Eaton ensures continuity and protects Dell EMC VxRail from power disturbances

The ability of hyper-converged infrastructures to create single clusters of compute, storage, networking, virtualization resources, and other technologies as tightly integrated IT infrastructure is increasingly popular in data centers across the world. Eaton provides intelligent, scalable solutions designed to organize, protect and manage hyper-converged infrastructures to ensure their business continuity.

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VxRail, a fully integrated, pre-configured and pre-tested hyperconverged infrastructure system jointly developed by Dell EMC and VMware, aligns compute, memory and storage resources to match the requirements of end user workloads. An industry first, Eaton Intelligent Power Manager (IPM) users of VxRail can now manage their IT applications, including power devices, as well as enhance the integrity of valuable data and business continuity by enabling automated and graceful shutdown of VxRail clusters experiencing unplanned power events.

Why include Eaton solutions with VxRail systems?

• Preserve data integrity and business continuity by enabling automated and graceful shutdown of VxRail clusters experiencing unplanned, extended power events.
• Protect valuable data from cybersecurity breaches with the first UL 2900-1 and IEC 62443-4-2 certified UPS communication card. 
• Reduce need for onsite IT staff with simple set-up and remote management of power infrastructure using familiar VMware tools.
• Safeguard VxRail system from power anomalies and environmental threats.

Watch how IPM can orchestrate a graceful shutdown of VxRail clusters

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Brochure: Eaton delivers advanced power management for Dell EMC VxRail systems
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Quick start guide: Eaton IPM VxRail solution
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​5 frequently asked questions about Eaton solutions for VxRail deployments

1. What are Eaton solutions for VxRail?
Eaton continues its innovation leadership with the release of Intelligent Power Manager (IPM) version 1.67 that now integrates with Dell EMC VxRail Hyperconverged Infrastructure. By utilizing an Eaton UPS (5P, 5PX, 9PX, 9PXM, 9SX or 93PM UPS product family) with Gigabit Network Card (version 1.7.5) and IPM (Gold license), you can now enable automated and graceful shutdown of VxRail clusters experiencing unplanned power events to safeguard data integrity. Further enhance the solution with these Eaton products: metered or managed rack PDUs, environmental monitoring sensors, enclosure and cable management options. 

2. How are Eaton solutions for VxRail unique in the market?
Existing solutions only had the capability of shutting down one or two nodes, leaving clusters exposed to power problems. Dell EMC and Eaton worked hand-in-hand to develop and extensively test an integrated solution from Eaton that utilizes VxRail APIs and existing functionality in place with VMware APIs so that Eaton IPM working with the Eaton UPS and Gigabit Network Card can gracefully shut down a VxRail cluster in the event of an unplanned power event to preserve data integrity. IPM is installed within the VxRail, eliminating the need for an external VM to host IPM for shutdown.

3. What is the typical or standard amount of UPS and rack PDUs needed for a 4-node VxRail solution?
A typical Eaton solution will consist of one UPS powered by the Gigabit Network Card, an IPM Gold license and possibly one rack PDU. For redundancy, you can have two UPS models each powered by a Gigabit Network Card, two rack PDUs and an IPM Gold license. The right UPS model is determined by the voltage and typical watts rating of the VxRail system, network switch and any other device included in the rack. Count the number of plugs that need to be connected to determine whether a rack PDU is needed. The IPM Gold license level is determined by the number of power devices, called nodes, to be supported.

4. What counts as a node when talking about IPM?
Nodes, when talking about IPM, are power devices like UPSs, rack PDUs and environmental sensors. The number of VxRail nodes is not calculated in the number of nodes IPM needs to support.
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5. Is Eaton an Advantage member of the Dell EMC Technology Connect Partner Program and
VMware Technology Alliance Program?
Yes. As an Advantage member of the Dell EMC Technology Connect Partner Program and VMware Technology Alliance Program, Eaton is proud to collaborate with Dell EMC and with VMware to deliver cohesive solutions to maintain business continuity.