companies.
In addition to the ability to communicate locally and beyond, the devices also differ depending on the planned network size. As a result, functions, connection and security settings vary. Basically, switch types can be divided into three categories:
If you are looking for a model that can be easily and quickly implemented in your existing network, such a switch could be suitable. These models are often plug-and-play, meaning they can be connected and used immediately. They are easy to operate, which is why you can use them even as a beginner and without prior knowledge - but you also have less control and no management functions.
The answer to the question "Which switch?" could therefore lead you here, unless you want to set up advanced functions.
Summary of the features:
You have full control and configuration options with devices of this type. Managed switches can (or must) be set up individually. This is advantageous if you place high demands on them and want to coordinate a large network in the best possible way. Permanent monitoring of the network is also possible.
The prerequisite for using managed switches is that you have the appropriate specialist knowledge.
Features of a managed switch:
These versions require less administration than managed switches, but offer more functions than unmanaged switches. As they are still changing and constantly evolving, the corresponding features may vary. Basically, you can access your Smart Switch via a web browser. Although not all functions can be used as with a managed switch, these versions can certainly be seen as a cost-reduced alternative.
Smart Switches at a glance:
In addition to the features mentioned above, you should also consider which others are relevant for your work. So ask yourself before buying a network switch:
How many devices do you want to connect?
Pay attention to the number of ports available so that you can really connect all the devices you want. In a home network, four to eight ports are often sufficient; in larger companies, switches with far more LAN connections are used.
How high should the transmission speed be?
Switches can forward data packets at different speeds. Gigabit switches are superior to classic Fast Ethernet switches. These are available with a transmission rate of at least one Gbit/s - on each port.
Which cable should you use to connect to a network switch?
Traditionally, you can connect your devices to the switch using an RJ45 Ethernet cable. The design of the cable also influences the maximum transfer speeds.
The distinction between CAT-5e, CAT-6 or CAT-7 cables is based on the speed of data transmission, but also the bandwidth (in MHz).
In principle, all versions - including CAT-5e (100 MHz) - are suitable for the gigabit range. In large-scale applications and in professional environments, however, CAT-6 or CAT-7 cables are more frequently used, which can transmit far more data simultaneously at up to 250 MHz or up to 600 MHz. But the future trend in the private sector is also clearly moving towards cables with higher bandwidths - CAT 6 cables are already standard in home networks today.
Private users are usually adequately served with an unmanaged switch. If very high security requirements are relevant - for example in the corporate environment and in data centers - a managed switch should be your choice. Medium-sized networks are well covered with a Smart Managed Switch.
Of course, you also have the option of choosing between different manufacturers. However, this is often more a question of taste, as there are really many good brands. You can also find some of them in our range, including Cisco, HPE Aruba, Fortinet, SonicWall and Juniper.
If you are unsure which switch is the right one for your application, please contact us. We will be happy to advise you in detail and help you find the hardware that will support you in setting up a secure network. You can also choose between new or refurbished equipment.
Above all, widely branched networks with many participants are dependent on high performance and functionality. In order to make resources such as data or programs available to all authorized network participants, network servers are generally used in this context. These also withstand continuous and uninterrupted use and serve as a reliable control and distribution instance.
However, the use of such hardware can also make sense in smaller and private environments. You can find out exactly what function a network server performs and which devices are suitable for your requirements here.
In information technology, a distinction is made between hardware and software servers, which are usually combined.
A network server (also: host) is a powerful computer (i.e. hardware) that forms the center of a client-server network. It is used to network several clients (end devices such as computers) locally or via the Internet. This enables all authorized network participants to access shared resources. For this purpose, it has a corresponding operating system via which software servers are executed.
Network servers are designed to withstand constant use (24/7) and can network a huge number of participants. Servers therefore perform significantly better than a computer that has been converted into one. Instead, they are robust and powerful hardware that can withstand the network requirements of huge corporations.
With the possibility of shared access, a network server already offers a huge advantage in a shared working environment, for example. But there are a whole host of reasons for using it. Growing networks in particular should not (or cannot) do without the hardware without forfeiting the following advantages.
Advantages:
The use of a network server is particularly useful for larger networks and many clients. This type of hardware is indispensable for creating a powerful and secure infrastructure for applications with high and very high requirements.
It is also generally used where several people need to access the same resources. For example, to communicate or work on a joint project. Network servers can therefore be found in various larger facilities.
These include, among others:
Network servers are not absolutely necessary, but they are also very practical in the private sector. The most common reason for this is the increased data security and reliability compared to cloud services. The devices are correspondingly smaller and have a performance that is appropriate for a home network - but they do not differ from company servers in terms of functionality.
Here, too, you benefit from a central storage location that can be accessed permanently by several participants. However, this also assumes that your network server is running permanently. As a result, you should never underestimate power consumption and maintenance. Also bear in mind that without prior knowledge, implementing a network server can be complex, even in the private sector and with just a few computers.
In addition to the basic functions of a network server, it can vary in terms of its tasks and properties. If you opt for a device in your home network, it will also have to meet far fewer requirements than a group-wide server.
There are therefore differences in performance and processor type, for example. For example, you can get single or dual (widely used), four or even eight processor servers. You will also find variations in power consumption, size and performance.
Differentiation according to application
In large companies, several servers are also required depending on the range of functions needed. Depending on the specific application, a distinction is made between the following network server types, among others:
A network server always has a robust housing and hardly differs visually from any other computer. The graphics card, RAM and processor installed vary in performance depending on your requirements.
Many manufacturers often do without ventilation in newer server models. The advantage is that these models work very quietly, which is particularly appreciated in a working environment. They are also considered to be more durable and less susceptible to dust. Depending on the specific design, however, the performance is often somewhat lower than that of a server with ventilation.
Depending on the computing power, the application and the available space, network server types are also differentiated by design:
The conclusion of this blog post: There is no one network server that perfectly covers all requirements. Instead, you have the option of choosing exactly the components that best suit your network. In this way, your needs are optimally met - although the choice can also be difficult without specialist knowledge.
This is where we come in to advise you in detail. We are not only an online store for IT hardware and network technology, but also your experienced contact partner. Our network servers are built to handle even the toughest demands.
We would like to take this opportunity to highlight our range of refurbished hardware, which we offer in addition to our new devices. These are available at a lower price, with a three-year guarantee and refurbished with a clear conscience. This applies not only to network servers, but also to all other products. These include routers and switches from well-known brands such as Cisco, HPE Aruba or Juniper.
Please contact us and we will find the optimum solution for your individual needs.
