DCN August 2016 | Page 29

cooling Moving beyond test loads to real time data There are several sources of data that can be used to help drive models in a live data centre. The key is to take advantage of the tsunami of sensors that have appeared inside the data centre over the last 20 years. These are located inside servers, storage devices, switches, power units, racks and aisles. So what data can be used and how? Using the data from sensors in the racks and aisles will provide information on airflow and air temperature both hot and cold. This can be used to feed into the model to see where it is predicting heat and help make it more effective with real time data. If linked to orchestration software then the data can also be correlated to workflows. This has the advantage of providing data that can be used to carry out predictive analysis of future cooling needs. Sensors inside servers can also provide a lot of key data. For example, they can provide information about CPU temperatures which will show how much processing is being done. With the increase in analytics being done in-memory this will provide information on where certain workloads are running and the power and heat they generate. Information from PSUs will also enable a greater understanding of power utilisation across the data centre. It will show where power is getting dangerously close to the maximum capacity in certain racks and where there is little to no power drain showing underutilised hardware. COLOCATION & OUTSOURCING As well as its regular range of features and news items, the September issue of Data Centre News will contain a major feature on colocation and outsourcing. data centre news To make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to advertise your products to this exclusive readership, call Francesca on 01634 673163 or email [email protected] Modelling a data centre is a key part of any design. All of this not only helps inform the CFD models but also the longer term models around data centre design and utilisation. For IT managers, they can now see just how effectively they are utilising resources and the cost of that level of utilisation. Conclusion Modelling a data centre is a key part of any design. Failing to update that model with real time data when it is available ensures that the model is not only ineffective but can also incur considerable extra costs.